The Moose Jaw Warriors are off to the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs.
The Warriors scored three times in the third period and would go on to a 5-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday night in Lethbridge, winning the best-of-seven series four-games-to-none.
Max Wanner led the way for Moose Jaw, scoring once and assisting on two third period goals, while Jagger Firkus had a pair of assists, giving him four goals and 10 points in the opening round.
The Warriors opened the series on Friday with a 2-1 double overtime victory at the Moose Jaw Events Centre before taking a 5-1 victory in Game 2 and winning 6-2 on Tuesday night when the series made its way to Lethbridge.
Moose Jaw will now wait for the outcome of the other ongoing Eastern Conference quarter-finals to determine their second round opponent.
The Warriors had all the pressure early, including a handful of scoring opportunities while outshooting Lethbridge 7-0 in the first eight minutes, but it would be the Hurricanes who’d strike first.
A misplayed puck behind the net would lead to Tyson Zimmer getting the puck in the slot from Anton Astashevich, and he’d put the puck in for the game’s first goal at 8:50 of the opening frame.
Brayden Yager would get that one back with his first of the playoffs with 6:04 to play in the period, going in on a three-on-two with Firkus and Martin Rysavy before putting a feed to the top of the crease past Hurricanes starter Harrison Meneghin.
The Warriors then took the lead with 5:16 gone in the second, and it was a bit of a strange one. What wasn’t unusual was the set-up, as Wanner broke into the high slot and got off a shot that popped into the air, only for the puck to drop in behind Meneghin.
Lethbridge had a great chance to get the tying goal when Robert Baco was hit with a five minute major for goaltender interference with 12:25 to play in the period, but the Warriors’ penalty kill would go to work. Moose Jaw would hold the Hurricanes to a single shot and continue to hold their 2-1 lead.
It wouldn’t last the period, though, as Hayden Smith found some room in front of the Warriors net and scored with 54 seconds remaining to send the teams into the dressing room all tied up.
That set the stage for Lynden Lakovic near the five minute mark of the third period. The 16-year-old forward broke down the right wing, beat his man to the outside and put a shot on net that slipped past Meneghin and in, giving the Warriors a 3-2 lead.
Moose Jaw just kept coming from there, and with 5:36 to play, the lead was increased to a pair. Wanner had a role in this one, too, with his shot from the left face-off circle rebounding out to Denton Mateychuk at the side of the net, and he’d roof a shot glove side.
Yager then added an empty-netter with 31 seconds to play to finish off scoring in the series.
Warriors goaltender Connor Ungar was Connor Ungar, turning in a steady performance with 28 saves, while Meneghin had 25 stops for the Hurricanes.
