MOOSE JAW -- If the opening games of the Sask Male AAA Hockey League semifinals are any indication, things are going to be just as close and competitive as everyone expected.
The Swift Current Legionnaires took a 2-1 overtime victory over the Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors in Moose Jaw while the Saskatoon Blazers downed the Regina Pat Canadians 4-3 in Regina.
As a result, Swift Current has a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five series, while Saskatoon and Regina are now tied at a game apiece after the Pat Cs 5-2 win in Game 1 on Wednesday.
Swift Current 2, Moose Jaw 1 (OT)
There was little give for either team in their low scoring battle, as both goaltenders turned in solid performances.
In the end, the Legionnaires’ Berney Weston would emerge with the victory thanks to a stellar 49 saves through the double-overtime contest. Moose Jaw’s Luke McKechnie was impressive in his own right, though far less busy with 26 stops on the night.
After a scoreless first period, Trae Peterson got Swift Current on the board first, scoring on the power play 3:51 into second frame.
It looked as if things were going to end in regulation with a Weston shutout, but Warriors captain Brennan Brown would score with 2:04 remaining, and that’s where things would stand at the end of regulation.
The first overtime solved nothing, but it didn’t take long into the second for things to be decided -- Sam Kirwan finished things off on an odd-man rush 4:44 into the second OT, beating McKechnie with a shot up high.
Game 2 goes Sunday in Swift Current at 6:45 p.m. at the Innovationplex, with Game 3 back in Moose Jaw on Monday at Temple Gardens Centre at 7 p.m.
Blazers 5, Regina 4
After Reid Bechard gave Regina a 1-0 lead out of the first period, the two teams put together a back-and-forth battle in the second, with special teams playing a central role.
Will Degagne scored on the power play for the Blazers 1:29 into the period before Maddox Schultz replied for Regina on the man advantage just over six minutes later and Corban Almen scored shorthanded for Saskatoon at the 10:07 mark to make it a 2-2 game.
The offensive outburst didn’t end there, as Kash Ringdal gave Saskatoon their first lead with 3:24 to play in the period, but Schultz scored his second power play goal of the period with 2:02 remaining to make it a 3-3 game through two.
That’s where things stood until late in the third period, when Eric Grandberg scored with 6:54 remaining to give the defending SMAAAHL champion Blazers the win.
Madex Kabrud had 37 saves for Saskatoon, while Taylor Tabashniuk turned aside 25 for Regina.
Ryan Ulmer had two assists for the Pat Canadians.
Grandberg and Ringal each finished with two points for the Blazers, Blake Chorney had a pair of assists.
Game 3 of the series goes Sunday at 7:45 p.m. in Regina at Co-Operators Arena, with Game 4 in Saskatoon on Tuesday 7:30 p.m. at Rod Hamm Memorial.
