Moose Jaw Wins With Action-Packed Finish
By @MJWarriorsFun (Twitter) @moosejawwarriors_history (Instagram)
Your Moose Jaw Warriors were, once again, looking to “get back on track” after a pair of exasperating losses to Saskatoon and Red Deer.
At times, the 4-4 Warriors have looked like the sort of team that could compete for a championship but they’ve also been frustratingly inconsistent and undisciplined.
The visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes (3-4) had had difficulties scoring and were a break from top-tier talent for the Warriors, who had played almost entirely the league’s toughest teams to start the 2022-23 campaign. This was the sort of match-up a struggling team could use as a confidence rebuilder.
Again though, the First Period did not get going the way Moose Jaw fans would have liked as the team came out sluggish. Denton Mateychuk took a boarding penalty early and Lethbridge jumped all over them.
Almost immediately after killing off the Penalty, Lethbridge’s Anton Astashevich, the Belorussian 4th liner, netted his second goal of the season and put the Hurricanes out front. Astashevich’s goal came when his Centreman, Tristan Zandee won a face-off in the Warriors end. The puck went to Astashevich who snapped off a shot immediately, getting past a surprised Connor Ungar.
Lethbridge continued to outplay them for the remainder of the period; lambasting Ungar, forcing him to make 16 saves. With a lesser goalie, the score could’ve easily been far worse.
Connor Ungar was great in the First Period - photo credit Twitter
Moose Jaw began to turn things around in Period 2. They started pressuring Lethbridge’s goalie, cracking off a series of shots. The momentum was now firmly in Moose Jaw’s hands, but then, welp! Moose Jaw took a penalty. Who could have seen that coming? Jagger Firkus was called for High-Sticking and Moose Jaw would spend the next two minutes killing off a penalty rather than continuing in search of a tying goal.
Moose Jaw did eventually regain the momentum and they did eventually tie the score. Halfway through the second period Eric Alarie scored his third of the season. A sigh of relief consumed the entirety of the Moose Jaw Events Centre. Denton Mateychuk and Ben Riche combined for some precision, transition passing, setting Alarie up for a rocket, beating goalie Jared Picklyk, glove-side.
Eric Alarie tied the game mid-way through the second period - photo credit Twitter
The second period ended with the game tied 1-1. The Warriors were much better in the period, making up for the dismal First and out-shooting the Hurricanes 14-4.
Things got super interesting in the Period 3.
That Alarie -Riche duo combined again at 1:09 in the third. Alarie did the dirty work in the corner, digging out a puck and sending it to the slot, where Riche made no doubt about it. That goal was the rookie’s third goal of the season.
Shortly after that, Moose Jaw took advantage of a Power Play when Nathan Pilling batted home a loose puck to go up 3-1.
After Riley Ginnell was booked for a Slashing penalty, Lethbridge brought the score back to within one, on an Alex Thacker goal.
But two minutes later, the Action Man returned the favour. Atley Calvert, on the Power Play, scored his fifth of the season, a wicked snipe, stick-side.
Atley Calvert gave the Warriors a bit of breathing space; but only for so long - photo credit Twitter
The third period just continued to get more and more exciting, when Joe Arntsen scored a deep slap shot that deflected off a body, at 14:53 to give the Hurricanes a little bit of light.
But, despite the late pressure and some key defensive stops, Moose Jaw was able to hang on to the 4-3 win.
It wasn’t the dominant win the Warriors wanted but it was a win nonetheless.
The Games three stars were Eric Alarie, Ben Riche and Joe Arnsten. Alarie and Riche probably booking solidifying their roles as linemates again sometime in the near future.
Moose Jaw’s own Atley Calvert is the team’s leading goal scorer with 5. Ben Riche, Eric Alarie, Jagger Firkus and Brayden Yager all have 3 each.
The Warriors will be hosting Connor Bedard and the red hot Regina Pats on Thursday, October 20th.
Warriors Notes
Tate Schofer did not play. He was serving a suspension for “checking to the head” in the team’s previous game.
Scratches for the game included Thomas Tien, Riley Niven and Matthew Gallant