It’s the full games that are proving to be the problem.
That Warriors played the Winnipeg Ice to a 0-0 draw through the first period but were unable to keep the defensive run going, surrendering three goals in the second on their way to dropping a 5-1 decision at Wayne Fleming Arena in Winnipeg.
After a scoreless first that saw the Ice outshoot the Warriors 16-8 in the period, Winnipeg’s Isaac Johnson broke through with the game’s first goal 3:13 into the second. Peyton Krebs added a power play marker four minutes later to put the Ice ahead 2-0.
Kyle Crosbie got the Warriors on the board at 10:14 of the second, taking a breakaway pass from Tate Popple and going in all alone from the blueline before beating Ice goaltender Liam Hughes with a nifty deke to the forehand.
That would be the last bit of good news for the Warriors, though, and the start of a really good night for Winnipeg’s Jackson Leppard.
Leppard hit the scoresheet with his first goal of the game with 3:25 to play in the second, scored his second marker at 4:30 of the third and capped off his natural hat trick with the game’s final goal at 16:04.
Boston Bilous made 36 saves in the Warriors’ goal, Hughes had a 25-stop showing for Winnipeg.
The Warriors are now winless in their last five, fell to 12-33-2-0 on the season and continue to sit two points ahead of last-place Swift Current.
Next action for the Tribe will be the annual Hall of Fame Game against the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday at Mosaic Place. Game time is 7 p.m.
Overtime… the Warriors will host their annual Warriors and Legends Hall of Fame induction banquet on Friday night at Mosaic Place. The event will see defencemen Chris Armstrong and Harlan Anderson enshrined on the Wall of Fame on the north wall of Mosaic Place concourse alongside builder Lorne Humphreys.
