The Moose Jaw Warriors haven’t had a lot of luck on home ice with Central Division teams as of late, with their most recent contest against the Lethbridge Hurricanes offering the latest example.
A few days removed from a 7-3 defeat at the hands of the Red Deer Rebels, the Warriors’ offence was unable to find its stride in a 5-0 loss Friday in Western Hockey League action at Mosaic Place.
The Warriors fell to 34-18-6-2 with the loss but remain 11 points up on Brandon for third place in the East Division.
The Hurricanes’ Jake Elmer got things started for Lethbridge, capping off a brilliant shorthanded effort to beat Warriors goaltender Brodan Salmond to the glove side from the top of the crease 6:59 into the game..
That lead would last the period, but it took only to 47 seconds into the second for Lethbridge captain Jake Leschyshyn to put the Hurricanes ahead a pair of goals, picking up a rebound off the back boards and sliding a shot home. Jackson Shepard then took advantage of a two-on-one at the end of a power play to put the Hurricanes ahead 3-0 with 4:10 remaining in the frame.
A pair of quick goals early in the third – from Nick Henry 2:43 into the period and Dylan Cozens 1:21 later – made it 5-0 Hurricanes. That would cap scoring in the contest as despite a flurry of chances late the Tribe were unable to beat Lethbridge goaltender Carl Tetachuk.
Tetachuk finished the game with 30 saves to earn the shutout; Salmond made 15 for the Warriors before giving way to Adam Evanoff to start the third. Evanoff turned aside 12 shots the rest of the way.
The Warriors are back in action Saturday night when they take on the Prince Albert Raiders. The contest is Snowbird Night – the Warriors will be honouring the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron as well as wearing special jerseys for the event.
