Brayden Camrud played the overtime hero, scoring 1:38 into the first overtime giving the Humboldt Broncos a 3-2 overtime win over the Melfort Mustangs in game 4 of their Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League quarterfinal series in Humboldt.
The Mustangs now trail the Broncos 3-1 in the Bourgault Cup series, with game five back in Melfort on March 24.
Camrud skated over the Mustangs blueline early in the extra session, and with his shift winding down threw the puck towards the goal.
His shot seemed to fool Mustangs netminder Evan Plotnik, who got a piece of the shot but could not get all of it as it rolled over his shoulder and into the net for the winner.
Nick Shulmanski, and Stephen Wack had the other Broncos goals, while Conner Lukan, Jaxon Joseph, and Logan Schatz added the assists.
Parker Tobin, making his second straight start, made 27 saves for his second career playoff victory.
Colin Schmidt scored both Mustangs goals, while Tyler Heidt, Justin Ball, and Andrew Thompson added the assists.
Plotnik made 35 saves in the Mustangs goal.
Shumlanski scored on the power play at 9:20 of the first period, sneaking a wrist shot from the top of the circle through the arm of Plotnik to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead.
The Broncos hung on to the one goal lead until 9:22 of period two, when Schmidt found some open space in the circle to the left of Tobin and fired a wrist shot high over the blocker of the Broncos goaltender and into the top corner for his second goal of the series.
After Camrud was called for slashing Mustangs defenseman Adam Hergott on the teams’ way off the ice, Schmidt made him pay just 55 seconds into the third period power play, wrapping the puck around the goal and passed Tobin, who could not get his pad across to the post quick enough.
With the game winding down Wack notched the equalizer.
The 20-year-old St. Albert, Alta. native broke into the Mustangs zone, and with a pair of Mustangs in his face fired a perfectly placed wrist shot by the outstretched blocker of Plotnik to tie the score at two.
The Mustangs were without defenseman Kayle Tosh, who missed the game after taking a nasty hit from Broncos defenseman Ryan Straschnitzki during the first period of game three.
Straschnitzki was subsequently suspended and missed the first of two games.
After giving up at least two power play goals in each of the first three games, the Mustangs tightened up on the penalty kill, allowing just one Broncos goal on five man advantage opportunities.
The Mustangs’ power play meanwhile, continues to struggle scoring once on six chances to bring their total through four games to 3-for-24.
The blue and green will look to keep their season alive and force a game six when they return home on March 24.
