The Moose Jaw Warriors were looking for a better performance in Western Hockey League action against the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday night, and it's safe to say they got it and then some.
A goal in the first two minutes and another before the 10-minute mark set the stage and the Warriors would go on to a 5-2 victory at the Moose Jaw Events Centre -- a far, far cry from their 9-4 loss in their home opener a week earlier, and exactly the measure of revenge they were looking for.
“I was watching the games (last weekend) and obviously it didn’t go like we wanted to, but it’s good to be back and playing with the guys and I thought we responded really well tonight compared to the game here last time,” said Warriors forward Brayden Yager, who returned from Pittsburgh Penguins camp the night before. “It’s nice to get a couple goals and help the team get the win.”
Yager was immediately slotted onto the top line alongside Jagger Firkus and Pavel McKenzie, and with Yager and Firkus having played much of the last two seasons together, it didn’t take long for that old chemistry to come together.
All of eight minutes and 29 seconds, actually, as Yager drew an assist on Firkus’ first goal of the game. In other words, the Penguins’ first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft had little difficulty getting his feel back at the WHL level.
“It was good, this is still a really good league and even though there is a pace change it didn’t take long to get used to,” Yager said. “Playing with a guy who also just got back from NHL camp definitely helps. We played really well and showed our chemistry out there, made some nice plays and we’re looking forward to keeping it going.”
Atley Calvert got things going only 1:44 into the game, taking a pass from behind the net from Eric Alarie and putting a quick shot from the top of the crease past Brandon’s Carson Bjarnason.
Firkus then made it 2-0 with 8:29 gone in the period, jumping on a rebound to the side of the goal off a shot from the slot by McKenzie and hitting the wide-open net.
Noah Flamand got one back for Brandon on their first power play of the game, redirecting a pass from Luke Shipley into the net with 2:56 to play in the first, but that would be the last bit of good news for the visitors until late in the third period.
Yager then gave fans a nice look at why he’s an elite prospect, finishing off the Warriors’ second power play of the game with an absolute bullet of a shot top corner glove side from the right face-off circle. The marker came with 9:16 to play in the second and seconds after he’d just missed a similar shot.
He wouldn’t miss at all on his next opportunity. Firkus found Yager all alone in front of the Brandon net, and he’d would make no mistake with a shot low blocker side to make it a 4-1 game.
Calvert then scored his second of the contest 2:39 into the final period, taking a cross-crease pass from Firkus on the power play and lifting a shot top corner on Bjarnason. The goal gave Firkus four points on the night, seven on the season and moved him into a tie for second place in WHL scoring.
Brandon’s Jayden Wiens got one back for Brandon on a power-play goal-mouth scramble with just over seven minutes to play, but that’s as close as they’d get.
After giving up five goals and being pulled in the previous meeting between the two teams Jackson Unger had a solid game, turning aside 37 shots on the night and holding the fort when Brandon pressed for the tying goal early in the second.
Carson Bjarnason -- who had returned from Philadelphia Flyers camp a day earlier -- allowed the five goals on 36 shots.
The Warriors improve to 2-2 with the win and remain in a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Moose Jaw is back in action on Saturday night when they travel to Regina, with next home action coming on Tuesday, Oct. 10 when the Calgary Hitmen are at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
