Ryley Lindgren scored his first career hat trick as the Swift Current Broncos beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 5-2.

It was a clutch performance for Lindgren against his first WHL team.

“It's good to get that but it's big to get a win,” Lindgren. “Especially with them being close to us in the standings it's big to get the two points.”

The victory moves Swift Current to nine points up on Brandon for third place in the WHL East Division with ten games left in the regular season.

“It was an important game standings wise,” said Broncos associate coach Ryan Smith. “We wanted to make sure we kept a lead on them in the standings and we did that. It was a funny game. The effort was there at times but the intensity was off a little bit. We found a way, we had some of our guys step up and it was a good two points.”

Lindgren opened the scoring in the first period on a shot the referees didn't see until video reviews. The Broncos came close to a 2-0 lead late in the period when Kaden Elder hit a post and the team seemed to be building momentum.

Swift Current got off to slow starts in all three periods and gave up goals in the first minute of both the second and third periods. Former Bronco Kade Jensen struck early in what was a scrambly second start to the second period.

“It's tough coming off an emotional win like that against Regina,” Lindgren said. “I think we came out flat but we got better every period and found a way to get the win. That's all that matters right now.

It wasn't until the middle of the second that the Broncos began to re-assert themselves offensively. Lindgren finished off a Riley Stotts pass on the power play and then Glenn Gawdin ripped home his 23rd of the year a few minutes later to put Swift Current up 3-1.

“It took us a long time in the second period to figure out just play it straight forward and keep it simple,” Smith said. “It was there for both teams. I thought our goalie was good and we had some veteran guys step up and take charge.”

Tyler Coulter cut Swift Current's lead to 3-2 early in the third period. Nolan Patrick then nearly tied it up when former Wheat King Jordan Papirny stopped Brandon's top player on a 2 on 1. Patrick's line did give the Broncos some trouble matched up with Lindgren, Gawdin and Tyler Steenbergen.

“At times it wasn't good for us,” Smith said. “He's the best player in the league and he showed it tonight he was very good. He was the best player in black. At times he dominated, but we limited it him. We took away some of his options. We got some big stops from our goalie.”

The Broncos got some insurance when Lane Pederson set Kaden Elder up for his 13th goal of the season. Lindgren then secured his hat trick on a nice feed from behind the net by Steenbergen.

Lindgren is playing well as of late with seven goals in his last eight games including the overtime winner against Regina on Sunday.

“He was real good on Sunday,” Smith said. “With the guys we were missing and the way we played on the weekend he really stepped up. It's his 20-year-old year and he wants to make an impact. You can see he's got a little desperation in his game, he's got a jump in his step and whenever you're scoring you feel good about yourself. Deservedly so as he works hard and goes to the hard areas.”

After only scoring once in his first twelve games as a Bronco why is the puck finding the net now?

“Just bounces I think,” Lindgren. “Bounces weren't going my way at the beginning. I was still working hard, playing my game and just stuck with it. Coach did the same thing... gave me a pat on the back and kept me going. Bounces are going my way now and it's nice.”

The whole line produced for Swift Current as Steenbergen had three assists and Gawdin added two assists to his goal.

The Broncos went 1 for 5 on the power play and were able to hold Brandon to 0 for 2. Their bottom ranked penalty kill also killed off five of the six Regina power plays on Sunday as it appears they are making some progress.

“There's only one way to go when you're dead last,” Smith said. “We talked about it as a group we want to get better heading into the playoffs as it'll be a key part of the playoffs. I thought all weekend we were good and we were good tonight. When you limit teams like this that rely on the power play you stand a good chance to win.”

Papirny made 25 saves in the victory against the team that traded him to Swift Current at the trade deadline.

Swift Current heads to Red Deer and Edmonton on the weekend. They have ten games left to play on their regular season schedule and appear destined for a first round match-up with the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Sahvan Khaira should be back in the lineup on Saturday after he served a one-game suspension on Tuesday for a hit on Regina's Austin Wagner.