Series Breakdown:Moose Jaw Warriors vs Lethbridge Hurricanes
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Your Moose Jaw Warriors are all set to battle the Lethbridge Hurricanes in a Best-of-7, Round 1 series in the 2023 WHL Playoffs and the biggest obstacle they face just might be a kid from Moose Jaw.
Bryan Thomson - photo credit Lethbridge Hurricanes Twitter
Bryan Thomson is a 6’5” giant who, in net, can be incredibly difficult to score on.
Back in February, Thomson held the tribe to one goal on 36 shots as the Hurricanes blitzed them 4-1.
He’s got exactly the skill set necessary to stymie the Warriors’ potent offence just enough that the Canes can win.
But it won’t be easy for them. Moose Jaw too has excellent goaltending.
The Warriors, likely, will hand the starting duties to Connor Ungar.
Ungar may not be as physically intimidating as Thomson, but between the pipes he has actually been, consistently, just a little bit better.
He hones a .925 Save Percentage with a Goals Against Average of 2.58, compared to Thomson’s 9.19/2.64.
Both goalies have been solid, with a slight advantage going to Ungar.
Connor Ungar is expected to start for the Warriors
Lethbridge also has a dependable back-up goalie in Harrison Meneghin.
Meneghin, on any given night, could be given starts.
His numbers (.908 Sav %/ 2.83) are only the smallest but worse than Thomson’s but they’re still pretty great; and the team actually used him more often.
He was named a Second Team All-Star.
It’s definitely not a foregone conclusion that Thomson will even be the starter.
Lethbridge isn’t short on goaltending talent.
Photo credit WHL Twitter
The Warriors also have the offensive chops to give Thomson (or Meneghin) nightmares too.
As we saw happen when the two teams met on February 21st. Moose Jaw shellacked the Canes 8-4, running Thomson out of the game early into the second period, then scoring just as many on Meneghin.
However, it should be noted that Connor Ungar hasn’t started a game since February 5th, so there’s a chance he will need to shake out some cobwebs, so to speak.
The biggest disparity between the teams comes in offensive production. Moose Jaw scored 252 times, compared to Lethbridge’s 204.
Where Moose Jaw is chock-full of big time point producers and goal scorers like Jagger Firkus (88 pts), Brayden Yager (78 pts), Ryder Korczak (69 pts in only 48 games) and Atley Calvert (73 pts) Lethbridge’s top scoring threat is Cole Shepard, who only accumulated 55 points.
Jagger Firkus is the Warriors top scoring threat - photo credit Moose Jaw Warriors Twitter
Even the Warriors top defenceman, Denton Mateychuk, scored more than Shepard did, by ten points.
Offensively, it’s not even close. The Warriors have the clear advantage
photo credit Lethbridge Hurricanes Twitter
Other notable scorers for the Hurricanes are Jett Jones, who had 50 points.
Tyson Laventure, who led the team in goals with 22.
Blake Swetlikoff, who scored only 24 points, but did it in just 30 games,
Tyson Zimmer and Logan Wormold, with 48 and 44 points, respectively.
Defensively, Lethbridge actually performed a little bit better, but some of that could be attributed to Connor Ungar, the Warriors’ clear-cut starting goalie and Maximus Wanner, the team’s leader in plus/minus, missing the last 17 games.
Moose Jaw allowed 30 goals more than Lethbridge did.
I’m that span the Warriors conceded 6 or more goals five times.
They’d only conceded that five times in the first 51 games.
For anyone watching Warriors games, it’s clear that, without Ungar and Wanner in the line-up they’re a completely different team, most notably so on the defensive end.
Maximus Wanner is expected to return - photo credit WHL Twitter
That’s not to disparage the Hurricanes’ defence.
Even with a fully armed Warriors squad it’s likely they would still have allowed more goals, only three other teams in the league were tougher to score on (Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Red Deer). Their defence was spectacular; it’s just the numbers would likely have been closer if not for the aforementioned factors.
Chase Pauls and Noah Chadwick are back-end workhorses while Joe Arntsen and Logan McCutcheon contribute much of the puck movement.
Via Lethbridge Hurricanes Twitter
On the other end is the Warriors’ defence, led by Captain Denton Mateychuk, who most recently got snubbed by whoever it was selecting East Division All-Stars.
But also there is “Big” Lucas Brenton, an imposing behemoth unafraid to get mix it up with his fists if the occasional calls for it.
Former WHL Champion, Logan Dowhaniuk, brings some championship pedigree and Matthew Gallsnt, a crowd favourite who has showed massive improvements in his game.
Denton Mateychuk leads the Warriors defence - photo credit Hockey Canada Twitter
Ultimately, these teams are made up differently and I think it bodes well for the hometown Warriors.
The Warriors will have five NHL draft picks on the ice every night, plus Brayden Yager, who is predicted to get selected in the first round this year.
The Hurricanes have none. Goaltending is a close call, but Moose Jaw’s is a touch better.
On defense Lethbridge might be a bit better. But even that is in question.
The biggest factor in the series will be the disparity in offensive creation; which works massively in the Warriors’ favour.
I predict the Warriors will win the series and rather easily too.
A combo of Lethbridge’s stingy defence and tough goaltending will win them a game, maybe even two.
But the Warriors will find ways to score when it’s needed and will cruise through the first round series.
Hard Prediction: Moose Jaw wins the series 4-1.
There’s a formidable chance that The Warriors will meet Winnipeg Ice in the second round.
Winnipeg eliminated them last season and were the top team in the league this season.
A breakdown on that series might not look so favourably for the Tribe.
All you can do now is stay tuned.
Other playoff matches include:
Winnipeg vs Medicine Hat
Red Deer vs Calgary
Saskatoon vs Regina
Seattle vs Kelowna
Kamloops vs Vancouver
Portland vs Everett
Prince George be Tri-City