Warriors force Game 7 Halbgewachs scored in triple OT to win Game 6, force series into deciding contest
The Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos found themselves in some very familiar territory on Monday night. One game at Mosaic Place for all the marbles, one game to decide whose season continues and whose season ends prematurely. Last year, that Game 7 came in the first round of the playoffs; this year, its in the Western Hockey League Eastern Conference semifinal, between the top two regular season teams in the league. And it came about after some incredible outcomes last week. After the Broncos tied the best-of-seven series 2-2 with a 3-2 win in double overtime on Apr. 11, the Warriors fell 2-0 to Swift Current at Mosaic Place in Game 5 on Apr. 13. Then, with their season on the line one night later at the Credit Union iPlex – also the exact same situation as a year earlier – the Warriors took a 3-2 victory in triple overtime. And once again, it was all down to one game. Jayden Halbgewachs scored the biggest playoff goal of his career in Game 6 in front of a raucous crowd in Swift Current, taking a cross-ice feed from Kale Clague and beating Broncos goaltender Stuart Skinner with a low shot 1:14 into the third overtime period. The win came after an impressive third period comeback by the Tribe and on the back of an astounding goaltending performance from Brody Willms. Willms turned aside 58 shots total, 25 of those in overtime, with a handful of diving and sprawling stops on sure scoring chances among them. It was easily the highest number of shots Willms has faced in a game . As well as he played, though, it looked like it was all going to be for naught early in the third period, as Matteo Gennaro and Tyler Steenbergen had scored to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead 3:35 into the final frame. Jett Woo got one back when his seeing-eyed shot found its way through traffic and behind Skinner at the 6:43 mark. The Tribe then tied the game five minutes later, when Brett Howden tipped a point shot by Clague past Skinner to tie the game. There the score remained for another 41 minutes of hockey until Halbgewachs scored the game winner to extend the se- ries. An injury to Warriors forward Tanner Jeannot saw head coach Tim Hunter break out an interesting strategy to combat the loss of one of their top wingers – the team dressed eight defencemen and regularly played a rearguard on the left wing. “We dressed eight defenceman because that gave us the best chance to win,” explained Hunter. “I wanted to be able to play an older player up front, someone who has a little more grit and little more of an idea how to play in these situations... We’re looking for help, we’re looking for scoring and it’s a lot to ask a guy like (rookies) Brecon Wood and Tyler Smithies to do in this situatuion. So we decided to go with eight defencemen.” The scheme didn’t pay off offensively, as Skinner picked up his second straight shutout at Mosaic Place, stopping 36 shots to give the Broncos the lead in the series. Kaden Elder scored Swift Current’s first goal 3:53 into the contest on a shot that was redirected past Willms; Giorgio Estephan had their second goal midway through the third when a defensive breakdown left him open in the slot. Willms turned aside 24 shots in taking the loss. Gennaro scored the game-tying goal 1:22 into the third period and then, nearly 60 minutes later, capped off a hat trick with the double-overtime winner to tie the series at two games each. Jeannot and Woo scored for the Warriors in the second period; Gennaro opened scoring with 5:53 remaining in the first period. Skinner made 51 saves in taking the win; Willms turned aside 43.