It’s pretty much a given at this point that the Moose Jaw Warriors are going to be an incredibly difficult team to put away in the second half of the season.
For the second straight game in Swift Current, the Warriors overcame a late-game deficit and this time would go on to the win, taking a 5-3 victory over the Broncos in Western Hockey League action on Friday night.
The Warriors now have wins in eight of their last nine games and improved to 26-15-0-2, closing within two points of Medicine Hat for second place in the Eastern Conference.
Moose Jaw’s offence has absolutely been on point during that run, having now scored five goals or more in every game since their crew of Team Canada players returned from the World Juniors.
It wasn’t the greatest of starts on Friday night, though.
Swift Current needed only 45 seconds to get on the board, with a soft turnover in the zone leading to Matthew Ward slipping a shot from in front five-hole on Jackson Unger.
The Warriors had a great chance to tie the game with 3:30 to play in the first when Matthew Savoie found Ethan Semeniuk all alone in the high slot, but Reid Dyck -- who recently returned from a broken ankle -- would get his left pad out to make the save.
A couple minutes later, there was no doubt.
Pavel McKenzie sent Brayden Yager and Jagger Firkus in on a two-on-one, with Yager finding Firkus with the cross-ice pass for Moose Jaw’s first goal at 17:51.
There weren’t a ton of chances in the second period, but each team had a couple late.
Max Finley put a shot from the slot off the post midway through the frame, and with four minutes to play Martin Rysavy drove to the net and nearly slipped the puck under Dyck, only for it to roll just wide.
Moments later, Swift Current had a couple of great openings, but a near perfect scoring chance by Brady Birnie was shot over the net, and Unger would stop Caleb Wyrostock when he was left all alone in front.
The Warriors had a great chance to take the lead in the opening seconds of the third period, but Dyck would make a big save on Brayden Schuurman in close.
A minute later, the Broncos had the lead. Ward scored his second of the game, forcing a neutral zone turnover and scoring from the high slot.
Connor Geekie then made it 3-1, going down his wing untouched right to the net and lifting a shot top shelf blocker side.
But much like their last visit to Swift Current, the Warriors weren’t done.
Two goals 20 seconds apart made it a 3-3 game, with Firkus getting the quick rally going by scoring his second of the game at the six minute mark. Moments after the face-off, Ethan Semeniuk tied things up, finding the loose puck in the slot and putting a backhand past Dyck.
Atley Calvert then gave the Warriors their first lead of the game with eight minutes to play, and it was as you’d expect. Lynden Lakovic drove down his wing and got a shot off from just above the goalline that went off Dyck ight to a charging Calvert in front, and he’d redirect the puck in for the 4-3 lead.
There things remained until the 1:51 mark, when Firkus finished off a two-on-one with Savoie with an empty-netter for his hat trick goal and 35th marker of the season.
The Seattle Kraken second-rounder has been virtually unstoppable since returning from the World Juniors, putting up eight goals and 24 points in seven games, a mere 233-point pace over a 68-game schedule.
Yager also had a solid night with three assists, and Connor Schmidt had his first multi-point game in the WHL with a pair of helpers.
Unger turned aside 30 shots to earn his league-leading 22nd win of the season, while Dyck capped his night with 28 stops.
The two teams are right back in action Saturday night, with puck drop at 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
