Warriors' Streak Ends in Loss to Hitmen on Saturday
February 18, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release
Moose Jaw, SK - The Moose Jaw Warriors' impressive run on home ice came to a halt on Saturday night.
The Warriors surrendered three goals in the third period and lost 5-3 to the Calgary Hitmen at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
"We were pretty inconsistent, we had our moments, but kind of let off the gas," Warriors forward Brayden Yager said. "We've got to play a full 60 minutes if we're going to win and I don't think we did that tonight."
The loss is the first at the Hangar for the Warriors in over two months as the team had won 11 straight at home and six straight overall going into the game.
Atley Calvert had a goal and two points in the loss, while Lynden Lakovic and Brayden Yager also scored. Jagger Firkus extended his Warriors' modern era record point streak to 26 games with two assists.
"We played sloppy, unforced errors, turnovers, we weren't ready to move pucks quick," Warriors associate coach Scott King said. "No excuses, Calgary came out and they pressured us, forced us to make turnovers and a lot it was just not being prepared to move the puck quick."
Calvert opened the scoring for the Warriors with his 37th of the season on the power play 8:52 into the game.
The Hitmen answered back with a flurry late in the first as Sawyer Mayes and Carson Wetsch scored only 16 seconds apart to take the lead at 2-1 after one.
The second period was all Moose Jaw and saw them take the lead with two quick goals of their own.
First, Lakovic finished off a great feed from Calvert for his 13th of the year just 8:04 into the period, and then, Firkus created a turnover at the blue line and found Yager streaking to the net for his 25th of the year only 45 seconds later.
With the Warriors leading by one going into the third, Calgary struck quickly to tie the game on a goal from Ben Kindel only 52 seconds into the period.
Keets Fawcett put the Hitmen in front with 6:33 to go in regulation and Oliver Tulk sealed the win in the final minute.
"Obviously it sucks to lose, but we're a team that turns the page quick and we're real excited to go on this U.S. road trip and it's going to be real fun and this loss is going to motivate us to play harder," Yager said.
The Warriors outshot the Hitmen, 36-33, while also going 1-for-2 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill in the loss.
Moose Jaw falls to 34-17-0-2 on the season, which keeps them in second place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers.
The Warriors will now embark on the team's longest road trip of the season with eight games in 14 days, including Moose Jaw's first visit to the U.S. Division since 2020.
The trek starts on Monday in Swift Current.
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