When the Moose Jaw Warriors and Winnipeg Ice meet in the Eastern Conference semifinal beginning Friday night, they’ll already be two teams that have had plenty of success in the post-season.
The Warriors took a four-game sweep over the Lethbridge Hurricanes in their first-round series, while the Ice did the same to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Both teams are obviously playing some solid hockey when they most need it, and based on how things turned out between the clubs in the regular season, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the next series will shake out.
Here’s a look at the six regular-season meetings between Moose Jaw and Winnipeg, and some of the players to watch.
Saturday, Oct. 8 -- Moose Jaw
A solid start and an even better finish led to the Warriors taking the win in the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
Atley Calvert scored the lone goal in the first period, while Denton Mateychuk and Brayden Yager had third period markers -- the latter into an empty net -- as the Warriors held on for the hard-fought win.
Yager had the Warriors’ other goal in the second, wiith Winnipeg’s Matthew Savoie also scoring their lone marker in the frame.
Connor Ungar turned aside 26 shots to earn the win, Dawson Cowan had 23 saves for the Ice
Wednesday, Dec. 28 -- Moose Jaw
Ryder Korczak had a hat trick to pace the Warriors to the win in another close-checking battle between the two teams.
Korczak and Savoie exchanged first-period goals before the overage forward scored the lone goal of the second period to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead coming home.
Korczak then finished off his hat trick with an empty-net goal with 45 seconds remaining. Yager picked up two assists.
Ungar had a 34-save performance in the win, while East Division goaltender of the year Daniel Hauser had 21 saves in the loss.
Saturday, Jan, 21 -- Winnipeg
Savoie scored the lone goal in the shootout and Winnipeg would overcome a third-period Warriors’ rally to hold on for the win.
Owen Pederson and Zach Benson had given the Ice a 2-0 lead with goals in the first and second periods respectively, but Atley Calvert got the Warriors within one early in the third, and Martin Rysavy sent things to overtime with 3:10 remaining in regulation.
It was another close match-up between Unger, with 24 saves, and Hauser, who turned aside 29.
Sunday, Jan, 22 -- Winnipeg
The rematch less than 24 hours later at the Wayne Fleming Arena was all Winnipeg, as the Ice scored twice on the power play and twice shorthanded on their way to their comfortable win.
Savoie, Pederson, Ty Nash, Connor McClennon, Zack Ostapchuk and Carson Lambos all scored for Winnipeg, who led 2-0 after the first and 6-0 through two. McClennon and Ostapchuk also had assists. Benson added two assists.
Ungar got the start and allowed four goals on 14 shots in 32:49, while Jackson Unger stopped 10 shots the rest of the way.
Friday, Feb. 17 -- Moose Jaw
With the Warriors reeling after the indefinite suspension of four players, Winnipeg scored five times in the first period and led 7-0 through two on their way to the lopsided win.
The Ice showed off their depth in the process, as only three players in their line-up were held off the scoresheet.
Lambos, Savoie, Jonas Woo and Valdislav Shilo all had a goal and assist each, Pederson, Ben Zloty and Carson Latimer had Winnipeg’s other goals. Benson picked up a pair of helpers.
Yager snapped Hauser’s shut-out bid with 2:51 to play in the third period.
Unger had 10 saves in 14:11 of action before Justen Maric allowed three goals in the remainder of the game.
Hauser capped his night with 21 saves.
Wednesday, Mar. 22 -- Winnipeg
Winnipeg took a 3-1 lead out of the first period after scoring three goals in the final eight minutes of the frame, but the Warriors had plenty left in the tank.
Yager would score twice in the second period to go along with a goal from Calvert, and just like that, the Warriors had the lead heading into the third.
There, Korczak added an insurance marker with 8:28 remaining before Ostapchuk got Winnipeg back within one less than a minute later. That would be as close as they’d get, though, as a Firkus empty-net goal sealed the deal.
Unger turned in his best showing of the season against the Ice with 34 saves, while Beauit stopped 30 shots for Winnipeg.
Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal are in Winnipeg on Friday and Saturday before the series reverts to Moose Jaw for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tickets are now available at www.sasktix.ca.
