MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- Another game, another miracle comeback for the Moose Jaw Warriors and another overtime win for the Saskatoon Blades.
And with that, the Warriors are down to their final life in the Western Hockey League Eastern Conference Championship series
Fraser Minten scored with 1:45 remaining in overtime to give the Blades a 5-4 victory in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series, with Saskatoon now holding a three-games-to-two lead. As a result, the Blades can wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon at the Moose Jaw Events Centre when Game 6 drops the puck at 2 p.m.
The Warriors aimed to get off to a better start than they did in Game 4, and while they didn’t give up two goals in the first couple minutes, things still didn’t go well early.
A Jackson Unger clearing attempt from behind the net went right to Alexander Suzdalev, and while Unger was able to scramble back into the crease to make the save, the rebound went right to Fraser Minten in front and he’d hit the open cage for the 1-0 edge 2:56 in.
A bad line change led to Saskatoon’s second goal, as Egor Sidorov was able to break in untouched on his wing, leading the WHL’s playoff goal-scoring leader to beat Unger top shelf glove side from the bottom of the left face-off circle.
Saskatoon had a chance to make it a three-goal lead when Jagger Firkus hauled down Trevor Wong in the Blades zone, but the Warriors penalty kill would hold Saskatoon without a shot.
The second period was only a couple minutes old when the game was delayed for several minutes for a penalty review, and when all was said and done Matthew Savoie was hit with a double minor for high-sticking Easton Armstrong.
The Warriors did a great job in the first half of the penalty, but Saskatoon would score on their lone shot of the power play when Charlie Wright put home a shot through a screen at the 5:06 mark.
Brandon Lisowsky then made it a 4-0 at the 14:23 mark, finishing off an odd-man rush by going hard to the net to put home a rebound off a shot by Wright.
That was the end of the night for Unger, who was pulled in favour of Dmitri Fortin after allowing four goals on 17 shots in 34:23 of work.
The Warriors needed to catch a break or two to get back into things, and they’d get one early in the third.
Martin Rysavy would send a pass from the corner to the front of the net, and it would pinball around before Lucas Brenton was able to get a piece of of the puck and knock it past Evan Gardner 49 seconds in.
A delay of game penalty to the Blades put the Warriors on their first power play at the 4:09 mark, and Firkus would strike, putting a one-timer from Savoie top shelf over Gardner’s blocker.
The Warriors continued to press, and immediately after a Blades chance, the Warriors came right back down on the rush and Denton Mateychuk’s pass to the front of the net would go off Sidorov, and all of a sudden it was a one-goal game thanks to three goals in 6:50.
Six minutes later, tie game.
Mateychuk finished off a series of chances in the Blades zone with a shot from the high slot that found its way through traffic and past Gardner with 6:22 remaining, completing another unbelievable comeback.
The Warriors got caught scrambling in their zone late in the period, and Mateychuk’s swinging attempt to clear the puck sent it over the boards for a delay of game penalty with 1:19 to play in the third, but Saskatoon couldn’t score, sending things to overtime for the fourth time in five games.
The Blades still had 49 seconds left on the power play in OT, but the Warriors successfully killed the remainder off.
The two teams settled into a back and forth for the next 10 minutes until Voytech Port missed a stick lift on Wong, catching the Saskatoon captain with a high stick and sending the Blades on the power play. The Warriors got the job done again, though, with Fortin making four saves.
Five minutes later, a two-one-one with Lynden Lakovic and Atley Calvert saw Calvert end up with a wide-open net and the win on his stick, only for the shot to go off the post.
Sure enough, the Blades would finish things off a couple minutes later.
Tanner Molendyk found Minten alone in the high slot, his shot would beat Fortin with 1:45 to play, and the Blades had the 5-4 win.
Fortin finished with 24 saves in his 43:52 of work while Garder capped his night with 39 stops.
Game 6 is Sunday afternoon with a 2 p.m. start time, with only standing room tickets remaining at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
