Keith Hershmiller
East Division, Game Recap, WHL

Warriors power play stays hot in rout of Broncos

Written by Jamie Neugebauer on

REGINA – What a difference a year can make.

The Moose Jaw Warriors (4-1-0) rode their Subway WHL Hub-best 38-percent power play, and a four-point night from Captain Daemon Hunt, to a 5-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos (0-5-0) Saturday afternoon at the Brandt Centre.

Moose Jaw’s man-advantage, which accounted for all of the team’s offence in the contest, clicked at a lowly 18 percent and 17th best out of 22 teams in the WHL a season ago.

“For sure sample size is a big part of it,” head coach Mark O’Leary said post-game, “but I think it helps to have so many guys back from last year.

“I think the guys learned a lot of (what we’re trying to do on the power play) last year, they understand how to play, and as they are getting better as players, so the execution is starting to come. I think we have players with the hockey sense to know where to be, and the timing it takes on the power play, so this is what you’re seeing. I don’t see this continuing for the whole season, but at the same time, we certainly expect the power play to be a big part of our success.”

Second-year Moose Jaw defenceman Cole Jordan appeared hobbled after a trailing knee from Josh Davies caught him in open ice five-minutes into the contest; the hit resulted in a major penalty and game misconduct, and then that red-hot Warriors’ power-play went right to work.

First, a blistering rush through the Broncos’ penalty killers by Ryder Korczak ended with an easy tap-in for Eric Alarie at 8:04, and then at 9:52, veteran Tate Popple was handed a gift when his shot from in-tight was stopped by Poulter, fluttered in the air, and was batted into the empty cage by Swift Current forward Eric Houk. `

The Warriors had an early 2-0 lead, Captain Hunt assisted on both power-play goals, and the cherry on top: Jordan did not miss a shift.

“I am just being myself,” Hunt said.

“I am a leader because I am who I am, and I have to stay true to that. We are a different team than last year, we’re having fun right now, which is key. All of us are riding this wave, playing good hockey, and it’s just a good sign.”

Poulter made a stellar save on Logan Doust with 3:48 left in the opening frame, kicking out his left pad to stone the Warrior in alone, but Owen Williams took a slashing penalty on the play, and Moose Jaw was back to the man-advantage. Though the Warriors did everything but score on the opportunity, forcing numerous solid stops out of Poulter, it was a further indication that the momentum belonged totally to the men in black.

The second period began with a different tone as the Broncos, perhaps feeling the pressure of going winless in 22-straight ranging back to last year, got a goal back through Cohner Saleski; but as has been the case throughout the season thus far, the Warriors found a way to find another gear when needed.

Brayden Yager’s dazzling individual rush through three Broncos moments later drew a hooking penalty from big veteran Swift Current defenceman Kaleb Bulych, and once again Moose Jaw’s power play clicked.

Cade Hayes, back in the lineup after missing the last game with a ‘lower-body injury’, neatly found Cory King, and the defenceman’s wrister from the top of the right circle beat Poulter over the right pad at 7:45.

King’s goal kept alive a streak of four-straight games with a goal from a Warriors’ defenceman.

Momentum had turned back.

Moose Jaw pumped 15 shots at the Swift Current net to only five the other way in the second and held a 26-12 edge in the department after two, and it was only the great goaltending of the 19-year-old Poulter that was keeping the game close to that point.

The Broncos’ frustrations late-on boiled over into a long two-man advantage for the Warriors, and with three Swift Current players in the box for minor infractions, Moose Jaw put the contest far out of reach.

Both of the subsequent power-play goals came off the stick of Hunt, all around the same spot off-centre right in the high slot, and moved him ahead of Brandon’s Braden Schneider for the Hub scoring lead among defencemen with seven points in five games.

“Daemon is a great example to all of our players,” O’Leary said.

“You see his offence here, but the first thing you talk about him is that he plays so hard in all three zones. It’s nice when those type of players get rewarded offensively because sometimes it can be a thankless job to play hard in the defensive zone and be hard to play against, but Daemon does that and can play with anybody and make them better because of the pace he can play with. He’s off to a good start and you can see that he is a pro in the making here.”

Korczak also added three assists, which meant the potential first-rounder in the next NHL draft had a three-game streak going with seven points over that span.

“I think he is a huge energy guy for us, besides his skill and the way he competes, he’s a great teammate as well,” Hunt said post-game.

“He is also really key on our power play, he controls everything, calms everything down, and has a shooting mentality as well so I think he’s so key for our power play. I think you have to give him a ton of credit tonight.”

Moose Jaw’s Ryder Korczak stands in front of the Swift Current net, March 20, 2021 (Keith Hershmiller)

The last time the Warriors won by four goals or more was Sept. 27, 2019, the third game of the 2019-2020 season, and a 5-0 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings.

“Last year was a tough year,” said Hunt.

“We learned from it, we grew from it, we got older. It’s nice to be winning games right now, we’re feeling really good about ourselves, but of course, we have to reset every single day. It’s a busy schedule, so we have to be ready every single day.”

Bilous was sharp throughout, outside of Saleski’s goal, and his best series of stops came with eight minutes remaining in the second off consecutive close-ranged rockets from Cole Nagy and Caleb Wyrostok.

The Warriors will look to build off their first regulation victory of the season, and their biggest win ever under Coach O’Leary Sunday evening when they take on the Saskatoon Blades. Puck drops at the Brandt Centre at 8:00 p.m.

Notes: A beautiful video tribute to the late Colby Cave, the Swift Current Broncos alumnus and former Boston Bruin and Edmonton Oiler, who passed away from a brain injury at the age of 25 on Apr. 11, 2020, was played on the big screen in the Brandt Centre pre-game; Brayden Yager’s four points rank second-most among WHL rookies behind Regina’s Connor Bedard;