The hockey gods have finally relented.
The Moose Jaw Warriors saw their five-game losing streak come to an end on Saturday night in Brandon against the Wheat Kings, and for the first time in recent memory, received most of the breaks, capitalized on chances and just found a way to pull off a victory.
It all led to Brayden Schuurman continuing his string of solid play by scoring the game-winning goal with 2:55 remaining and sending his crew into the Christmas break with a 4-3 victory over the Wheat Kings.
It didn’t look so good early, though, as the Warriors once again played perfect Teddy Bear Toss hosts and gave up an early goal.
Rylen Roesrma scored on a shot from the slot to send the teddy bears flying 1:20 into the game.
The Wheat Kings volunteers proved just as efficient as the Warriors volunteers back on their Teddy Bear toss last Saturday, getting the ice cleared and the game back in action within 20 minutes -- a far cry from the hour-plus delay places like Calgary and Edmonton go through, for whatever reason.
Once hockey resumed, things were far more balanced. with Dakota MacIntosh just missing on a breakaway with eight minutes remaining and then having the rarest of occasions occur.
Only a minute after his chance, MacIntosh sent a pass to the front of the Brandon net for Pavel McKenzie, only to have it deflect off a Brandon defender and past Wheaties goaltender Carson Bjarnason.
In other words, the Warriors caught a break, one of the few they’ve had in the recent stretch of struggles.
Carter Klippenstein restored the Brandon lead with 5:53 to play in the second, but the Warriors had an almost immediate response, and it was the product of how most of their goals have been scored as of late -- old-fashioned hard work.
Jagger Firkus and Atley Calvert worked the puck to the front of the net and Martin Rysavy would jam it home to tie the game 56 seconds after Brandon’s marker.
Macintosh didn’t need any luck for his second goal of the game, and it came quick after the break.
The former AJHL scoring leader took a pass from Harper Lolacher off the rush after winning the opening face-off and slipped a shot through Bjarnason to make it a 3-2 game 19 seconds in..
MacIntosh also figured into two of the Warriors’ best scoring chances moments later -- but not as one might expect.
After a hooking penalty to the 19-year-old, both Jagger Firkus and Martin Rysavy would go in on breakaways but couldn’t beat Bjarnason.
That’s where things would stay until the five minute mark of the third period, when a slick bit of stick work in front of Jackson Unger tied the game. Brett Hyland tipped a shot from the point by Charlie Elick home to make it a 3-3 contest with 4:29 gone in the final frame.
Unger put on a show from there, making a handful of huge stops to keep the game tied and set things up for Schuurman’s winner.
The Abbotsford, B.C. product put his work ethic to perfect use, driving to the net to slam home a pass from Lucas Brenton with just under three minutes remaining.
The Warriors limited Brandon’s chances from there and came away with the win.
Moose Jaw improved to 18-14-0-2 and jumped over Brandon into third place in the Eastern Conference, four points back of Medicine Hat for second.
That Warriors are now off for Christmas break and are back in action on Friday, Dec. 29 against the Regina Pats, Game time is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
