Warriors snap skid with win in Swift Current, go 1-2 in trio of weekend games
The Moose Jaw Warriors might have managed to snap their eight-game losing streak on Friday, Jan. 24, but overall consistency continues to elude the young squad as they battle through a trying Western Hockey League campaign. The Warriors opened a three-games-inthree nights swing with a 5-3 win over Swift Current but lost 6-3 at home to the Broncos the next night before dropping a 5-4 decision in Winnipeg on Sunday, Jan. 26.
As a result, the Warriors now hold a 1230-2-0 record and sit two points up on the last-place Swift Current Broncos in the Eastern Conference standings.
After a handful of recent contests where the team had shown signs of brilliance, things finally came together with the win in Swift Current.
““I think it’s a big confidence boost for our guys; we’ve had good looks as of late but we were due for a game like tonight where if we played the right way and played honest and hard,” said Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary. “Sure, we got a couple of bounces tonight, but we deserved everything we got.”
The Warriors scored three first period goals, with Martin Lang getting the Tribe on the board 6:44 into the contest, Owen Hardy extending the lead to 2-0 five minutes later and Cayde Augustine potting their third goal with 4:38 remaining in the period.
Jagger Firkus -- the Warriors first-round pick in the 2019 Bantam Draft -- scored the first goal of his WHL career in impressive fashion with four minutes to play in the period. The 15-year-old Irma, Alta. product managed to outduel Broncos defenceman Alex Moar in front of the goal and just tip the puck home while getting knocked to the ice.
Then, with a minute left in the second, Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product Atley Calvert also scored his first goal in the WHL, finding the puck at the side of the net during a scramble and lifting a quick little shot over Broncos goaltender Isaac Poulter.
Boston Bilous was in goal for the win and was slightly less busy than usual, turning aside 40 shots on the night. The Warriors fired 45 at Poulter.
It was the Broncos who staked themselves to a 3-0 first period lead in the re-match, as a handful of penalties put them behind the eight-ball early.
Lang scored for Moose Jaw in the second period and Ryder Korczak added a pair of third period markers to account for the Warriors’ offence.
“I think any time you go down that many goals early on, you start chasing the game and pressing and making taking a little more risk than you should, especially that early in the game,” O’Leary said. “It’s one thing if you’re down by a goal or two late in the game and have to take chances, but to play that way early on, it’s a tough way to play.
“I don’t think we quit, we had our share of chances, but you can’t dig yourself a hole like that and expect to get out of it.” Bilous turned aside 27 shots, the Warriors had 32 on the Broncos.
Winnipeg took a 2-1 lead out of the first period and led 5-2 through two before the Warriors attempted to mount a third-period comeback.
Kade Runke scored the first goal of his WHL career with 8:54 gone in the third while Logan Doust, Tate Popple and Cade Hayes had the Warriors other goals. Korczak added two assists.
Gould made 38 saves for Moose Jaw, the Warriors fired 20 shots at Winnipeg. The Warriors will now have the week off before returning to the ice Friday to host the Saskatoon Blades. Game times is 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.