Playoff Atmosphere Expected for Saturday Showdown with Blades
March 25, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release
With only two regular season meetings left between the Moose Jaw Warriors and Saskatoon Blades, both teams will be looking to put their best foot forward.
The Warriors host the Blades on Saturday night at Mosaic Place in the first of two potential first round previews over the next two weeks.
"This is what it's all about," Warriors head coach Mark O'Leary said after practice on Thursday. "We know how big this game is, they're all going to be big down the stretch and it's all about preparing ourselves for the playoffs."
Moose Jaw holds down fourth place in the Eastern Conference, while Saskatoon sits right behind in fifth place.
The two teams are on a collision course for a first round matchup in the 2022 WHL Playoffs.
Warriors defenceman Lucas Brenton said the Warriors want to set the tone with Saturday's game.
"It's a huge game, we're going to have to bring it," he said. "It's a playoff intensity game, so we know we have to win races, we have to win battles and that what we've got to do to win this game."
The Warriors will also be looking to erase some demons against the Blades. Moose Jaw is 1-4-1-0 this season against Saskatoon with their only win coming back on the opening night of the regular season.
Brenton said playing a hard game against the Blades will be key.
"Just be hard on their sticks, take the body obviously, don't five them any time and space and just take the puck away from them," he said.
The Warriors will be without two of their top-four defencemen for the game with Captain Daemon Hunt and Max Wanner both battling injuries.
O'Leary said that the Warriors won't be changing their approach to the game.
"We just dig into our same message that we've been talking about all season long, circumstances don't change our standards," he said. "We just keep forging along and we have guys that are more than capable of playing the minutes."
Brenton said all six defencemen in the lineup will need to step up and fill the roles left by Hunt and Wanner.
"It's big shoes to fill," he said. "We're going to have to bring it and bring that intensity."
The Warriors and Blades face-off at 7 p.m. on Saturday night at Mosaic Place. Tickets are available at mjwarriors.ca.
Tune into all the action live on Country 100, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 6:40 p.m.
The IKS Media Warriors Live Pre-Game Show kicks off at 6:50 p.m. on watch.chl.ca.
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