After coming from behind and going to extra time in all three of their wins to open the Western Hockey League East Division campaign, the Warriors dropped a 4-2 decision to the Winnipeg Ice on Thursday at the Brandt Centre in Regina.
Cole Jordan put the Warriors on the board first with 12:11 gone in the first, forcing a neutral zone turnover and breaking into the Winnipeg zone untouched before rifling a shot glove high on ice goaltender Carl Stankowski.
The goal marked the first time through four games the Warriors had scored first, and came as part of one of their better starts to a game in the early part of the campaign.
“I don’t think I minded our start tonight as much as I didn’t like our starts in other games,” said Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary. “I thought we had our legs for the most part and we talked about winning battles and I thought we got that part of our game a little further than we had in the past. But you’re playing a pretty good team there, certainly their first line is good if not the best line in this hub. You’re playing with fire with those types of players and give them enough looks they’re going to put it in the back of net.”
Winnipeg would get that first goal back five minutes later, as a shot from the point went off a skate in front right to Zachary Benson, who would beat Warrriors starter Brett Mirwald high to the glove side.
The Warriors managed to escape the first period without allowing a 5-on-3 man-advantage for the Ice, but that changed in the second frame as back-to-back penalties early on sent Moose Jaw down two men for over a minute for the fourth straight game.
Peyton Krebs would make the Warriors pay, firing home a shot blocker side from between the face-off circles with 6:03 gone in the period.
“We have to do a better job not putting us in those positions, any time you’re giving up 5-on-3s over time you don’t like your chances, especially against a line-up like that,” O’Leary said.
Winnipeg would extend their lead to 3-1 when Owen Pederson finished off a slick passing play with Krebs and Connor McClennon with 5:50 remaining in the second.
“I think we manufactured some scoring chances for them for sure,” O’Leary said of Winnipeg’s often-opportunistic goals. “Whether it was our work on the wall, not getting it out on first opportunities… these little moments in the game, sometimes you get away without anything happening and when you talk about playing with fire, that’s what it is.”
Eric Alarie got one back on the power play with 1:04 to play in the second, jumping on rebound off a Ryder Korczak point shot and putting a quick shot home. The goal was his third of the season and fifth point, tying him for the team lead with Korczak (1-4-5). Their fellow linemate, 15-year-old rookie Brayden Yager, has also got off to a good start with a goal and four points.
“We didn’t really have time to practice together, but I find we really have chemistry out there,” Alarie said. “We’re really able to find each other and both Korzy and Yager are good at finding open ice in the offensive zone, so whenever I’m in the corner they’re always open and that makes it easy. So it’s been quite good for us.”
Cole Muir extended Winnipeg’s lead to 4-2 3:47 into the third and Jakin Smallwood would add an insurance marker shorthanded with Mirwald pulled for the extra man with 1:35 remaining to close out scoring.
Mirwald faced 37 shots in taking the loss, Stankowski had 23 stops for the Ice
The Warriors are back in action on Saturday, Mar. 20 when they take on the Swift Current Broncos in the East Division bubble.
