The Moose Jaw Warriors just can’t seem to find a way to solve the Winnipeg Ice.
Thing is, no one else has been able to as of late, either.
The Ice scored four times before the game was eight minutes old and never looked back on their way to an 8-1 victory in Winnipeg on Tuesday night. The win gave the Western Hockey League-leading Ice points in 16 straight games, with a 14-0-1-1 record in that span.
The Warriors now have a single win against the Ice in six meetings this season.
Moose Jaw fell to 35-22-3-2 with the loss and remain three points up on idle Saskatoon for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Warriors have had all sorts of bad luck against Winnipeg this season, and the opening goal of the game only 24 seconds in was just another example. A turnover in the Ice zone led to Mikey Milne going in on a partial breakaway, and after Carl Tetachuk made the initial blocker save, the puck banked in off defenceman Lucas Brenton as he covered the play.
Another bad offensive-zone giveaway five minutes later led to Winnipeg going in on a four-on-one, and Zach Benson was able to pick and choose who to set up before Connor Geekie finished things off.
And 25 seconds after that, Winnipeg made it 3-0 at the 5:57 mark when Benson tipped home a point shot, leading to Jackson Unger taking over in goal for Tetachuk after allowing three goals on six shots.
The onslaught continued at 7:16, when Jack Finley took a pass from behind the net after Jakin Smallwood outdueled a Warriors defender on the end boards. Finley then won the one-on-one battle at the side of the goal and tucked the puck inside the post for the 4-0 lead.
The Warriors managed to stop the bleeding for the time being after that, but Winnipeg would strike again with 6:14 remaining in the second period. Milne scored his second of the game, pouncing on a redirection at the side of the net and lifting a quick shot over Unger.
Owen Pederson scored a power play goal just over three minutes later to make it 7-0 Winnipeg.
Moose Jaw managed to break Winnipeg goaltender Daniel Hauser’s shutout bid only 15 seconds into the third. Brayden Yager forced a turnover at the blueline while shorthanded and went in on a two-on-none with Calder Anderson, leading to Anderson scoring his fourth of the season.
Pederson got that one back a little over a minute later, finishing off a scramble in the Warriors zone and putting an easy shot into a wide-open net.
Milne then finished off his hat trick with 1:48 remaining to make it 8-1 and close out scoring.
Unger made 32 saves in his long relief effort, Hauser had 22 stops on the night..
The Warriors are back in action on Friday night when they travel to Saskatoon to face the Blades. Game time is 7 p.m. at SaskTel Centre.
