Good start for Warriors

Moose Jaw takes opener of WHL final 3-2 in Portland

Matthew Savoie had the winner for the Warriors on Friday.

Don’t be making party plans yet for downtown Moose Jaw.

The Moose Jaw Warriors looked good in Game 1 of the WHL Championship Series, but the battle for the Ed Chynoweth Cup is far from over. On Friday night before 6,486 spectators at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon, the Warriors stunned the host Winterhawks 3-2 in Game 1 of the WHL final.

That marked the first time the Warriors have ever won a game in the WHL’s Championship Series. In their lone previous appearance in the WHL final back in 2006, the Warriors were swept 4-0 in the best-of-seven set by the Vancouver Giants.

In Game 1 of this year’s WHL title series, the Warriors came out of the gates flying, and the Winterhawks started out like they were lagged by an airplane flight. The visitors carried play for most of a scoreless first period and built a 2-0 before the second period was six minutes old.

The Winterhawks did find their legs and battled back and had the contest evened up at 2-2 early in the third.

With 3:02 remaining in the third, Warriors star centre Matthew Savoie found himself in close off to the right side of the Portland goal after receiving a pass from star 20-year-old right-winger Atley Calvert. Savoie snipped home his ninth of the post-season to the left side of the net that gave the Warriors their 3-2 lead.

The visitors played composed the rest of the way closing out the game defensively to secure the win.

Major credit for the Warriors win in Game 1 has to go to head coach Mark O’Leary and the rest of the team’s coaching staff. They found a way to get their squad rested up and ready with only two off days since the Warriors claimed Game 7 of the WHL’ Eastern Conference Championship Series 3-2 in overtime against the Blades in Saskatoon on Tuesday.

The Warriors returned to Moose Jaw following the win over the Blades. The Moose Jaw side then proceeded to take a plane flight on Thursday to get out to Portland.

On top of getting rest, the Warriors showed they are battle hardened for the post-season. The experience of going seven games with constant momentum changes against the Blades with six contests going to overtime showed through for the Warriors. No matter what happened in Game 1 against the Winterhawks, the Warriors were seemingly always composed.

Denton Mateychuk scored the Warriors second goal on Friday.

In the opening minutes of the first period on Friday, the Warriors had the Winterhawks pinned in their own zone on the forecheck. Warriors veteran centre Brayden Schuurman had a good early chance, but he was stopped by Winterhawks star netminder Jan Spunar.

The Winterhawks had a bit of a push back after the Warriors initial spurt of momentum, and the hosts had a 6-2 edge in shots on goal seven minutes into the frame.

Moose Jaw carried the momentum for the rest of the frame ultimately holding a 14-8 edge in shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes. The Warriors best two chances to go ahead came while working on a power player shortly after the midway point of the first.

Savoie had the puck at the left side of the Portland net, and his drive was stopped by Spunar but rebounded out to the front of the net. Calvert pounced on the rebound and drove to the net that was also turned away by Spunar.

Just 77 seconds into the second, Savoie used a long backhanded stretch pass to spring Calvert into the Portland zone on a breakaway. Calvert was hooked from behind by Winterhawks star defenceman Luca Cagnoni, and the officials awarded the Warriors forward a penalty shot.

On the penalty shot, Calvert snapped home a low shot stick side to the left side of the Portland net to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.

The Warriors kept coming and at the 5:43 mark of the second a trio of their biggest stars combined to give the visitors a 2-0 edge. Centre Brayden Yager started the play intercepting a Winterhawks clearing attempt along the right side boards in the Portland zone.

Yager got the puck down low to right-winger Jagger Firkus below the icing line and off to the right of the Portland net. Firkus put a pass across the face the Portland goal backdoor to captain Denton Mateychuk, who pinched down from this defensive position.

Mateychuk popped home his ninth of the post-season to give the Warriors their two-goal edge. That tally for a short time sucked all the wind out the Winterhawks home rink.

Jackson Unger made 31 saves for the Warriors on Friday.

A short time later, the Winterhawks got a big traction moment to get their normally vocal crowd back in the game. Traditionally, the Winterhawks have one of the strongest home ice advantages in the WHL. At the nine-minute mark of the second, Spunar made a long pass out of his own zone to send sophomore centre Diego Buttazzoni jetting into the Moose Jaw zone down the right wing.

From the right wing boards, Buttazzoni snapped home a shot that cut the Warriors lead to 2-1. From that point onward, Warriors star netminder Jackson Unger was tasked with making some big saves to keep the Winterhawks at bay.

The Winterhawks would get the equalizer at the 4:14 mark of the third that forced a 2-2 tie. Winterhawks star left-winger Josh Davies had the puck up high on the left side of the Moose Jaw zone.

He made a long backhanded pass across the front of the Moose Jaw net to Winterhawks captain Gabe Klassen to the low right side of the Moose Jaw goal. Klassen roofed a shot to the top left corner of the Moose Jaw net for the equalizer.

That set the stage for Savoie to come through with his winner late in the frame.

Unger stopped 31 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Warriors, who have won their last three straight games. Spunar turned away 34 shots to take the setback in net for the Winterhawks.

During the regular season, the Winterhawks finished third overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 48-15-4-1 mark and were rated fifth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Warriors finished fifth overall in the WHL regular season with a 44-21-0-3 mark.

The Warriors and Winterhawks met once during the regular season back on February 28. Moose Jaw took that encounter 4-3 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The two sides will go at it in Game 2 on Saturday at 7 p.m. local time again at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The pressure will be on the Winterhawks to take that contest to even the series.

After Game 2, the next three games in the series will be held at the Moose Jaw Events Centre in Moose Jaw. Due to the lengthy travel distance between Moose Jaw and Portland, the WHL final is using a two-three-two series format.

Atley Calvert had a goal and an assist for the Warriors on Friday.

If the Warriors are able to take Game 2 of the set on Saturday, it makes the idea much more conceivable a party could be on with the Moose Jaw side raising the Ed Chynoweth Cup in “The Hangar.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Which goalie will be “the guy” in Blades versus Warriors?

WHL’s Eastern Conference final opens on Friday

Evan Gardner covers up a puck in goal for the Blades.

How bad does each goalie want it?

It might be unfair to just look at the guys playing between the pipes when it comes to a hockey playoff series, but the reality is the netminders are the first players anyone checks out when a team wins or loses in the post-season. When it comes to the conference championship round in the WHL Playoffs, a goalie making one or two impossible saves usually makes the different in which team moves on and which club heads into the off-season thinking about what might have been.

This year’s WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series features two clubs in search of their first league title as the Saskatoon Blades take on the Moose Jaw Warriors. The best-of-seven series begins on Friday with Game 1 set for 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

This also marks the first time the Eastern Conference final will be an all-Saskatchewan battle since 1993. Back in 1993, the Swift Current Broncos swept away the Regina Pats and advanced to win the WHL title.

In the 2023-24 campaign, the Blades finished first overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 50-13-2-3 record and are 8-1 advancing through the first two rounds of the post-season. Saskatoon was also rated sixth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

The Warriors placed fifth overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 44-21-0-3 mark and are also 8-1 in advancing through the first two rounds of the post-season.

Saskatoon is in the Eastern Conference final for a second straight year. Moose Jaw is in the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 2012.

Jackson Unger became the Warriors starting goalie this season.

Both teams are loaded at forward.

The Blades front end features captain Trevor Wong, who had 101 points in the regular season coming off 15 goals and 86 assists, star right-winger Egor Sidorov, who has 50 goals and 88 points in the regular season and star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky, who had 42 goals and 80 points in the regular season.

Saskatoon’s other top players up front include star centre Fraser Minten, who is a big prospect of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, Alexander Suzdalev, star overage left-winger Easton Armstrong, while Vaughn Watterodt, Lukas Hansen and Rowan Calvert provide great depth.

The Blades will be without Armstrong for the first two games of the Eastern Conference final as he finishes out a four-game suspension for receiving a charging major and a game misconduct in the Blades 2-1 overtime win over the Red Deer Rebels at home on April 14. 

Armstrong was given his infractions in Game 2 of the series with the Rebels after he bowled over Red Deer netminder Chase Wutzke.

The Warriors counter with 19-year-old star centre Jagger Firkus up front, who lead the WHL in regular season scoring with 126 points coming off 61 goals and 65 assists. Atley Calvert, who is a 20-year-old centre, had 47 goals and 95 points in the regular season for the Warriors, while centre Brayden Yager, who turned 19-years-old in January, had 35 goals and 95 points in the regular season.

Moose Jaw’s other top players up front include savvy veteran Matthew Savoie, Brayden Schuurman and Czech import Martin Rysavy, while Lynden Lakovic, Pavel McKenzie, Rilen Kovacevic and Ethan Semeniuk provide sound depth.

Trevor Wong posted 101 points in the regular season.

Both squads are sound on defence.

The Blades have no problem rolling out a group of seven on the back end in Tanner Molendyk, Charlie Wright, Ben Saunderson, John Babcock, Grayden Siepmann, Nicholas Andrusiak and Morgan Tastad. The Warriors counter with captain Denton Mateychuk, Kalem Parker, Lucas Brenton, Connor Schmidt and Czech product Vojtech Port.

In goal, the starters for both teams weren’t WHL starters a season ago. All eyes will be focusing to see how they handle the bright lights of the Eastern Conference final.

Evan Gardner had an outstanding breakout rookie campaign for the Blades. Gardner, who turned 18-years-old in January, appeared in 30 regular season games for the Blades posting a 21-5-2 record, a 1.91 goals against average, a .927 save percentage and four shutouts. The Fort St. John, B.C., product’s goals against average was the lowest in the WHL and his save percentage topped the circuit.

In the WHL Playoffs, Gardner has appeared in eight games for the Blades posting a 7-0 record, a 1.66 goals against average, a .928 save percentage and one shutout.

Unger is in his third season with the Warriors, and he has improved as he has carried the starter’s load in the 2023-24 campaign. In 54 appearances in the regular season, Unger, who turned 19-years-old in January, posted a 35-15-2 record, a 3.08 goals against average, a .908 save percentage and three shutouts. 

In nine appearances in the WHL Playoffs, Unger has posted an 8-1 record, a 3.29 goals against average, a .903 save percentage.

Jagger Firkus topped the WHL in regular season scoring.

If Gardner struggles, the Blades can turn to a star backup in Austin Elliott. Elliott, who is 19-years-old, was the Blades starter through the regular season and started the first game of the post-season dropping a 4-3 decision to the Prince Albert Raiders at the SaskTel Centre.

If Unger falters, the Warriors would have to turn to 17-year-old rookie Dimitri Fortin or have to dress 19-year-old veteran Evan May.

Going into Eastern Conference final, one would have to give the Blades the edge in net with Gardner’s performance this season and the fact the Blades can turn to Elliott if need be.

Still, the opportunity is there for the netminders on either side to create a reputation at the WHL level of being a championship level clutch puck stopper. Now we get to see who will be “the guy” in net and take their game to the next level.

Cougars, Winterhawks battle for Western Conference title

Zac Funk led the WHL with 67 goals in the regular season.

The heavyweight showdown that was expected at the start of the WHL Playoffs will take place in the WHL’s Western Conference Championship Series.

The Prince George Cougars will face the Portland Winterhawks in a best-of-seven set to determine who advances to the WHL Championship Series. Game 1 is set for Friday at 7 p.m. local time at the CN Centre in Prince George.

The Cougars finished second overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 49-15-1-3 mark and have gone 8-1 in the post-season. Prince George topped the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

The Winterhawks finished third overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 48-15-4-1 mark and have won all eight of their outings in the post-season. Portland was rated fifth in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings.

The Cougars are making their first appearance in the Western Conference final since 2007. The Cougars franchise has won one WHL title coming back in 1981, when the club was located in Victoria.

Since setting up shop in Portland on June 11, 1976, the Winterhawks have been one of the WHL’s most storied teams winning three league titles in 1982, 1998 and 2013. They also captured the Memorial Cup as CHL champions on two occasions in 1983 and 1998.

This will be Portland’s first appearance in the Western Conference final since 2015.

The Winterhawks were the original Edmonton Oil Kings franchise that existed in the Alberta capital from 1950 to 1976. During those years as the Oil Kings, the franchise claimed WHL titles in 1971 and 1972. The franchise won Memorial Cup titles in 1963 and 1966 before the WHL played its inaugural campaign in 1966-67.

Gabe Klassen had 106 points in the regular season.

Zac Funk, who is the Cougars 20-year-old star right-winger, topped the WHL regular season with 67 goals and finished second in scoring with 123 points. Forwards Riley Heidt, Terik Parascak and Ondrej Becher give the Cougars high end firepower up front.

Hudson Thornton, who is 20-years-old, topped the Cougars in defence scoring with 74 points coming off 18 goals and 56 assists.

Joshua Ravensbergen has had a breakout season as a 17-year-old rookie netminder for the Cougars. In 38 appearances in the regular season, Ravensberger posted a 26-4-2 record, a 2.46 goals against average, a .907 save percentage and six shutouts.

Star 20-year-old centre Gabe Klassen led the Winterhawks in regular season scoring with 106 points coming off 35 goals and 71 assists. James Stefan, Nate Danielson and Josh Davies give the Winterhawks explosive firepower up front.

Star 19-year-old defenceman Luca Cagnoni topped the WHL in defence scoring during the regular season with 90 points coming off 18 goals and 72 assists.

Jan Spunar, who is the Winterhawks star Czech import netminder, has had a stellar campaign. In 35 appearances in the regular season, he posted a 25-6-3 record, a 2.12 goals against average, a .913 save percentage and two shutouts.

Due to the distance between Prince George and Portland, the Western Conference Championship Series will be conducted in a two-three-two format. The Cougars host Games 1, 2, 6 and 7, while the Winterhawks host Games 3, 4 and 5.

Overall, this series has the potential to be an all-time classic.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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