Warriors Exact Revenge — MJ Independent

By @MJWarriorsFun (Twitter) @moosejawwarriors_history (Instagram)

Your Moose Jaw Warriors were back on the ice at the Hangar on Saturday, October 8th and it was against the same team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season: the Winnipeg Ice.

Winnipeg’s roster is very similar to the roster that won them 53 games last season, and took them to the WHL Championship series. It’s likely they’ll be an even stronger team this season and, like with the Warriors, they’ve got something to prove and they’re hungry for a championship.

*The last time these clubs met Winnipeg eliminated them from the playoffs with a crushing 7-0 win - photo credit Twitter*

Games like this one are important markers for the Moose Jaw Warriors. They will probably have to play Winnipeg in the postseason, so it would be a good thing to find out now if Moose Jaw can beat them and, if not, find out what they need to do if they plan to.

Winnipeg was off to a ripping start to the season too, having won their first 5 games. Coming into the game, Winnipeg and Red Deer were the only two unbeaten teams in the league.

The opening period was a back-and-forth affair with Moose Jaw matching Winnipeg at both ends of the ice, even, for much of it, being the more decisive team.

Shortly after Moose Jaw’s goalie Connor Ungar shut down an Evan Friesen breakaway, the home town kid, Atley Calvert, struck first. Calvert’s goal was his fourth of the season. He scooped up an errant rebound, did a little spinaroo and snapped a wrist shot past Dawson Cowan to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. Three of Calvert’s four goals this season have been the first goal scored in their respective games. Calvert is a man of action. Atley “Action” Calvert.

Winnipeg started the second period in search of an equalizer and in the fifth minute they got exactly what they were looking for. Matthew Savoie, a first round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, cracked the Connor Ungar code and rifled a shot, blocker side, into the net.

Picture this: Atley Calvert and Matthew Savoie are both members of the Buffalo Sabres. They could be NHL line mates sometime in the near future.

*Atley Calvert and Matthew Savoie in their Sabres jerseys - photo credit Twitter*

In the 14th minute, the Yager Bomb and the Firkus Circus connected. Brayden Yager and Jagger Firkus worked a little tic-tac-toe play and Yager shelfed the puck and put the Warriors back out front.

Halfway through the third period El Capitano was given a bit too much free space on the ice. Denton Mateychuk, with puck on stick, penetrated a hole in Winnipeg’s defence, unmolested, and beat the goaltender, gloveside. The Warriors were in flight. 3-1 for the good guys.

Winnipeg wouldn’t go down without a scrap though. Like any true championship contender they refused to lay down, putting the fight to the Warriors. Thankfully for Moose Jaw though they’ve got this red hot goalie named Connor Ungar who is nearly impossible to score on. The Ice were unable to get themselves back into the game.

*Connor Ungar was brilliant in net again - photo credit Twitter*

Yager added an empty-netter in the final minute, launching a loose puck the length of the ice. It was his second of the game and third of the season. The final score was 4-1 for Moose Jaw.

A difficult test passed with flying colours. Moose Jaw utilized strong defence, aggressive back-checking, defense-first puck movement and they keep out of the penalty box. It was a great win for the club; they can take a small measure of pride in securing a win against the team that “iced” them last season.

Pun definitely intended.

*Brayden Yager scored twice in Moose Jaw’s victory - photo credit Twitter*

Yager was the awarded the game’s First Star. Connor Ungar, who made 27 saves, was Second Star and Winnipeg’s Matthew Savoie was Third.

Moose Jaw improved their record to 4-2. Their next game will be Sunday in Saskatoon.

Warriors Notes:

Prior to the game Coach Mark O’Leary called this game a “measuring stick”.

Former Moose Jaw Warrior Calder Anderson, played his 100th WHL, for the Brandon Wheat Kings.

D Max Wanner was not in the lineup for the second consecutive game.