Canes Lose Final Game of 2014-15 WHL Season

The Lethbridge Hurricanes tried, but couldn't find a way to close out the 2014-2015 WHL season on a winning note.

The Swift Current Broncos secured the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with a 6-2 victory over the Canes Saturday night.

It wasn't a very good start for Lethbridge in this game. The Broncos jumped ahead 3-0 in the first period. Linden Penner opened the scoring, beating Jayden Sittler to make it 1-0. That was followed up by Coda Gordon who made it a 2-0 game on the power play. Before the end of the period, Swift Current scored once more. Carter Rigby put the home side ahead 3-0.

In the second, the Broncos added to their lead. Colby Cave scored just 34 seconds into the period and just like that it was 4-0 Swift Current. The Hurricanes got one of those goals back when Devan Fafard scored his 5th of the season to cut the lead to 4-1 through 40 minutes of play.

In the third, Swift Current put the game away. Colby Cave scored his second of the night, on a power play to make it a 5-1 game. Andreas Schumacher scored a few minutes later to put the Broncos ahead 6-1. Lethbridge scored the final goal of the game when Tyler Wong scored his 27th of the season, but that's as close as the Hurricanes would get in this game, losing 6-2.

The loss dropped the Canes final record to 20-44-5-3 in 72 games. Those 20 wins ties a franchise record for the second-worst season in Hurricanes history. They also had 20 victories in 1987-88 and again in 2009-10.

Swift Current out shot Lethbridge 36-24. The Broncos finished the game 2/4 on the power play and the Hurricanes 0/2.

With that all the first round playoff series are set:

Swift Current will play Regina
Edmonton takes on Brandon
Kootenay and Calgary play each other
Red Deer and Medicine Hat round out the Eastern match-ups

In the West:
Tri-City takes on Kelowna
Prince George will play Victoria
Spokane takes on Everett
Seattle goes head-to-head with rival Portland

Thanks,
Pat