One game you put up nine goals against an opponent and have an answer for everything they throw at you on your way to a big win.
A couple days later against the exact same team, you can’t score until late in the third period and take a tough loss.
The Moose Jaw Warriors continued their season-long struggle with consistency on Friday night as the Saskatoon Blades scored three times in the second period and would go on to a 3-2 victory in Western Hockey League action in Saskatoon.
The Warriors fell to 12-9-0-1 with the loss but remain three points back of Saskatoon and Medicine Hat for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Neither team had a ton of chances in the first period, but Jackson Unger had to be the sharper of the two goaltenders. One chance early in the first saw a shot from the point deflect in front before Unger sprawled to his left and knocked the puck out danger.
Saskatoon’s Vaughn Watterrodt also had a glorious chance late in the frame when his shot from a hard angle eluded the Warriors goaltender and went between the wickets, only to sail though the crease and out the other side.
Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product Rowan Calvert had a great chance to open scoring for Saskatoon early in the second but his tipped shot in front of the Warriors net would roll just past the left post.
The Blades then hit the scoreboard at the 6:31 mark, as Justin Keller found the puck in a goalmouth scramble and managed to knock it into the Warriors net.
Just over a minute later, it was 2-0, after Calvert forced a turnover at the Warriors' blueline and found Misha Volotovski breaking up the middle, with a quick move past a defender and shot blocker side making it a two-goal lead.
Saskatoon got another defensive zone turnover moments later and would score their third goal in less than four minutes, This time, Ben Saunderson found all the space in the world on his wing and used that extra time to put a shot home.
The Warriors received their first power play of the game with 3:29 remaining in the third and had a couple of good chances, but were unable to get on the board.
Dakota MacIntosh had a chance to break the shutout with 8:40 remaining when he went in on a breakaway, but Austin Elliot was able to make the pad save on the deke.
Three minutes later, there was little Elliott could do to stop Atley Calvert.
The Warriors overager finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play with Jagger Firkus and Brayden Yager by tipping home the puck from the top of the crease at 10:28 of the period.
Saskatoon then received a late-game power play, but it would be the Warriors who got things done.
Ethan Semeniuk forced a turnover in the Warriors zone and hit Brayden Schuurman for a two-on-one with Denton Mateychuk, and the Moose Jaw captain would finish things off to make it a one-goal game.
That made for a frantic finish, but the Warriors wouldn’t be able to find the tying goal.
Unger capped his night with 35 saves while Elliott turned aside 26, most of those in the final 10 minutes of the game.
The Warriors are back in action on Saturday night when they host the Edmonton Oil Kings. The contest also serves as the team’s annual Hockey Fights Cancer night, with the Warriors wearing special mauve-coloured jerseys that will be auctioned off during the game.
Fans will also be able to purchase special ‘I Fight For’ placards on the concourse that will be displayed in the arena and will be able to sign a loved one’s name on the ice after the game.
Puck drop is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
