Brayden Yager scored with 8.4 seconds remaining in overtime and the Warriors snapped a four-game losing skid with a 4-3 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers at Mosaic Place on Friday night.
Yager’s goal came shortly after the Tigers took a too many men penalty in overtime with 33 seconds to play, and was the product of slick passing play between Ryder Korczak and Denton Mateychuk, who hit Yager with a perfect one-timer pass.
“This is definitely is a lot of weight off our shoulders,” Mateychuk said shortly after being named the game’s first star. “We played a good game today, we were solid for 60 minutes and I think that was the biggest thing. We came into the game ready, we knew we needed a win and that’s a huge confidence booster going into next week.”
The Warriors looked good from the get-go, and quickly took advantage of their first power play when Korczak finished off some nifty puck movement in the zone, ripping a quick shot off the post and behind Tigers starter Garin Bjorklund.
Moose Jaw looked to be in control of things late in the period after a handful of scoring chances, but moments after a glorious opportunity on the power play for Yager, the Tigers’ Corson Hopwo forced a turnover at the blueline and scored on the ensuing breakaway with two minutes left in the period.
The goal was the fifth shorthanded marker the Warriors have surrendered in 10 games this season.
Medicine Hat then took the lead with 1:16 gone in the second when Daniel Baker’s shot from the point found its way through traffic and eluded Warriors goaltender Carl Tetachuk.
Moose Jaw finally regained some momentum late in the period and Eric Alarie was the beneficiary, pouncing on a rebound from a Korczak shot in close and batting a shot home with 2:12 remaining.
There things stood until 6:02 remained on the clock, when Mateychuk scored an absolute beauty, taking a feed from Alarie at the blueline, breaking past a Tigers defender, going in alone on Bjorklund and slipping a shot home glove side.
It was just one of many impressive plays for the ‘A’-ranked Central Scouting Bureau product on the night as he logged tons of ice time.
“I just try to play my game all the time and the coaches have a lot of confidence in me and I think that’s huge for me, to be comfortable with the puck and try new things,” Mateychuk said. “It’s always big when you have that kind of support.”
Of course, with the way things have gone for the Warriors this season, the win wasn’t going to be that easy.
Noah Danielson scored for the Tigers with the goaltender pulled with 1:30 remaining, outduelling three Warriors defenders in front of the net and putting a shot home to send the game to overtime.
That could have been a collapsing point similar to the previous four losses for the club, but head coach Mark O’Leary was quick to settle his troops down.
“I think it kind of went to our heads, but Mark was really calm with us on the bench and made sure we knew the game wasn’t over, we were still in this thing as much as we were five seconds ago,” Mateychuk said. “So I think that was huge, it relaxed everybody and had us ready for the rest of the game.”
Tetachuk finished the game with 28 saves, Bjorklund turned aside 26.
Korczak finished with two assists to go along with his goal, Alarie and Mateychuk also had helpers.
The Warriors improved to 4-6-0-0 on the season with the win, Medicine Hat fell to 4-4-1-1.
Moose Jaw returns to action Wednesday in Regina to kick of a run of three games on the road. Next home action is Tuesday, Nov. 9 when they host the Red Deer Rebels.
