OT victory puts Warriors one win away from first WHL crown

Schuurman nets extra time winner in Game 3 of title series

The Warriors and their fans celebrate their OT win on Tuesday.

MOOSE JAW, Sask. – “The Hangar” was loud on Tuesday night, and it might be even louder on Wednesday night.

On Tuesday play before 4,641 spectators at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, which is also known as “The Hanger,” the host Moose Jaw Warriors found themselves locked in a 3-3 tie heading to overtime in Game 3 of the WHL Championship Series against the Portland Winterhawks. It didn’t take long for the Warriors to make the jam packed crowd bring their loudest cheers of the night.

Just 2:20 into overtime, Warriors 19-year-old right-winger Rilen Kovacevic drove into the Portland zone on a rush and wired a shot from the front of the Winterhawks net off the crossbar. The puck came down to the left side of the Portland net.

Brayden Schuurman had the OT winner for the Warriors.

Warriors veteran centre Brayden Schuurman got to the loose puck and popped it into an open cage to deliver his squad to a 4-3 victory. As Schuurman’s tally entered the net, the crowd at the Moose Jaw Events Centre exploded with their loudest cheers since the building opened on August 19, 2011.

The win allowed the Warriors to take a commanding 3-0 lead in best-of-seven set to claim the Ed Chynoweth Cup. They will try to close the series out and attempt to win their first WHL championship in team history in Game 4 on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

The last team from “The Friendly City” to win the WHL title was the Moose Jaw Canucks in the circuit’s inaugural season back in the 1966-67 campaign. The Canucks downed the Regina Pats 4-1 in a best-of-seven series in 1967 for the league title.

Lucas Brenton had the Warriors first goal on Tuesday.

The Winterhawks, who are one of the WHL’s most storied teams, didn’t allow the Warriors to have anything easy in Game 3 on Tuesday. Portland came out with a spirited effort.

Still, the Warriors broke through on the scoreboard on a goal from defensive-defenceman Lucas Brenton at the 4:22 mark of the opening frame. Brenton found himself beside just off the left of the Portland goal and he tapped home a backdoor feed from the right side of the goal by Kovacevic to give the host side a 1-0 lead.

As raucous as the fans got after Brenton’s goal, the Winterhawks brought the crowd’s volume level down a short time later. Just 2:19 after Brenton’s tally, Winterhawks rookie right-winger Ryan Miller, who just turned 17-years-old, sprung 18-year-old rookie left-winger Tyson Yaremko on a breakaway. Yaremko sniped home a shot to the low left side of the Moose Jaw net to even the score at 1-1.

The Warriors faithful cheer a goal from Lucas Brenton.

Shortly after Yaremko’s goal, the Warriors found themselves on the power-play, but Winterhawks star centre Nate Danielson ended up delivering a big play. Getting the puck deep in the Moose Jaw zone, Danielson cut past Warriors star centre Brayden Yager and Warriors star netminder Jackson Unger to pop home a backhander for a short-handed goal that gave the Winterhawks a 2-1 lead at the 8:34 mark of the first.

That marked the first time Portland led at any point in any game of the series. The Winterhawks exited the opening frame holding their 2-1 lead and a 16-12 edge in shots on goal.

Tyson Yaremko had the Winterhawks first goal on Tuesday.

The second period became Denton Mateychuk time for the Moose Jaw Warriors. Working on a power play early in the frame, Warriors star centre Matthew Savoie passed the puck from the right side boards to Mateychuk at the top of the right faceoff circle.

The Warriors captain wired home a wrist shot to the top right corner of the Portland net passed a screened star Winterhawks netminder in Jan Spunar to even the score at 2-2 at the 3:37 mark of the frame.

With 2:41 remaining in the second, Savoie looked like he might have gotten away with a slight of hand play to give the Warriors a 3-2 lead on a rebound from a scoring attempt by Warriors star right-winger and WHL player-of-the-year Jagger Firkus. Firkus tried to score on a Michigan style lacrosse shot and the puck from his shot rebounded off the crossbar of the Portland net.

Nate Danielson scored a short-handed goal for the Winterhawks.

Savoie knocked the rebound as it was in the air into the Portland goal with his hand, and the officials at first ruled it was a goal. After going to a video review, it was determined Savoie knocked the puck in with his hand and the goal was disallowed.

The Warriors would go on the power play as Winterhawks offensive-defenceman Luca Cagnoni was penalized for high-sticking on that play.

That ensuing power play gave Mateychuk a chance to strike again. Working that man advantage, Warriors 20-year-old star right-winger Atley Calvert had the puck below the icing line off to the right of the Portland net.

Denton Mateychuk scored two power-play goals for the Warriors.

Calvert placed a pass up centre ice to Mateychuk at the top of the left faceoff circle. Mateychuk wired home his second power-play goal of the night to the right side of the Portland net to put the Warriors up 3-2 with 2:30 remaining in the second. Moose Jaw took that advantage into the second intermission.

There was about a 10 minute delay in starting the third period as the Zamboni flood watered on the ice too much in the second intermission. The Zamboni had to come again out on the ice to get the playing surface right for the third frame to get underway.

The Winterhawks didn’t go away. At the 3:56 mark of the third, Winterhawks standout left-winger Marcus Nguyen threw a puck from the left side boards in the Moose Jaw zone in the direction of the Warriors goal. The puck deflected off Warriors offensive-defenceman Kalem Parker into the Moose Jaw net to allow the visitors to pull even at 3-3.

Matthew Savoie had a goal that was disallowed.

That set the stage for the contest to go to overtime and Schuurman to come through with his winner.

Unger stopped 30 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Warriors. Spunar turned away 32 shots to take the setback in net for the Winterhawks.

Kovacevic, Yager and Ethan Semeniuk each recorded two assists in the win for the Warriors. Moose Jaw improved to 9-0 in the post-season when leading a game after two periods. The Warriors have also won their last five straight games.

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.

Brayden Yager had a pair of assists for the Warriors.

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 in Portland.

The WHL final between the two sides was expected to be tightly contested. The Warriors have pulled out two victories by one goal to take their 3-0 series lead.

The Warriors existed for four seasons in Winnipeg before moving to Moose Jaw before the start of the 1984-85 campaign. 

In their first 16 seasons in Moose Jaw, the Warriors had only four winning records, but their raucous fans continued to back them.

Brayden Schuurman is cheered by the fans as he heads off the ice.

Now, we get to see if the Warriors can deliver the biggest post-game party Moose Jaw has ever seen with a WHL championship clinching victory on home ice. For Warriors fans, this moment is so close it almost might not seem real that it could happen.

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

-------

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Warriors fly to new heights, Winterhawks unravel

Moose Jaw leads WHL final 2-0 heading home to “The Hangar”

Atley Calvert and the Warriors lead the WHL final 2-0.

After two games of the WHL Championship Series, it has become clear which team has been more battle tested.

On Saturday in Game 2 of the WHL final, the Moose Jaw Warriors look as composed as football quarterback Tom Brady leading a team down the field on a game winning touchdown drive in the Super Bowl. The Portland Winterhawks came unglued as the game went on and looked like a five-year-old that didn’t get his or her way.

When the dust settled at game’s end, the Warriors skated away with a sound 5-1 victory over the Winterhawks. Most of the 7,361 spectators in attendance at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland exited the rink in somber fashion. Portland was well known throughout the WHL in having one of the best home ice advantages on the circuit in the post-season, and Moose Jaw neutralized that factor.

The Warriors claimed both of the first two games hosted in Portland squeaking out a 3-2 victory in Game 1 on Friday. They lead the best-of seven series 2-0.

To make the situation even tougher for the Winterhawks, they now head in to a buzz saw as the next three games will be held in Moose Jaw at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, which is also known as “The Hangar.”

Game 3 of the series is set for Tuesday at 8 p.m., and Game 4 follows on Wednesday at 8 p.m. If necessary, Game 5 is slated for this coming Friday at 8 p.m.

The Warriors are known for having one of the WHL’s most passionate fanbases. When the franchise left Winnipeg and arrived in Moose Jaw in 1984, the Warriors had only four winning records in their first 16 seasons in “The Friendly City.”

Still, the fans packed the team’s old home rink in the Moose Jaw Civic Centre, which was best known as “The Crushed Can,” and made the building one of the most raucous on the whole circuit. Opposing teams played against both the Warriors and their fans. The fans created a noise that had a force to it.

In the current day, you can bet those same fans will be out to prove Moose Jaw still has one of the best home ice advantages in the WHL at “The Hangar.” The fact the Warriors lead the WHL final 2-0 and need just two more wins to capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup means the fans in Moose Jaw will be absolutely giddy. They will be ready to create noise and help their team to try and win the series at home on top of capturing a championship the franchise has yet to win.

Jagger Firkus had two goals and an assist for the Warriors.

It would also be the first WHL title win for the city of Moose Jaw since the Moose Jaw Canucks franchise won the league championship the first time it was awarded back in 1967.

The Warriors and Winterhawks entered the WHL Championship Series both possessing great skill. Over the first two games, the Warriors have been a step ahead of the Winterhawks tactically.

Moose Jaw has shown to be battle hardened after winning a thrilling Eastern Conference Championship Series in seven games over the Saskatoon Blades. That series saw six contests finish in overtime and had seemingly endless momentum changes due to adjustments made by players and coaches.

The Warriors players are seemingly in a state where they aren’t going to get derailed by any ups and downs of a game. They are ready to keep battling and keep pushing ahead.

The Winterhawks seemingly haven’t adjusted tactically to what the Warriors have thrown at them. The Warriors have been able to clog up the centre ice zone taking away the Winterhawks speed and have created turnovers and jumped on the counterattack.

Portland’s players seem frustrated that their sheer skill isn’t enough to overcome their foes. As Game 2 went on, it became a more common sight to see Winterhawks players engaging in scrums. They have shown a lack of composure and perseverance.

The Warriors got out to a quick start in Game 2. At the 5:48 mark of the first, the Warriors broke into the Portland zone on a two-on-one rush with 20-year-old right-winger Atley Calvert coming up the left wing with the puck and centre Matthew Savoie coming down the right wing.

Calvert passed the puck over to Savoie, and Savoie dished it back to Calvert, who was staring at an open net. Calvert popped the puck into the empty cage to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.

The Winterhawks came with a push back. With about 9:32 remaining in the first, Winterhawks star right-winger James Stefan got into the Moose Jaw zone on a contested breakaway. He put a backhand shot on goal that was turned away by Warriors star netminder Jackson Unger.

Brayden Yager scored the Warriors third goal on Saturday.

When the opening frame ended, the Warriors held a 1-0 edge on the scoreboard, and the Winterhawks had an 11-8 edge in shots on goal. The host side started to sink in quicksand in the second frame.

Just before the midway point of the second, Warriors overage import right-winger Martin Rysavy broke into the Portland zone down the right wing. He passed to the puck to 18-year-old left-winger Pavel McKenzie, who was positioned in front of the net.

McKenzie did a half toe drag and snapped a shot home past Winterhawks star import netminder Jan Spunar for his second of the post-season that gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

After falling behind 2-0, the Winterhawks seemingly started getting involved in more scrums. With 3:24 remaining in the second, a rare fight in the WHL Playoffs ensued between Winterhawks star left-winger Josh Davies and Warriors 19-year-old right-winger Rilen Kovacevic.

Just 84 seconds after that fight, two of the Warriors biggest stars made an impact on the contest. Warriors right-winger and WHL player of the year Jagger Firkus sprung Warriors centre and the winner of the WHL’s most sportsmanlike player award Brayden Yager in on a breakaway to the Portland net. Yager fired home a shot to the top right corner of the Winterhawks goal to put the Warriors advantage out to 3-0.

At that point out of nowhere, it appeared the Winterhawks got a traction moment. Warriors captain and the WHL’s defenceman of the year Denton Mateychuk made a rare error.

Mateychuk was playing the puck behind his own net, and he was pressured on the forecheck by Winterhawks standout right-winger Marcus Nguyen. The Warriors blue-liner proceeded to throw a blind backhand pass up centre ice.

Winterhawks star centre Nate Danielson quickly knocked home the errand pass into the Moose Jaw net to trim the Warriors lead to 3-1.

During a stoppage a short time later with 36.7 seconds remaining in the second, Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary called a timeout to get his squad calmed down.

Kalem Parker had an assist on the Warriors fifth goal.

In the third, Firkus ensured there would be no Winterhawks comeback. Just 15 seconds into the frame, Firkus got the puck in the right faceoff circle in the Portland zone and roofed a shot to the top left corner of the Winterhawks net to push the Warriors lead out to 4-1.

Firkus added his second of the night working a give and go with offensive-defenceman Kalem Parker at the 5:35 mark of the third to round out the 5-1 final in favour of the visitors. Firkus entered the Portland zone with the puck and dished it to Parker.

Parker skated the puck below the icing line and passed it back to Firkus, who was positioned on the doorstep at the right side of the Portland net. Firkus popped home his second of the night and 14^th of the post-season to give the Warriors their four-goal edge.

The Winterhawks outshot the Warriors 17-4 in the frame, but the Warriors were focused on shutting things down defensively playing most of the frame with their four-goal lead.

Unger stopped 37 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Warriors. Spunar turned away 22 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 WHL final between the two sides was expected to be tightly contested, and it still might turn out that way.

In order for that to happen, the Winterhawks need to find some composure and perseverance and make some adjustments. They face a sizable amount of work, if they want the series to return to Portland for a potential Game 6 and possibly a Game 7.

Jackson Unger stopped 37 shots in goal for the Warriors.

At the moment, the Warriors are in the driver’s seat, and they have the inside track when it comes to capturing the WHL title.

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

-------

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.