Broncos can't hold third period lead in Red Deer

Red Deer scored four unanswered goals to erase a 3-1 deficit and beat the Swift Current Broncos 5-3 on Saturday night.

It was the second blown third period lead for the Broncos in their last three games. The usually steady Broncos are still 30-3-1-0 when leading after forty minutes of play.

Giorgio Estephan, Matteo Gennaro and Glenn Gawdin scored for Swift Current, while Tyler Steenbergen had two assists in a losing cause.

The game started without much pace in the first person as the teams combined for 13 shots and few scoring chances.

After giving up a goal early in the second, the Broncos started to take control of the game. Estephan converted a very nice Steenbergen feed to tie the game, while Gennaro converted a goal-mouth scramble for a lead.

Gawdin, fresh off a second period fight with Alexander Alexeyev, tucked home his 52nd of the season for what appeared to be a commanding 3-1 third period lead.

The comeback began when Gennaro turned the puck over in front of the Swift Current net and Grayson Pawlenchuk quickly fired it between Joel Hofer's legs. Pawlenchuk then scored on a wrap-around goal of his own on a play the Broncos argued was offside.

Red Deer then pulled ahead when a centering feed appeared to go under Hofer's pads before slipping out by his skates before Chris Douglas tucked it in. Kristian Reichel then finished it off with a late empty-net goal from deep in his own zone.

The loss and Moose Jaw's win over Regina drops the Broncos to two points behind the Warriors for top spot in the WHL. Moose Jaw also has two games in hand.

Swift Current was without veteran defenceman Josh Anderson who Broncos Coach Manny Viveiros said could return as soon as Sunday in Edmonton.

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