Warriors Overcome Sluggish Start, Beat Prince Albert
By @MJWarriorsFun (Twitter) @moosejawwarriors_history (Instagram)
Your Moose Jaw Warriors were back in action on Friday, September 30th and for the first time this season they’d have their full team on the ice.
Jagger Firkus, Eric Alarie, Cole Jordan, Max Wanner, Martin Rysavy and newly minted Team Captain Denton Mateychuk all back from NHL training camps and Robert Baco finished with his 5 game suspension that occurred at the end of last season.
(Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw’s 35th Captain, was one of six Warriors returning from NHL training camps) Photo credit Twitter
After a musical performance in honour of Orange Shirt Day the game was underway.
Before either team could settle into a game plan, Prince Albert’s Terrell Goldsmith sniped a clunker from the point, on the team’s first shot of the night, giving the Raiders an early 1-0 lead.
The rest of the period was marked mostly by Prince Albert’s remarkable, suffocating defence, which included killing off three Power Plays and frustrating the Warriors’ offence.
Moose Jaw looked bigger and stronger and faster and, for the most part, better, but they struggled creating meaningful scoring opportunities and squandered what could have been a few by bobbling pucks and making poor passes.
The second period was a completely different story. The Warriors shook the bugs out of the machines and completely dominated every inch of the ice.
Eric Alarie levelled the scoring out, halfway through the frame, on the Warriors 4th Power Play, finishing off a picture perfect pass from Brayden Yager.
Max Wanner followed that up by roofing a beauty over goalie Tikhon Chaifa’s right shoulder, on a loose-puck scramble.
Fun note about Max Wanner, earlier in the day he signed a three year, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers.
(Max Wanner scored a beautiful goal on the same day he signed with the Edmonton Oilers) - Photo credit Twitter
Then, with only 1:30 left in the second Lyndon Lakovic made it 3-1 with a nifty wrap-around goal assisted by Atley Calvert.
The Warriors of Period 2 looked like a completely different team; winning pucks, battling in corners and creating offense from the defense and out-shooting the Raiders 13-4. The Warriors of Period 2 looked like the sort of team that could aspire for Championship titles.
The pressure continued into the third period and led to a Jagger Firkus goal at 3:26 to put the Warriors up 4-1.
After a near brawl in the 12th minute, the Warriors ended up with 3 players in the penalty box.
Landon Kosior made them pay, getting one back for the Raiders early in the Power Play.
Then, with the goalie pulled and only 12 seconds remaining on the clock, Kosior scored again, making it a one-goal game and giving his team a fighting chance to force an overtime.
(Despite a pair of late goals from Prince Albert’s Landon Kosior, Moose Jaw was able to come out victorious)
But Moose Jaw wouldn’t be denied though. They held on for the final seconds and came out the victors.
Moose Jaw is now 2-1 on the season.
The team plays next on Saturday, Oct. 1st in Brandon, against the Wheat Kings.