For the Humboldt Broncos, the first four games of their playoff series with the Melfort Mustangs have been, to borrow a line from Charles Dickens, a tale of two cities.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
At home the Broncos are a perfect 2-0, including a thrilling 3-2 overtime win on March 20 that evened the series at two games apiece. Alas, the Northern Lights Arena in Melfort has been for them like Dickens' portrayal of revolutionary Paris: bloody, chaotic and the site of many atrocities. The Broncos have been outscored 14-3 during the two games in Melfort and weren't competitive for most of either affair.
That's been a bit of a problem because, without home ice advantage, the Broncos have to win in Melfort at some point to take the series. Whether it happens during Game 5 on March 22 or a potential Game 7 on March 25, it has to happen.
"The players said it themselves, it's time we step up and play in their barn," Broncos coach Dean Brockman said shortly after Cody Pongracz scored the overtime winner in Game 4. "We only get at most two more cracks at it, so we better find a way to win one up there."
First, though, they had to win Game 4 at home. While it technically wasn't a must-win, falling behind in the series 3-1 with the next game in Melfort would have been close to a death sentence.
"We felt that we had to win this one," Pongracz said.
Before the game the Broncos were given a boost when Logan Sproule surprisingly returned to the lineup. There had been worries that Sproule had suffered a concussion and would be out for a while, but after taking sinus medication and passing a baseline concussion test Sproule was cleared to play.
Things started well when captain David Stumborg scored to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead after the first period. That slim lead evaporated when a Broncos' defender fell to the ice to try and block a shot; the problem was that Justin Boyer didn't shoot just then. He skated around the defender and beat Ryland Pashovitz to tie the game at one. Then, less than a minute later, Melfort took the lead on a low shot, again by Boyer, that beat Pashovitz and put the crowd on edge. Heading into the third period, Melfort held a 2-1 lead and the final 20 minutes loomed as important as any ever had.
When David Miazga scored just minutes into that third period, the stage was set for a dramatic and tense ending. The 20-minute overtime period was cloaked in the tension that comes with do-or-die hockey; every pass, shot and save could have been the difference between a win and a loss.
At one point it seemed as if the Broncos were sure to lose. One player had been hit in the face with a puck and another had lost his stick, resulting in the Mustangs holding the puck in the Broncos' zone for what felt like a minute. It was as if they were on a power play.
"They were firing bullets everywhere but they didn't really have a scoring chance," Brockman said.
Shortly after that, Pongracz found himself streaking down the right wing. He had two teammates coming up behind him and a 3-on-1 break developing. As he charged toward the net he paused, seemingly unsure of what he wanted to do.
"I was going to pass right away there, but the defence did a good job and I was so far up that I didn't have many other options," Pongracz said. "I saw a little opening and thought I'd give it a whirl."
That "little opening" was a glimmer of daylight over the goalie's shoulder and Pongracz found it, netting the game winner and throwing the outcome of the series genuinely back in doubt.
"It felt great," he said. "As soon as you score and look back at the bench you see how excited the guys are and it's just a great feeling."
It wasn't just the players who were feeling good, either. As he walked off the bench after the game, Brockman clapped his hands together twice. It was as much outward emotion as you'll see from the coach, but he made it clear how much the win meant after the game.
"You can go to school for a lot of years and have a job that pays you a lot better than what I've got, but boy oh boy you can't beat having a game like that," Brockman said in his office after the game. "I don't care what anybody says."
