If it wasn’t for bad luck, the Moose Jaw Warriors wouldn’t have any luck at the moment.
And you won’t find a better example than how things turned out in their Western Hockey League contest against the Kelowna Rockets on Tuesday night.
After a back and forth game that saw both teams create all sorts of opportunities, the Rockets scored on a deflection in front of the net with just over eight minutes to play and would go on to a 2-1 victory at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
The loss was the fourth straight for the Warriors, who saw their record drop to 17-13-0-2 to sit four points back of Medicine Hat for second in the Eastern Conference.
The Warriors had opportunities to score in the game’s opening minutes but were unable to capitalize, and as has happened so many times in recent outings, Kelwona took advantage.
Andrew Cristall finished off one of Kelowna’s few scoring chances in the first half of the frame, scoring on a shot from the slot at 8:18.
Lynden Lakovic nearly tied the game moments later but had a shot somehow go over the net, and back-to-back penalties gave the Warriors all sorts of chances to score as the period progressed, but missed opportunities continued to be the order of the day.
The ice tilted in Kelowna’s favour to start the second period. with the Rockets outshooting the Warriors 10-2 with nine minutes gone. When the Warriors did get their chances right at the 10 minute mark, they were good ones, but Noah Degenstein and Max Finley were each denied on chances in close.
All the opportunities finally led to a breakthrough, and it was some old-fashioned hard work that made the difference. Harper Lolacher battled his way through a check into the Kelowna zone and found Pavel McKenzie with some open ice, and he’d put a perfect shot top corner blocker side to tie the game 1-1 with just over a minute left in the frame.
A strange turn of events five minutes into the third saw Atley Calvert just miss a chance to score while diving toward the net and as he recovered, he’d just get to the blueline to go in on a shorthanded breakaway. Jake Pilon was up to the task on both opportunities, thorough, and the game remained tied.
Cristall then looked to have the go-ahead goal on his stick with 8:35 to play in regulation, but Jackson Unger would make a brilliant cross-crease glove save to preserve the tie.
There was nothing he could do on the go-ahead goal, as Cristall sent a pass to the slot and without a single Rocket in sight had the puck bounce off a couple of Warriors defenders and into the net.
The loss was the third straight one-goal defeat for Moose Jaw.
Unger did all he could to backstop the Warriors to the win but ended up with a 38-save loss. The Warriors had 32 shots on Pilon.
The game was the first for the Warriors without team leaders Denton Mateychuk, Jagger Firkus and Brayden Yager, who are all in action at the Team Canada selection camp. That event wraps up Wednesday afternoon, with the World Junior team announced later in the day.
The Warriors are back in action on Friday, Dec. 15 when the Kamloops Blazers are in town. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
