And the payback couldn’t have come at a better time for the local squad.
The Warriors scored three second-period goals and would snap a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Raiders on Monday night in the Western Hockey League East Division Hub.
Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary felt there were a lot of similarities to their 2-0 loss to the Raiders last week, where the Warriors poured 45 shots on net but couldn’t find a way to beat goaltender Max Paddock.
“I thought our energy and enthusiasm was there… our best players played really well and the guys that don’t always play a whole bunch, they did their part as well,” O’Leary said. “So it was one of those games where we had everyone involved, everyone in the fight and those are the best ones.”
Further to that, the Warriors had five different players score their goals on the night, showing the kind of balance the team has put to use when they’ve found success this season.
“It’s something we talk about every day, it’s that pack mentality,” O’Leary said. “We know we’re going to find success as a group and I think it’s no different with our scoring. We have to do it by committee and that’s where we feel like we’re a good team, when we can play four lines and have six defencemen in the mix. Everyone has to do their part, not everybody plays the same amount of minutes but when you have guys who are willing to play and on the right side of the puck, you’re going to get your looks.
“Tonight we had some bounces in and around the net that we haven’t had the last few games, sometimes you have to earn your puck luck and I think the guys did that tonight.”
Prince Albert took only 1:20 to get things going, as Evan Herman jumped on a turnover at the blueline and went in on a breakaway before beating Warriors goaltender Brett Mirwald.
That would pretty much be the only major miscue the Warriors would see through the remainder of the game.
Riley Krane tied the game for the Warriors with 6:55 to play in the period, picking up the rebound off a Calder Anderson point shot and slipping a shot around Raiders goaltender Carter Serhyenko.
The Warriors took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play to take the lead early in the second period. Tate Popple jumped on a rebound at the side of the next off a Daemon Hunt point shot and made no mistake batting home a shot with 6:52 gone.
A bit of puck luck gave the Warriors a two-goal lead just over two minutes later, with Josh Hoekstra redirecting Max Wanner’s shot from the point past Serhyenko.
Eric Alarie then put the Tribe ahead 4-1 with his 10th goal of the season, and once again, it was an opportunistic goal as Alarie jumped on a loose puck at the side of the next and slid a quick shot five hole.
The Warriors took nearly 16 minutes to get their first shot on net in the third, but Brayden Yager made their second chance count -- blowing by a Raiders defenceman on the outside and ripping a lazer beam top shelf glove side to give his squad a four-goal lead.
Hoekstra picked up an assist for his first career multi-point game, capping one of his best performances of the season. It’s all a product of getting used to the WHL game, something he feels is coming along.
“The adjustment was huge, you definitely have to be a lot stronger on the walls and protect the puck a lot better,” Hoekstra said. “But now seeing that I’m putting some points in, it’s a lot better and it gives me alot more confidence for next year.”
Reece Vitelli scored for Prince Albert with 42 seconds remaining to close out scoring.
Mirwald finished the game with 29 saves, Serhyenko stopped 26 for Prince Albert.
The Warriors finished the season series with a 2-2 record against the Raiders.
Moose Jaw improved to 8-11-1-0 and moved into a tie for fourth with Prince Albert and Regina, though both the Raiders and Pats have a game in hand.
The Warriors are back in action Wednesday when they take on the Winnipeg Ice (8 p.m.).
