There will be a new WHL Champion crowned this spring as the Brandon Wheat Kings were eliminated from the WHL Playoffs following a 3-2 game four loss in Dauphin on Wednesday night.
The Medicine Hat Tigers complete the sweep and advance to the Eastern Conference semi-final vs the winner of the Red Deer / Lethbridge series.
In what was the most exciting game of the series, the Wheat Kings came up just shy of forcing overtime as a late goal from Tyler Coulter crossed the line just seconds after the final buzzer sounded.
Logan Thompson turned in a spectacular effort for the Wheat Kings making 51 saves and keeping the game scoreless through 40 minutes.
However, much like in game three the Tigers pounced quickly to start the third period.
Two goals in the opening 91 seconds of the third period gave them their first lead of the game.
Brandon would cut into that lead when Reid Duke notched his 3rd of the playoffs less than 2:00 later.
Midway thru the frame, David Quenneville fired home a power play goal for his 2nd of the night and the eventual game winner to add to his playoff leading 11 points.
Kale Clague would respond on a late power play from Brandon setting up the furious finish.
The four game series loss was the first time Brandon had been swept since the 2015 WHL final series vs the Kelowna Rockets.
Brandon would finish the night 2/4 on the power play while the Tigers scored once on five opportunities.
The loss brings the 50th anniversary season to a close. A season that saw one game postponed due to fog and another due to a blizzard, well over 100 man games lost due to injury and a case of the mumps!
Graduating players Dmitri Osipov, Reid Duke and Tyler Coulter were awarded the games three stars and were giving a standing ovation from the fans remaining inside Credit Union Place.
NOTES
-The Wheat Kings scratched Garrett Sambrook (Sick), Meyer Nell (Lower Body), Nolan Patrick (Lower Body), Tanner Kaspick (Upper Body) and Daniel Bukac (Healthy).
-James Shearer left the game after the first period and did not return.
-Game four attendance was 1825
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