Warriors stymie Hurricanes
SAWCHENKO STOPS 32 OF 33 SHOTS IN MOOSE JAW WIN
Some solid opposition goaltending kept the Lethbridge Hurricanes out of the win column during the third game of a four-game homestand.
The Hurricanes were downed 3-1 by the Moose Jaw Warriors during Western Hockey League action Wednesday night at the Enmax Centre.
On a night the shot clock favoured the hosts as the Canes outshot the Warriors 33-21, the visitors prevailed on the scoresheet as Moose Jaw scored twice midway through the first and added another in the second while goaltender Zach Sawchenko made 32 saves.
The loss puts the Hurricanes at 36-17-4-3 with the Brandon Wheat Kings coming to town Friday night.
“I thought we played pretty well,” said Hurricanes head coach Brent Kisio. “I thought they were pretty lucky to get the two points and that we were the better team. They just had a good goaltender tonight.
“I though we worked hard. I think we had a little bit of a lapse, I don’t know if our energy wasn’t there at the start, but we had a lot of opportunties.”
The Warriors went up 1-0 on a power play goal from Tanner Jeannot and padded their lead to 2-0 a little under a minute later on a goal from Spencer Bast.
Moose Jaw added to their lead 20 seconds into the second when Thomas Foster tapped home a feed from Branden Klatt.
It stayed 3-0 into the third, when the Hurricanes fired 14 shots on goal in the final period, finally finding a way past Sawchenko on Jordy Bellerive’s 24th of the season 12:52 into the third.
But the Hurricanes couldn’t draw any closer despite a few narrow misses with goaltender Stuart Skinner pulled for the extra attacker.
“It was desperation time in the third period when we were down 3-0, so that’s something huge for us,” said Bellerive. “We came out and we wanted it in the third. We had a lot of good chances, but we ran into a hot goalie tonight and a credit to him, he played well. We just have to find a way to put it in the net.”
Wednesday’s game didn’t feature the late-game multiple scraps that occurred in their previous meeting, that landed both teams fines from the league.
Still, Kisio had some words in regards to Warriors’ head coach Tim Hunter.
“It was a physical game. There was some animosity. They have a classless coach over there that is probably the most classless guy in our league. It’s unfortunate it happens, but I thought our guys played hard.”
After Friday night’s game, the Hurricanes hit the road for five games, starting Saturday in Cranbrook against Kootenay.
The Hurricanes next home game is March 8 against the Edmonton Oil Kings.