Almeida hat trick helps Warriors to bounce-back win over Royals

By Matthew Gourlie

The Moose Jaw Warriors have been one of the Western Hockey League’s best teams so far this season.

For the first time in two weeks they played like it on Tuesday night.

The Warriors put together a strong effort and beat the Victoria Royals 7-4 at Mosaic Place.

Justin Almeida

“The leadership group had a talk, but we all knew we had to be better,” said Justin Almeida who scored a hat trick for the Warriors. “From the 20-year-olds to the 16-year-olds we knew we had to be better and we did that tonight.

“We knew we had a lot more to give. With a good team from the west coming out we knew we would have a challenge and I thought we played pretty well.”

Following a 3-2 shootout loss to Prince Albert, Warriors head coach Tim Hunter said his players were playing like “nice little boys.”

He was much happier with their effort against the B.C. Division leaders.

“I’m not going to talk about little boys. They played like men and we got the outcome,” Hunter said. “Our top-six forwards were our best players and it showed on the scoresheet and in the game. That’s what we need every night.”

The Warriors (20-5-0-1) are seeking their first WHL title in franchise history. While one loss isn’t the end of the world, this is a deceptively important time in the season for the players as the trade deadline looms.

“I challenged them right before the game again,” Hunter said. “We have an evaluation process here. We’re trying to win. The trade deadline is January 10. It’s back to square one. We played 20 good games where we played really well and really strong. And then we didn’t do that for five games. We’re not going to win if we play like that.

“I’m here for six more games, counting tonight, before I go to the World Juniors, so each of these six games is a tryout for me on what my thoughts are about them come January 10th.”

Josh Brook

The Warriors welcomed defenceman Josh Brook to their lineup for the first time this season. The Montréal Canadiens’ second-round pick had a lot of pent-up belligerence after missing the first 25 games of the season after breaking his wrist. He took a pair of penalties, but added some needed bite to the Warriors blue line. He announced his return by stepping up on Matthew Phillips and flattening the Royals star.

“I know they have the most short-handed goals in the league and I could read that pass coming up, so I was lining up for it the whole time,” Brook said.

“It took me three or four shifts to get back into it. Once I got back into it I built confidence throughout the game and it got better and better.”

With Brook back and Jett Woo nearing a return, the Warriors could have a healthy defence corps for the first time this season.

“Jett Woo was our best defenceman when Josh was out and I said to (Warriors GM Alan Millar) just two minutes ago that I forgot what a really, really good defenceman looked like on our back end. And that was Josh Brook tonight. He played great for being out for as long as he was. He was composed, made plays, had his head up and played physical too,” Hunter said.

The Warriors opened the scoring 3:11 in through Jayden Halbgewachs. Victoria (18-9-1-0) appeared to tie the game 22 seconds later, but a quick whistle denied them the goal.

The teams traded goals in opening frame as Jeremy Masella scored his first WHL goal for Victoria and Phillips netted his 21st of the season. Tanner Jeannot had the other Warriors goal.

Halbgewachs and Almeida scored to give the Warriors a 4-3 lead after two period, but Almeida completed his first WHL hat trick scoring before and after Legien’s second of the night. Brett Howden capped a four-point night with an empty-net goal at the death.

Griffen Outhouse made 29 saves for the Royals including a penalty shot save on Brayden Burke in the second period. Brody Willms made 18 saves for Moose Jaw.

Almeida scored short-handed, on the power play and at even strength. He benefitted from a little puck luck, but scored two of his three goals in the blue ice.

“Tim always says that we have to get to the net and get in those greasy areas because 90 per cent of goals are scored 10 feet in front of the net. We’ve been trying to focus on that,” Almeida said. “My linemates were playing well all night and I was able to find the net in different ways.”

Jared Legien

Legien now has 13 goals on the season and 30 points. The former midget AAA Moose Jaw General was the ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft, but his only full season in Kootenay saw him score four goals and amass eight points in 69 games. He scored 30 goals last season with Yorkton in the SJHL and has resurrected his WHL career.

“Casey (O’Brien) was an unbelievable coach for me last year with the Terriers. He really worked with me and put me in positions where I could succeed. I worked hard and did what I do best,” said the 19-year-old from Pilot Butte, Sask. “It definitely helped my confidence. This is a very tough league to play in. As you get older you realize the game a little more. The SJ is a physical league and that helped prepare me to play in this league again.”

While Legien has picked up where he left off in Junior A, he has also been given an opportunity to be an offensive contributor with the Royals and ran with it.

“I’ve been playing with some good players,” Legien said. “(Eric) Florchuk is a young guy, but he can fly and he moves the puck fast. Igor Martynov is another young guy, but he’s very slippery and he moves the puck really well. I have to attribute it to my teammates. They find me in the right places and luckily I’ve been putting them home.”

The Royals play four games in five nights and have Swift Current on deck Wednesday before facing Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

“Those are all good teams, so we have to be ready to play every night,” Legien said.

“We have to remember what we did wrong, but we also have to put this one past us.”

Victoria welcomed back defenceman Scott Walford and forward 20-year-old Regan Nagy after each missed the previous two games.