Regina, SK – The Moose Jaw Warriors finished their regular season series with the Regina Pats with an impressive 7-1 win Saturday at the Brandt Centre. The Warriors captured points in all eight games against Regina, posting a record of 6-0-2.
Close to four minutes into the game, Nolan Paquette was able to break up a Regina rush in the neutral zone. Owen Berge pounced on the puck and led a rush across the Pats’ line. Berge slid the puck to the middle of the zone for Krzysztof Macias, who then set up Dominik Pavlik on the left wing where he scored his first WHL goalie.
Less than two minutes later and with the Warriors working on the power play, Krzysztof Macias took a shot from the right circle, Aiden Ziprick was able to deflect it over the goal line, his 12th of the season made it 2-0.
Three minutes into the second period and with Regina on the power play, Zach Moore was able to knock a backhand over the goal line to make it a one-goal game.
Closing in on the eight-minute mark, Luke Moroz controlled the puck for the Warriors along the Regina right boards. He moved the puck to Connor Schmidt at the blueline where he blasted a shot past Kelton Pyne, his eight of the year made it 3-1.
Under two minutes later, Landen McFadden blocked a Regina shot in the Moose Jaw zone. The 17-year-old rookie then grabbed the puck and burst up the ice. We were able to work around a Pats defenceman and then wristed a shot to the back of the net.
Inside the final four minutes and on the power play, Pavel McKenzie was stopped on a one-time from the right circle. He was able to track down the loose puck behind the Regina net and then set up Lynden Lakovic in the low left circle where he scored his 23rd to make it 5-1.
Moose Jaw kept pushing in the third period, with less than seven minutes remaining, Noah Degenstein ripped a shot off the post and in to make it 6-1, and then less than a minute later, Nolan Paquette scored his second of the weekend and fifth of the season to a finish off cap off the night.
Matthew Hutchison was solid between the pipes for the Warriors making 21 saves on 22 shots.
Looking at the special teams, Moose Jaw finished 2-for-4 on the power play and was 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.
The Warriors return to action on Tuesday when they play the Red Deer Rebels for the final time this season at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. Coming up next weekend, the team has a home-and-home series against Brandon, the action starts Friday in Manitoba and then shifts to the Friendly City on Saturday, March 15.