By Matthew Gourlie
The Moose Jaw Warriors special teams answered the bell Wednesday.
They also answered every goal the Lethbridge Hurricanes managed to score.
The Warriors scored nine seconds and 1:18 after the Canes scored en route to a comprehensive 6-2 win at Mosaic Place.
“We played a pretty complete game for the most part,” said Warriors head coach Tim Hunter. “We had a compressed schedule and played a lot of games, so we gave them two days off the ice completely and then we just had a short practice (Tuesday). Our goal was to make sure they were fresh.”
“The games are coming fast and furious and we need to have some gas in the tank.”
The Warriors came out of the gates flying and Brandon Schuldhaus scored his eighth goal in 25 games with the Warriors doubling his career goal total.
“It’s pretty key to score the first goal and to have it that early is pretty awesome for the team. We built off of that momentum through the whole game,” said Warriors sniper Jayden Halbgewachs. “We need to play a good three periods and I thought overall we did that. We had a few mistakes here and there, but playing a full game is key for us heading into the playoffs.”
The Warriors had a 2-0 lead when Taylor Ross got the Canes back in the game with a power play goal on a delayed Warriors penalty. The Warriors had a dominant start, but suddenly had their lead cut to a goal and looking at another two-minute kill.
There was no need to worry as Brett Howden set up Justin Almeida on a rush off of the ensuing face-off.
In the second period when Dylan Cozens scored a pretty short-handed goal for the Canes, the Warriors countered with a Halbgewachs power-play goal on the same man advantage to restore their two-goal lead.
“Those are important times in a game, after a goal,” Hunter said. “Tonight was the first power play they scored on us in the four games we’ve played. We only had one power play goal in the three games prior. We were able to shut their power play down and I was hoping we would get some goals tonight with our power play and we worked on it Tuesday and it helped.”
In addition to the Warriors’ short-handed goal, they finished 3-for-6 on the power play. The Warriors experimented with putting six-foot-eight defenceman Oleg Sosunov in front of the net on the second power play unit.
Halbgewachs was sensational for the Warriors. He netted a hat trick as part of a five-point night and now has 64 goals on the season.
“I went to the right areas and my teammates were able to get me the puck,” said Halbgewachs who hit the crossbar on a glorious early chance and had a couple of other good looks. “I could have had more than three tonight. Kudos to my linemates for getting me the puck. It was just one of those nights where I was getting to the right areas and the puck was finding me.”
Halbgewach’s 64 goals is the most goals scored in a single WHL year in 20 seasons. Calgary’s Pavel Brendl scored 73 goals in 1998-99. Swift Current’s Layne Ulmer scored 63 in 2001-02 as did Portland’s Oliver Bjorkstrand who scored 63 in 2014-15.
“This was one of the best games Jayden has played for us in four years in terms of competing and skating and moving his feet,” Hunter said.
With six games remaining, Halbgewachs is six goals shy of tying Blair Atcheynum’s Warriors record of 70 goals set during the 1988-89 season.
“There’s talk about it with teammates and family, but you don’t really look at that. You’re just trying to come out here and help the team win. By me scoring goals, that obviously helps the team win. I’m going to try to do as much as I can and if it happens, it happens.”
“It’s already pretty crazy. No one thinks they’re going to score this many goals in a season. For it to happen is kind of surreal.”
Almeida and Howden each had a goal and an assist and Josh Brook and Tristan Langan each had two assists for the Warriors.
Brody Willms made 27 saves in the win for the Warriors. Logan Flodell had 33 saves for Lethbridge.
The Warriors (49-14-1-2) broke the 100-point plateau for the first time in franchise history with the win and remain a point ahead of the Swift Current Broncos as the teams prepare to meet Saturday.
Warriors were without 20-year-old forward Brayden Burke who has been battling injuries down the stretch. The Warriors are hoping the time off will help Burke be ready for their three-games in three-nights weekend.
