Moose Jaw, SK – Extra time was needed on Saturday in the final game of a weekend series between division rivals. Moose Jaw was not able to hold on to a one-goal third-period lead and would fall 5-4 in overtime to the Brandon Wheat Kings at Temple Gardens Centre.
Brandon stormed out of the game in the first period. 57 seconds in, Luke Shipley broke up a Moose Jaw clearing attempt and quickly tossed the puck toward the Warriors’ net. Roger McQueen was on the right side of the net where he knocked in the game’s first goal.
On the power play just before the four-minute mark, Brandon was able to get a shot to the net, Marcus Nguyen picked up the rebound and made it 2-0.
The Warriors battled back in the second half of the period.
On the power play with less than six minutes remaining, Pavel McKenzie won a foot race to a loose puck behind the Brandon net. He tossed it to Ethan Semeniuk on the right side, Semeniuk made a quick cross-ice pass to Lynden Lakovic on the left side where he scored his 24th of the year.
With less than two minutes remaining, Casey Brown drove across Brandon’s right line. Brown cut to the middle of the ice and as he drove the Brandon net, he was able to get a backhand shot through the pads of Carson Bjarnason to tie the game at two.
Less than a minute later and with Brandon the man advantage, Matteo Michels took a shot from the Moose Jaw right circle, it went off a Warrior skate in the middle of the ice and deflected past Matthew Hutchison to put Brandon back in the driver’s seat.
The Warriors were a different team in the second period, they played with speed, won battles in all three zones, and created a wealth of pressure on the Brandon net.
With six minutes remaining, Moose Jaw stormed up the ice. Riley Thorpe had the puck between the Brandon circles and was able to slide it to the right side of the Wheat King net where Pavel McKenzie scored his 17th to tie the game at three.
Three minutes later, the Warriors came up the ice again. Lynden Lakovic worked towards the Brandon net on the right wing, he was able to drive the puck toward the net where Riley Thorpe scored his seventh to give Moose Jaw their first lead.
Both teams pushed for more offence in the third period as they combined for 21 shots.
With just over five minutes remaining in the game, Wheat King overage defenceman Luke Shipley pounced on a loose puck inside the right circle, putting a shot to the back of the net, tying the game at four.
The game was eventually pushed into overtime. 44 seconds into the extra frame, 20-year-old Wheat Kings’ forward Nolan Flamand was able to get a shot away from the right circle that beat Matthew Hutchison, giving the visitors the narrow win.
Lynden Lakovic and Riley Thorpe led the Warriors with a goal and two points each, while Roger McQueen led the Wheat Kings with one goal and three points.
Moose Jaw finished 1-for-2 on the power play and 1-for-3 on the penalty kill.
The Warriors will now get ready for the final week of the regular season. Tuesday, they make the trip to Prince Albert, and then next weekend, they have a home-and-home series against the Broncos that starts Friday in Swift Current.
Their regular-season finale is next Saturday, which is also YARA Awards Night, as the Warriors will hand out their player awards before the start of the game.