And even though the Warriors dropped a 4-2 decision to the Saskatoon Blades in Saskatoon’s home opener on Saturday night -- one night after winning 7-1 at Mosaic Place -- the way the game played out had head coach Mark O’Leary impressed with his troops’ effort.
“If you look at both games, I think we were happy with our overall game in Saskatoon even moreso than Friday night,” he said. “We gave up a lot of pretty good scoring chances at home and we got the saves to keep us in it long enough for our offence to go and Saturday I didn’t think we gave up very much. We played most of the game in the offensive zone and just weren’t able to capitalize as we were Friday night.”
The Blades got off to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but from that point on it was a steady diet of play in the Saskatoon zone. And with that offensive pressure came chance after chance, but unlike the night before, ovferage goaltender Nolan Maier was able to keep the Blades in the game. Saskatoon was also helped by having forward Tristin Robins back from San Jose training camp, and he’d go on to score the game-winning goal 7:15 into the third.
“They have a 20-year-old goalie in Maier who we knew would have a bounce-back game and he did, and getting Tristin Robins back in the line-up from San Jose helps their offence as well,” O’Leary said. “I think this weekend is a good example of what it’s going to be like anytime we play a team in our division, every game is winnable for both sides and it should be good hockey.”
Daemon Hunt got the Warriors on the board with 34 seconds remaining in the second period, capping off a series of sustained time in the Blades zone by outwaiting Maier and banking a shot from the slot in off the far post.
Shortly after Robins’ marker in the third, Jagger Firkus took advantage of a turnover in the Saskatoon zone to slip a shot past Maier that trickled just inside the post, pulling the Warriors to within one.
That set the stage for a flurry of Moose Jaw scoring chances in the game’s waning moments, but the visitors were unable to find the equalizer.
Trevor Wong and Josh Paulhus scored for Saskatoon in the first, Kyle Crnkovic added an empty net goal with 26 seconds remaining.
While the lack of finish could be a concern for the Warriors, just seeing how much time Saskatoon spent chasing in their own zone throughout the night was a major positive.
“I don’t think we worry at all,” O’Leary said. “At the end of the day it was the same players as when we scored seven. In junior hockey you’re going to have nights when the puck goes in and when it doesnt… Ryder Korczak going in alone two times on one shift in the second period, if that happens again I like our chances of one of those going in.
“You’re not always going to get the result you want, but it’s the process and if those scoring chances are still coming, then we feel pretty good about our team.”
Brett Mirwald made 24 stops in taking the loss
The Warriors are back in action Friday, Oct. 8 when they host Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats. Game time is 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.
