Burke Surpasses 100, Willms Gets Second Straight Shutout as Warriors Thump Kootenay

The Warriors have been focusing heavily on improving their defence in the run up to the WHL playoffs and a potential Memorial Cup run. That effort produced some fruit this weekend. They looked sharp at Mosaic Place on Friday night, when they shut out Lethbridge 2-0, and that defence was even better on Saturday as they made easy work of the visiting Kootenay Ice.

Brayden Burke scored his 27th goal at 7:47 in the first period. That was his 100th point of the season. It was assisted by Dmitri Zaitsev and Justin Almeida.

The Warriors found the back of the net twice more, near the end of the first, with goals by Zaitsev and Brett Howden. It was 3-0 at the end of 1 and their shot output was double to what Kootenay's was

Brett Howden took advantage of a power play in the middle of the second. The goaltender, Matt Berlin, didn't have a chance. Kale Clague pushed the puck to Burke, who made a highlight reel pass, in front of the goalie. Howden won't score too many goals easier than that.

Brayden Burke scored another in the fifteenth minute, it was set up by the Russian connection, Zaitsev and Oleg Sosunov. 

The goals were fantastic, but in period two it was really all about the defence. They only gave up three shots on net. Brody Willms cruised into the third with another shutout in the works.

And a shutout it was. Willms only faced five more shots in the third and Brandon Schuldhaus scored a zinger of a wrist shot late in the game to finalize it. Warriors 6, Ice 0

That's back-to-back shut outs for Brody Willms. And Brayden Burke now leads the WHL with 102 points.