The Moose Jaw Warriors picked up one of their biggest wins of the season two weekends ago when they defeated the CHL top-ranked Prince Albert Raiders in Prince Albert.
Since then, it's been some tough times.
The Warriors lost all three games in Western Hockey League action this past week, extending their losing skid to four games as they fell 3-2 in a shootout to Calgary on Jan. 9, lost 7-2 to the Seattle Thunderbirds Jan. 11 and dropped a 3-2 decision to the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The three losses all came on home ice at Mosaic Place and saw the Tribe fall to 21-11-5-2, good enough for a nine-point lead on the Wheat Kings for third place in the East Division, as well as nine points back of Saskatoon for second place in the East – with six games in hand.
The two weekend games marked the Warriors' debut for the team's pair of trade deadline acquisitions, with forward Alec Zawatsky scoring the Tribe's second goal in their loss to Brandon. That was of little consolation to the 19-year-old forward, though, as seeing the team regain its winning ways was far more important.
“When there's a team chasing you in the standings it's not good enough when you lose a game like that, since it's a four-point game,” Zawatsky said. “We had to be better tonight.”
It's been a quick adjustment for the former Swift Current Broncos leading scorer as he adapts to the speed the Warriors play with.
“I feel good out there, all the guys are taking me in and I'm just learning how to be a Moose Jaw Warrior,” he said. “It's a good fit and I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do the rest of the way... there's a different mentality here, we're just trying to get to the top of the standings and will keep working at it.”
The loss to Brandon wasn't without controversy – the Wheat Kings' third and eventual game-winning goal was scored by Baron Thompson as Warriors goaltender Adam Evanoff was in the process of being knocked over by Brandon's Ridly Greig. The goal counted while Greig was at the same time hit with a goaltender interference penalty.
The confusion on how that was possible caused a lengthy delay in the game, but to no avail for the Tribe.
The Warriors' Brayden Tracey and Wheat Kings' Luka Burzan exchanged goals in the first period – the latter's marker coming on a penalty shot after Jett Woo took a penalty on a breakaway. Stelio Mattheos scored their other goal. Evanoff made 18 saves in the loss, Jiri Patera turned aside 27 for Brandon.
Things weren't near as close the previous night against Seattle. Tracey opened scoring with the only goal of the first period, but it was all Thunderbirds from there as Nolan Volcan, Andrej Kukuca, Sean Richards and Keltie Jeri-Leon all scored in the second period.
Tristin Langan got one back for Moose Jaw in the third before Jarret Tyszka and Tyler Carpendale scored to go along with Kukuca's second of the game. Noah Philp had four assists. Roddy Ross made 24 saves in the win, Brodan Salmond stopped 20 shots in the loss.
Against Calgary, Dakota Krebs scored with 2:35 remaining in the third period and Josh Prokop scored the shootout winner to give the Hitmen the 3-2 victory. Langan and Keenan Taphorn scored for the Warriors; Kaden Elder had the other goal for Calgary as the game was tied 0-0 through one and 1-1 through two. Jack McNaughton made 33 saves in the winning effort, Evanoff turned aside 35 for the Warriors.
The WHL schedule picks up in earnest for the Warriors this week as they hit the road for seven games in 11 days, including four games in five nights through the B.C. Division. The trip kicks off Jan. 15 in Kamloops and continues Jan. 16 in Kelowna, Jan. 18 in Victoria, Jan. 19 in Vancouver, Jan. 22 in Prince George, Jan. 25 in Edmonton and Jan. 26 in Medicine Hat. Next home action for the Warriors is Feb. 1 against the Tigers.
