Sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the nail.
One night after the Moose Jaw Warriors scored seven goals and rolled to a commanding Western Hockey League win in Brandon, they had no answer for goaltender Daniel Hauser and the Winnipeg Ice defence as the Ice went on to a 4-0 victory in Winnipeg.
Hauser turned aside 24 shots to pick up his sixth shutout of the season and was rarely tested as the Warriors struggled to put together regular offence against the Eastern Conference-title contending Ice.
Moose Jaw fell to 33-21-3-2 on the season and remain in fourth place in the Conference, three points up on Saskatoon and 10 back of idle Red Deer.
The Ice are now 41-9-3-2 and sit six points back of Edmonton for top spot.
Connor McLennon got things started for Winnipeg at 9:07 of the first, forcing a neutral zone turnover and breaking in one-on-one on a Warriors defenceman before getting a shot off from the right face-off circle, beating Carl Tetachuk high glove side.
Winnipeg extended their lead to 2-0 in the first five minutes of the second, with Matthew Savoie continuing his impressive campaign by forcing another turnover by a Moose Jaw defenceman and going in on a breakaway from centre ice. A quick deke and backhand through the five-hole later and Winnipeg had an insurance marker.
The Warriors had only two shots on goal in the first 11 minutes of the second period, but one of those was a glorious scoring chance for Ryder Korczak, who was left all alone at the side of the net eight minutes into the frame. His quick shot couldn’t beat Hauser, though, and Winnipeg carried their 2-0 lead into the third.
Mikey Milne increased Winnipeg’s lead to three goals 2:16 into final period, finishing off a tic-tac-toe passing play between Benjamin Zloty and Connor Geekie by tipping a perfect cross-crease pass from Geekie into the net.
Geekie got on the board himself three minutes later, as a rebound off a shot from the point bounced off Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk as he attempted to clear the puck, only to have it bank into the net.
That would close out scoring in the contest, as despite a couple of late power plays, the Warriors were unable to score.
Moose Jaw finished 0-for-5 with the man advantage, Winnipeg was 0-for-2.
Tetachuk capped the contest with 31 saves.
The Warriors are back in action on Saturday night when they host the Regina Pats on Snowbirds Night. Game time is 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.
