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Saskatoon takes overtime win in Game 4 to finish off series with Warriors

Roykas-Marthinsen scores game winner as Saskatoon finishes off series with 4-3 win in Game 4

There’d been a lot of bad breaks for the Moose Jaw Warriors in their Eastern Conference quarter-final series with the Saskatoon Blades, but few were tougher than the ultimate one.

Saskatoon’s Kristian Roykas-Marthinsen put a harmless-looking shot on net from a hard angle with 4:36 gone in overtime, only to have the puck bounce off Warriors defenceman Jett Woo’s skate and past goaltender Adam Evanoff to give the Blades a 4-3 win in Game 4 on Wednesday at Mosaic Place.

The goal gave the Blades a four-games-to-none victory in the best-of-seven series.

“I’m really proud of our guys,” said Warriors head coach Tim Hunter. “We’re at a different phase of what they’re trying to do and we’re trying to do, but saying all that it was a close series and we had a chance to win games, we just didn’t find a way for whatever reason.

“But I’m really proud of our team, really proud of the year we had and the way they played for each other. They played the right way, they didn’t cheat and embellish things and they played hard and honest hockey.”

The Warriors looked to get off to a better start in Game 4 but were unable to do so, taking the first eight minutes to register a shot, by which time they were already down 1-0.

Max Gerlach scored his fifth goal of the series shortly after the Warriors first power play expired without a scoring chance, going in on a two-on-one and rifling a shot high over the blocker of Evanoff.

Justin Almeida had a glorious chance to score with just over three minutes remaining in the period, going in on a shorthanded breakaway from his own blueline, but the Maier made the save – and after the ensuing hit in the corner Almeida went straight to the dressing room tightly holding an injured left arm. He didn’t return to the contest, and it was later revealed the serious shoulder injury he had taken during the Canada Russia Series had lingered all season long – making his incredible point production all the more remarkable.

Despite the early dominance by the Blades, the two teams would go into the dressing room tied 1-1, thanks to Luke Ormsby finding a loose puck at the side of the net during a goalmouth scrum and scoring with 1:57 to go in the period..

Matthew Benson then picked the perfect time to score his first Western Hockey League goal, jumping up from his blueline position to fire home a loose puck from the slot through traffic with 2:06 gone in the second period.

That lead wouldn’t last the frame, as Tristan Robins picked up the puck directly off a neutral zone faceoff, skated in untouched and beat Evanoff with a shot from the top of the circle high to the glove side. The marker tied things 2-2 with 10:20 to play in the period.

Adversity once again raised its head for the Tribe in the final two minutes of the second, as with Daniil Stepanov in the box for tripping, Warriors captain Josh Brook fired the puck into the crowd on a clearing attempt to take a delay of game penalty – the same kind of penalty that led to the Blades’ game-winning goal in Game 3. The end result was a 41 second two-man advantage that extended 22 seconds into the third period.

Unlike the night before, the Warriors were able to kill off both penalties, setting the stage for another close and hard-fought third period.

That’s where Kirby Dach came through in the clutch, stripping the puck at the blueline with the Warriors on the power play, going in on a break and beating Evanoff along the ice in close quarters with 4:25 to play.

Tristin Langan then scored his biggest goal of the season, and it was by sheer force of will as he broke down the right boards, beat a Blades defender behind the net and slammed home a wraparound to tie the game 3-3 with 2:17 left in regulation. All the more impressive is that the goal was shorthanded and came in the middle of a double minor to Brook for spearing on the Blades’ go-ahead goal.

Evanoff made 44 saves in goal, including 17 in the first period, while the Warriors fired 26 at Maier.

Neither team scored on the power play, with Saskatoon going 0-for-6 and Moose Jaw 0-for-3.

The Blades now advance to face the Prince Albert Raiders in the second round after the Raiders defeated Red Deer 6-4 to finish off their series in four games.

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