Everett, WA – There were ups and downs and numerous momentum swings, but the Moose Jaw Warriors persevered on Friday night.
The Warriors held off the Everett Silvertips for an 8-7 shootout win at the Angel of the Winds Arena.
“It wasn’t the cleanest game we’ve had but found a way to win at the end of the day, pretty exciting game,” Warriors associate coach Scott King said.
“There was definitely breakdowns on both sides of the puck from both teams where there was a lot of odd man rushes going the other way, so a bit of a shootout.”
The win is the fourth straight for the Warriors on their U.S. Division road trip and also clinches a spot in the 2024 Western Hockey League playoffs for the team.
“It’s nice to clinch, but our sights are a lot higher than that,” King said.
Jackson Unger made 49 saves in regulation and overtime, then added three more big stops in the shootout to help the Warriors to the victory.
“It’s not easy games to play when you’re getting peppered like that and it’s good for him to stay in there and battle,” King said.
“Obviously to come up and get all three in the shootout, that’s one thing you learn as a goalie, things can be going bad but can you step up at a key time and make those saves and he did that tonight.”
Brayden Yager led the charge offensively with two goals and four points, while Matthew Savoie also scored twice and finished with three points.
Jagger Firkus scored the only goal in the shootout for the win.
The back-and-forth action started right in the first period when Savoie scored shorthanded to open the scoring with his 24th of the season just 5:46 into the game.
The Silvertips tied the game up on a goal from Dominik Rymon with 11:23 gone in the first, but the Warriors answered right back only 29 seconds later when Lynden Lakovic potted his 16th of the season.
Everett would send the game into the intermission tied at 2-2 after a goal from Julius Miettinen with 3:17 left in the first.
Miettinen’s second of the night just 2:20 into the second gave the Silvertips their first lead of the game, but it was short-lived.
Only 2:18 later, with the Warriors on a five-on-three power play, Yager tied the game with his 28th of the season.
Just 25 seconds after that, Moose Jaw retook the lead when Firkus scored his team-leading 47th of the season to make it 5-3.
Later in the period, the Silvertips came roaring back with two quick goals of their own as Kaden Hammell and Cade Zaplitny scored 1:21 apart to tie the game at 5-5 after two.
The Warriors started the third on a five-on-three power play and capitalized with Yager’s 29th of the year and Savoie’s 25th only 34 seconds apart in the first minute of the period.
With Moose Jaw now in front 7-5, the Silvertips again fought their way back with Jesse Heslop cutting the lead back down to one with 5:42 gone in the third.
Then just past the midway point of the frame, Roest scored to tie the game and that’s how it would stay for the rest of regulation.
Both teams had chances to win it in overtime with Everett outshooting Moose Jaw, 7-1, in the extra frame, but the game went to a shootout.
Unger turned away all three Silvertips shooters, while Firkus scored to give the Warriors the win.
Denton Mateychuk added three assists on the night, Atley Calvert extended his point streak to 18 games with two helpers and Firkus added to his league-leading point total with a goal and two points, giving him 103 on the year.
Special teams were key in the game as the Warriors finished 4-for-4 on the power play, while going 3-for-5 on the penalty kill.
King said the Warriors converting twice on two five-on-three opportunities were momentum builders for the team.
“Credit the guys, they weren’t satisified with just one, they wanted another one and they got it two times back-to-back, so those are big moments in the game,” he said.
Everett outshot Moose Jaw, 56-35, on the night.
The Warriors will be back on the ice on Saturday night to take on the Seattle Thunderbirds at 8 p.m. Saskatchewan time.