MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- An impressive comeback against the Lethbridge Hurricanes wouldn’t be enough for the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday night.
The Warriors overcame a 2-0 deficit with a pair of second-period goals, but would give up three in the opening 1:43 of the third and go on to drop a 7-3 decision in Western Hockey League action.
Moose Jaw fell to 4-12-2-0 with the loss and remain in last place in the Eastern Conference. Lethbridge improved to 10-5-1-0 to continue to hold their lead atop the Central Division while sitting second overall in the Conference.
The Hurricanes couldn’t have asked for a better start to the contest at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
Tristan Doyle got off a shot from the point and would find Hayden Pakkala for the tip in front of the net, giving Lethbridge a 1-0 lead only 27 seconds into the contest.
Things settled into a back-and-forth flow over the next five minutes, with each team getting a couple of good chances off odd-man rushes.
Lynden Lakovic set up one with a speedy break down his wing before sending a pass to the front of the net for Brayden Yager, only to have the puck slip through his skates.
Moments later, Brayden Edwards found Miguel Marques with a cross-crease pass on a two-on-one, but Jackson Unger would get across to make the save.
The Warriors’ Connor Schmidt had the next good scoring chance of the game with four minutes left in the period, with a loose puck finding him in front of the net during a goalmouth scramble. His shot would be stopped by Brady Smith, and he’d also make the save on the follow-up shot.
Lethbridge then extended their lead to 2-0 with 2:21 remaining in the first. Noah Chadwick forced a turnover on the Warriors rush and got the puck up to Logan Wormald, who would go in on a long breakaway before slipping a shot along the ice past Unger.
Moose Jaw had the best chance early in the second period, with a lengthy goalmouth scramble leading to a handful of shots in close, but no positive result for the Warriors.
Back-to-back high sticking and delay of game penalties put the Warriors on a 5-on-3 power play for more than a minute and a half, and Moose Jaw would get on the board.
Yager did the honours, taking a pass from the point from Kalem Parker and putting a shot from the right faceoff circle off the Hurricanes’ Logan McCutcheon and in. The goal was the first 5-on-3 marker for the Warriors this season and came with 8:50 gone in the period.
Moose Jaw went back on the power play moments after the second penalty expired, and they’d tie the game. Yager dug the puck out of a scrum in the corner and found Owen Berge back at the point, and he’d have plenty of time to get off a shot top shelf glove side to make it a 2-2 game with 7:13 to play in the period.
The Warriors had a couple chances to take the lead not long after, as both Lakovic and Ethan Semeniuk found themselves one-on-one with Smith in close, but he’d make the save each time.
Lethbridge took no time to take control of the game in the third period.
Shane Smith put the Hurricanes back on top 20 seconds into the frame, with his shot from the point finding its way through a ton of traffic in front and in. Only 19 seconds later, Edwards had a backdoor pass attempt go off a defender in front and right back to him, with a quick tap-in to the open net making it a 4-2 game.
Only 1:04 after that goal, it was 5-2. Chadwick took a cross-zone pass from Smith and had plenty of time and space to beat Unger with a shot top shelf glove side.
Edwards then increased the lead to three with 7:54 gone in the period, finishing off a stretch of play in the Warriors zone by banging home a rebound off a Will Sharpe shot in close.
Aiden Ziprick got one back for Moose Jaw at the 10:10 mark, snaring the puck off a blocked shot and putting a perfect shot in close top shelf over Smith’s blocker.
Shane Smith got that one back on the power play with 5:50 to play, dipsy doodling around a Warriors defender and putting a under the crossbar from in close.
Doyle finished with four assists on the night, while Kooper GIzowski had three helpers.
Unger finished with 25 saves on the night, while Smith also stopped 25.
The Warriors are back in action on Saturday night when they travel to Medicine Hat to face the Tigers.
