You can feel it in the air, playoff hockey is back in the Border City.
The Lloydminster Bandits couldn’t stave off the Killam Wheat Kings in Game 2 of North Eastern Alberta Jr. B Hockey League (NEAJBHL) playoff action. The Bandits and Wheat Kings are tied 1-1 in a best-of-seven first-round series.
Game 1 saw a 5-0 Bandits’ win at the Centennial Civic Centre on Feb. 13 before a 5-4 OT win for the Wheat Kings on Feb. 16.
Thursday’s win featured goals from Corvan Stewart, Joel Webb, Adryan Bugiera, Cayden Wildeman and Aidan Martens.
Sunday’s game saw the Wheat Kings equalize the series 31 seconds into overtime. The 60 minutes of hockey played before OT, however, had the crowd on their feet.
Killam’s Jack Teasdale struck first at 7:16 in the first before Evan Golby gave the Wheat Kings a 2-0 lead on the power play at 5:36.
Bandits sharpshooter Kade Dennett got on the board at 4:52 before Killam’s Aidan Borgel made it 3-1 with 1:55 left in the opening frame. Koston Eaton, however, got the Bandits within one with 1:14 on the clock.
The second period featured a lone Aiden Martens goal, tying the game 3-3.
The third saw a shorthanded goal from Killam’s Jordan Gagnon at 12:01. Bandits captain, Joel Webb, however, got a shorthanded goal of his own at 5:04, forcing overtime.
Borgel put the nail in the coffin for the Bandits 31 seconds into OT for a 5-4 Wheat King’s win.
The boys in black and red head to Killam this Wednesday (Feb. 19) for an 8 p.m. puck drop. The series returns to the Centennial Civic Centre for Game 5 on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Read more: NEAJBHL: Bandits razzle-dazzle Rangers
