The Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors might have been one of the hottest teams in the league heading into the Sask Male AAA Hockey League playoffs, but the postseason is another ball of wax altogether.
And the Saskatoon Contacts looked like a team ready to go on a long run in Game 1 of the two teams’ quarter-final series on Friday night.
The Contacts scored three times in the first period and would go on to a 6-1 victory in Saskatoon, drawing first blood and taking the early lead in the best-of-five series.
The teams spent the first 15 minutes getting into the swing of things, but when the Contacts got things going, the goals came fast and furious.
Zach Moore opened scoring with 4:48 to play in the opening period, added his second of the game 2:03 later and Rhett Ewen would make it a 3-0 lead only 45 seconds after that goal.
Saskatoon’s Spencer Chestolowski then scored the lone goal of the second, with his marker coming on the power play at 8:01.
Connor Miller got one back for the Warriors at the 9:12 mark of the final period, but Chestolowski pick up his second of the game with 6:40 to play and Tyler Phipps would close out scoring on the night one minute later.
Ryan Bain got the start and was pulled after allowing three goals on nine shots in 18 minutes, with Ryan Hicks turning aside 20 shots the remainder of the game. Logan Edmonstone had 26 saves at the other end of the ice.
Game 2 of the series is set for Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, with Game 3 back in Saskatoon on Tuesday, Mar. 7, Game 4 back in Moose Jaw on Thursday, Mar. 9 and Game 5 in Saskatoon on Saturday, Mar. 11, with the latter two games played if necessary.
