Ice Humble Warriors

Winnipeg Ice - photo credit Twitter

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All the marbles are on the table now. Your Moose Jaw Warriors are in tough. A second round series against the league’s best team, the Winnipeg Ice, is what currently separates them from a trip to the Memorial Cup.

In the words of 90’s Rap Icons De La Soul “you know them stakes is high.”

Both clubs easily defeated their first round foes in four game sweeps. But, to use an old, worn out cliche, one of the o’s had got to go. Winnipeg just handled the conundrum a little better. 

Things didn’t start well for the tribe, even though they did later show some revolve. Winnipeg scored very early on. Then added two more to give themselves a 3-0 lead. 

Related Reading: Series Breakdown: Moose Jaw Warriors vs. Winnipeg Ice 

Owen Pederson scored the first one, capitalizing on a Jagger Firkus Slashing penalty.

Zach Benson scored the second one, then Matthew Savoie poked home a third, his 7th of the postseason. It was all Winnipeg early on. They seemed to be in no way inconvenienced by Connor Ungar in net.

Matthew Savoie has 7 postseason goals - photo credit Twitter

Brayden Yager was able to get one back for the good guys as the first period was rounding up. 

The Ice went into the first intermission with a comfortable 3-1 lead. 

The Warriors were the hungrier team in the second and it showed. Max Wanner ripped a rebound past the Ice goalie, cutting the lead to one goal. Then, in the 12th minute, Jagger Firkus scored his 5th of the playoffs. It was a tie game. The Warriors had faced adversity and crawled back to the battle. 

Max Wanner scored in the Second Period - photo credit Twitter

Unfortunately, the Winnipeg Ice quieted all that noise with a pair of goals in the third period.

Philadelphia Flyers prospect, Connor McClennon, notched the first one. Then Nashville Predator product Graham Sward snuck one past Ungar. 

Winnipeg wins 5-3

Nobody said this was gonna be easy.Anyone who thinks the Warriors can beat the Ice knows that they will have to face adversity in the process.

Here is the adversity. Here is where the Warriors need to overcome.

The Warriors showed some resolve in Game 1. That’s a net positive. But Winnipeg was the better team.

The good guys will have to bounce back better. Game 2 in Winnipeg, on Saturday night, is an important one.