The new look lineup for the Moose Jaw Warriors couldn’t get going in its debut on Friday night.
The Warriors dropped a 4-0 game to the Lethbridge Hurricanes to open up the team’s two-game road trip to Alberta.
“Lethbridge looked like a more determined team,” Warriors associate coach Scott King said. “They made it hard for us to get inside and in our defensive zone, they’re persistent.”
The Hurricanes picked up goals from Tyson Zimmer and Chase Pauls in the first period and then added goals from Logan McCutcheon and Brayden Edwards in the third period to take the win.
Jackson Unger was peppered throughout the game, making 38 saves in the loss, as the Warriors were outshot 42-26 on the night.
King said the Warriors didn’t create enough zone time to put pressure on the Hurricanes.
“We were in and then we were just right out, so for whatever reason, we couldn’t get numbers around the puck, we were never able to string a couple shifts together and get the ball rolling, and credit to them,” he said.
Lethbridge was able to capitalize with goals in transition, which King said is something the Warriors have worked on defending against.
“We weren’t great in some of those details and the first two goals cost us that way, it was a tracking situation where we didn’t get back,” he said.
“It’s early in the year and obviously that’s not an excuse, but we need to be better.”
Moose Jaw’s three-game winning streak was snapped with the loss as the team drops to 3-3-0-0 on the season.
King said he’s looking forward to seeing how the team responds when they travel into Medicine Hat on Saturday night.
“We need to talk about it and get better from it, but tomorrow’s a new day,” he said. “We have to approach the game as if we’re going to come out, dictate the play and we’re going to take things to them. We’re capable of doing it and I expect a much better effort tomorrow.”
The Warriors and Tigers face-off at 7 p.m. on Saturday night at Co-op Place. You can catch all the action on WHL Live and Country 100, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 6:40 p.m.
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