The Swift Current Broncos couldn't hold on to 2-1 or 3-2 leads in third period before falling 4-3 to Saskatoon.

It was a struggle in the third after a solid first two periods for the Broncos.

“I think it was just the fact that we are letting ourselves a little bit by the way we finalized the game,” said Broncos Associate Coach Ryan Smith. “We were in a good spot after a couple periods and I thought we played quite well. Solid I guess. We didn't give up much. We needed to turn it up a notch and bare down and we didn't do that.”

I think the message is we're in the second half of the season and things get harder. The league gets better after Christmas... and we need to be better.”

The Blades tied the game early in the third after a Braylon Shmyr shot deflected off a skate and right to Josh Paterson. However, the Broncos got their own bounce moments later when Paterson accidentally deflected a Beck Malenstyn shot into his own net to restore Swift Current's lead.

The Broncos couldn't take advantage of their fortune as Saskatoon took over the play from that point on. Paterson atoned for his own goal by again tying the game on the power play, and Shmyr gave the Blades a late lead off a Swift Current turnover.

“They wanted it a little more,” Smith said. “They were hungry, they are battling for a playoff spot, they are desperate for points and it showed. They out muscled us, they got to the front of the net and their power play... when we start losing the special teams games you lose games.”

Saskatoon went 2 for 6 on the man advantage, while the Broncos were held to 0 for 3 and little in the way of opportunity on theirs.

“Our power play was stagnant today,” Smith said. “It was individualistic and it just wasn't clicking the way it has. Even with the guys missing we have had some success. For us it's a big part of our game. Tonight it was lacklustre. Those are things we need to work on and get sorted out.”

After having solid push early int the game the Broncos couldn't find any sustained pressure in the final four minutes and Saskatoon held on for their seventh win in their last eight games.

“Credit to them too they played great in the neutral zone,” Smith said. “They're playing well. They're one of the better teams at the moment. They've improved a lot since the start of the year. Their young guys have come a long way and they're buying in to what their coach is selling.”

Saskatoon had opened the scoring with Cameron Hebig's 29th of the season on an early power play. It didn't take long for Swift Current to tie it up as Colby Sissons converted a Jacson Alexander pass on a one-timer for his 8th of the season. It was Alexander's first point in his first WHL game since joining the Broncos.

“For a first WHL game he played well,” Smith said. “He has great instincts. He's got good mobility back there and he sees the ice well. I think you're just going to see him get better and better. We need to work with him on some of the stuff we want to see from him in our framework, but his instincts and natural ability are outstanding.”

Max Patterson then gave Swift Current a 2-1 lead early in the second period as Malenstyn caused a turnover and Matteo Gennaro fed Patterson the puck for his 4th of the season. Patterson now has 8 points in his last 8 games.

Gennaro finished the game with 3 assists and has 19 points in 12 games with Swift Current.

Glenn Gawdin had his 12 game point streak snapped in the loss.

Joel Hofer took the loss allowing 4 goals on 32 shots. Nolan Maier won his sixth straight for Saskatoon stopping 29 of 32 Swift Current shots.

The Broncos now sit at 26-9-2-0 and 7 points back of Moose Jaw for the best record in the WHL and first place in the Eastern Conference. They start 2018 in Saskatoon for a re-match on January 1st.

Meanwhile, Tyler Steenbergen and Team Canada secured first place in their pool at the World Junior Championship with an 8-0 win over Denmark. Aleksi Heponiemi had a goal for Finland in a 5-2 win over the Czech Republic.