The Moose Jaw Warriors went into their Western Hockey League contest against the Lethbridge Hurricanes with their playoff fate in their own hands.
And while they would have liked to have gotten things done with a straight-up win in Lethbridge, they’ll take the single point from their 5-4 loss in overtime just the same.
The Warriors improved to 37-23-4-3 with the point and as a result will have officially secured fourth place in the Eastern Conference and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Their opponent in the first round, the Saskatoon Blades, picked up a 2-1 win in Brandon in their season finale to temporarily move into a tie for fourth before the Warriors reached OT out west.
Lethbridge opened scoring 6:30 into the game when Yegor Klavdiev got off a shot from the right face-off circle that found its way through traffic and past Warriors starter Carl Tetachuk.
Majid Kaddoura would tie things up before the first period was out, simply putting a puck on net from the blueline and finding a bit of luck on his side when it eluded Bryan Thomson in the Hurricanes goal. The marker came with 1:10 remaining in the frame.
Ryder Korczak continued his late-season hot streak only 21 seconds into the second period, giving the Warriors a 2-1 edge with his 25th goal of the season. The goal gave Korczak points in his last four games, with three goals and eight points in that span.
That lead lasted until the 9:48 mark of the period, when Lethbridge’s Brayden Edwards finished off a run of sustained pressure in the Warriors zone by getting off a perfect shot top corner from the bottom of the right face-off circle.
It was another long range shot that found the back of the net to give Lethbridge the lead with 3:48 remaining in the second. Joe Arntsen got off a shot from the point on the power play that Edwards just got a piece of, tipping it past Tetachuk from the top of the crease.
The theme of just putting pucks on net and finding success continued on the Warriors’ tying goal. Martin Rysavy showed off his hand-eye coordination by tipping a Majid Kaddoura point shot past Thomson with 8:51 remaining in regulation.
The goal was the Warriors’ first power play goal on five chances, and first goal with the man advantage in Moose Jaw’s last four road games.
The Warriors then caught a break with 3:40 remaining in the contest, and it was yet again just a matter of puck-at-net. Cole Jordan did the honours this time, just sending a pass to the front and having it go off a skate, pop up into the air and drop into the net behind Thomson.
Sure enough, it was yet more pinball that resulted in the tying goal with a minute to play. With Thomson pulled for the extra attacker, Alex Thacker got off a shot from the right face-off that bounced off a defender in front and in.
Klavdiev then finished things off in overtime, going in on a breakaway and beating Tetachuk five hole.
Tetachuk had 32 saves in the loss, Thomson turned aside 35.
The Warriors are back in action on Saturday night when they travel to Regina to face the Pats.
