Winnipeg, MB — One bad break swung the momentum and the Moose Jaw Warriors couldn’t recover on Sunday in Winnipeg.
The Warriors ended up losing 6-0 to the ICE at the Wayne Fleming Arena to drop the second game of their two-game weekend set.
“Last night, we showed that we can play with this team and played a really good game, and tonight, I thought the energy was there, but it was a lack of execution,” Warriors assistant coach Scott King said.
Moose Jaw battled Winnipeg in a tight game on Saturday, falling 3-2 in a shootout during a back-and-forth affair.
Sunday’s game didn’t have the same results as Winnipeg was able to capitalize on its scoring chances and limit what the Warriors could generate.
“It starts in our zone, I thought we were trying to get to the right spots, it just seemed like a puck would hit our stick and roll away and it just wasn’t clean and crisp,” King said. “Those nights happen and we’ll bounce back, we’re a good team.”
The loss ends what was a solid week for the Warriors, who swept a home-and-home against the Saskatoon Blades and collected five out of eight points.
“They made us pay tonight, but we’ve played a lot of good hockey lately, so we’ll look at the glass half full,” King said.
The Warriors had an opportunity to open the scoring taken away just over 14 minutes into the first period. Harper Lolacher put the puck into the back of the net, but Ben Riche was called for hooking and erasing the goal.
Winnipeg would instead open the scoring on the ensuing power play when Ty Nash found the back of the net.
The ICE capitalized with another power play goal by Connor McClennon with just over two minutes left in the first frame.
Just before the midway point of the second, the Warriors were on the power play, but Winnipeg capitalized as Matthew Savoie scored a shorthanded goal to make it 3-0.
About four minutes later, Zack Ostapchuk buried his own rebound in front extending Winnipeg’s lead to 4-0.
Carson Lambos made it a five-goal advantage for Winnipeg with 5:21 left in the second and Owen Pederson scored a shorthanded goal late in the period to finish off the four-goal frame for the ICE.
“Those shorthanded goals, that’s the game right there, but at the end of the day, we’ve played some good hockey against some really good teams and we’ll turn the page and move forward,” King said.
Connor Ungar was replaced after allowing four goals on 18 shots, while Jackson Unger made 10 saves on 12 shots.
Mason Beaupit stopped all 20 shots from Moose Jaw. This is the first time this season that the Warriors have been shutout.
The Warriors will return home to host the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday and Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.