When you're in a slump it seems like the puck is never going to go in.

The Swift Current Broncos fired 48 shots on the Medicine Hat goal and still couldn't solve Tigers goaltender Mads Sogaard. Medicine Hat won 2-0 as the Broncos were shut out for the third time in four games.

"Our first twenty was a little bit spotty at times," said Broncos assistant coach Scott Dutertre. "There were a couple times where we missed assignments and it ended up costing us and going in the back of our not. In the second forty we worked really had and we cleaned everything up. Their goaltender had a heck of a game. He did a great job in net and he's a big body to try to get pucks around."



With that many shots the Broncos didn't feel like it was all just from the outside.

"There wasn't a lot of perimeter stuff," Dutertre noted. "We had some decent quality opportunities here and we just couldn't capitalize on them."

Swift Current traded chances with the Tigers in a quick first period that didn't go the Broncos' way. A Garrett Sambrook turnover midway through the period led directly to Ryan Chyzowski's 8th goal of the season through a screen. The Broncos then got hemmed in their own zone again five minutes later and Chyzowski beat Hofer short side for 2-0 Medicine Hat lead.

Dutertre noted their veteran leaders touched on how some of those mistakes come from letting the little things slip.

"We can't cut corners in practice," Dutertre said. "Or else those little things they feed into our game. We just have to make sure we're a lunch pale gang. We all have to work and we all have to be on the same page. If we're just short or just making a turn here as opposed to finishing a check or not quite clearing out a puck that ends up biting us in the butt."

The second period was again reasonably even as both goaltenders made some good stops and it remained 2-0.

Swift Current really put pressure on in the third period as the Tigers were playing their fourth game in five days. The Broncos outshot them 20-5 in the final frame and won all sorts of battles in the offensive zone. They still weren't able to solve the impressive rookie from Denmark.

Sogaard sits at 5-2-1-2 for the Tigers with a 2.48 goals against average and 0.930 save percentage in a strong start to his WHL career.

Alex Moar led the Broncos with six shots on net and continues to impress while playing big minutes on the blue line. He thought there were positives for his club.

"I thought overall pretty good,"  Moar said. "Too bad we couldn't get the win today. We had good effort from most guys, but in the first we had a couple mistakes and it ended up in the back of the net."



The 17-year-old defender from Prince Albert has been playing in all situations since coming over from Everett and hasn't been shy to make plays.

"It's a really good opportunity for me," Moar noted. "I'm happy for it because I didn't get much of it back in Everett. It's great for me."

Swift Current has now only scored four goals in their last five games. They also haven't scored a power play in their last four games and sit last in the league at 13%.

The Broncos have improved their defensive game over that same stretch. They've allowed only 30 or fewer shots in three of their last four games and have only allowed 10 total goals over those four games.

Swift Current was still without Matthew Stanley who has missed five straight games with an illness. He is expected to return next week. Eric Houk also remains out of the lineup with an injury. Austin Herron and Christian Riemer were scratched tonight.

The game was the return of former Broncos associate coach Ryan Smith to Swift Current as an assistant with the Tigers. He received a nice ovation from Broncos fans after a video tribute during the first period media time out.

There will be lots of time to practice this week as the Broncos are off until next Saturday when they host Edmonton.