The Moose Jaw Warriors have looked for consistency in their game since the start of the season in the East Division Hub, and Friday night offered yet another look at what happens without it -- a lot of what could be while at the same time showing what needs to be fixed.
The Regina Pats scored goals 17 seconds apart in the second period and would take advantage of every opening the Warriors gave them on the way to a 4-1 victory in Western Hockey League action on Friday night.
The Warriors carried play for long stretches of the game but couldn’t score, a scene reminiscent of their loss to Max Paddock and the Prince Albert Raiders a couple weeks ago.
The difference this time was an overall lack of focussed effort, though, with letdowns combined with Regina taking advantage of their opportunities leading to their goals.
That didn’t sit well at alll with Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary.
“I didn’t like a whole lot about tonight at all,” O’Leary said. “From start to finish we were the second best team and I didn’t think we had the second effort to finish scoring chances tonight. There were a few guys who were in tonight, but not nearly enough.”
Cole Dubinsky opened scoring for Regina with 8:02 gone in the first period, and it was a weird one, with his shot from the far boards finding its way through traffic and past goaltender Brett Mirwald without anyone seeing the shot go in, other than the referee and Dubinsky.
The Warriors carried play the rest of the period and generated a half dozen solid scoring opportunities, but couldn’t beat Pats starter Roddy Ross.
Regina extended their lead to 2-0 at 15:30 of the second period when Layton Feist scored on the power play, and Drew Englot would boost the lead to three goals 13 seconds later.
That was it for Mirwald, who gave way to Boston Bilous after eight saves on 11 shots through 39:12.
The Warriors had a golden opportunity to get back into the game with an extended 5-on-3 power play early in the third, but instead, it would be the Pats who would score a shorthanded marker, with Zack Smith scoring 3:15 into the period.
The Warriors finally broke through with just over seven minutes remaining, and it was almost justified in how unlikely it was. Defenceman Cory King went in one-on-four and flipped a harmless-looking shot on Ross, but it managed to deflect off his glove and in.
Bilous would stop four shots through the remainder of the contest, Ross would make 30 stops in taking the win.
The Warriors fell to 8-12-2-0 on the season and remain in sixth place in the division, a point back of Prince Albert.
Moose Jaw returns to action on Sunday when they take on the Swift Current Broncos. Game time is 4 p.m.
