All good things must come to an end, and for the Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors, that just happened to be on Friday night.
The Warriors dropped a 5-1 decision to the Regina Pat Canadians in Regina to close out their Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League regular season, but there’s little question the local squad will be heading into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league.
That’s because the loss Friday snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Warriors, who had also won 12 of their last 13 games heading into their season finale and had only two losses on their ledger since mid-January.
It was a tough start for Moose Jaw in Regina, as Casey Brown, Ryan McDonald, Koen Senft and Steven Steranka all scored in the first period to give Regina a 4-0 lead through 20 minutes.
Connor Miller got one back for Moose Jaw with a power play goal with 2:20 to play in the second, but that would be all the offence the Warriors could muster on the night.
Steranko closed out scoring with an empty net goal with 4:34 to play in regulation.
Ryan Bain got the start in goal for the Warriors and turned aside 28 shots, while John MacPherson had 19 saves at the other end of the ice.
There was some good news for the Warriors, though, as unless someone puts up the kind of offence in the final games of the regular season that would make Connor Bedard blush, Moose Jaw forward Liam Fitzpatrick will win the SMAAAHL scoring title.
The Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product was held scoreless against Regina, snapping a 19-game scoring streak dating all the way back to Dec. 17, but he still capped the campaign with 37 goals and 72 points in 44 games, six points ahead of Cole Reschny of the Saskatoon Blazers. Fitzpatrick’s 37 goals were also far and away the top total in the league, 10 better than the Blazers’ Lee Shurgot.
Joining Fitzpatrick in the top-10 scoring leaders are Connor Miller and Grady Hoffman, with Miller putting up 25 goals and 56 points to go along with Hoffman’s 19 goals and 56 points. The duo finished tied for fifth overall with Shurgot.
Ryan Bain was 15th among netminders with a 3.38 goals against average, with Ryan Hicks right behind at 16th with a 3.38 GAA.
The Winmar Warriors will now turn their attention to the post-season, with the remainder of the SMAAAAHL regular season wrapping up on Tuesday night. Moose Jaw sits in sixth place with a 23-17-0-4 record, one point up on the Notre Dame Hounds, who have two games remaining on their schedule.
A Notre Dame win in either of those games will likely see the Warriors take on the Pat Canadians in the first round of the playoffs; a pair of Hounds losses and the Saskatoon Contacts will likely be their opening round foe.
Be sure to check www.smaaahl.ca for the latest playoff schedule updates.
