PREVIEW | Warriors prepared for busy weekend ahead
Everett, WA – A busy weekend starts in Everett for the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday night.
The Warriors will play three games in three nights, starting with Friday’s showdown with the Silvertips at the Angel of the Winds Arena.
“It’s going to be challenge and we’re going to be playing a lot of hockey, so it’s about the recovery after the game and being prepared before,” Warriors captain Denton Mateychuk said.
After Friday night’s showdown, the Warriors will finish their road trip in Seattle on Saturday and Wenatchee on Sunday.
With a busy stretch on tap, Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary said the team will need everyone contributing to have success.
“Whether it’s guys that are in and out of the lineup, each night making sure that they stay ready, also as a group, how we move around the lines and work with pairs up front with our forwards, really guys just being ready to jump over the wall at any given moment, it’s important that you stay ready,” he said.
The Warriors have put together a stellar start to the U.S. Division portion of their eight-game road trip, winning three straight after Wednesday’s 4-3 win in Portland.
O’Leary said that win was one of the better junior hockey games that he’s seen with both sides going toe-to-toe for 60 minutes.
“I thought our guys played real well,” O’Leary said. “We always say it’s not perfection that we’re looking for, it’s playing the right and sticking with what makes us successful, I thought we did that.”
Moose Jaw led 1-0 through the first two periods before a back-and-forth third period.
Mateychuk said the team handled the momentum swings well.
“It was definitely a challenge, especially we got up two and then they came right back and it just kept going back-and-forth the whole third period,” he said. “You’ve just got to keep playing your game and know that there’s going to be breakdowns, but it’s how you adapt.”
This is the only meeting of the season between the Warriors and Silvertips. Moose Jaw beat Everett, 4-1, at the Moose Jaw Events Centre last season.
Both teams enter Friday’s matchup playing strong hockey with the Silvertips with points in four straight game, including back-to-back wins over Seattle and Portland.
O’Leary said the Silvertips have the ability to score and will challenge the Warriors.
“They do it a little bit different than Portland, they’re still dangerous off the rush, but their forecheck game is a bit part of their success,” he said. “They’re going to have two guys on our D in a hurry, it’s going to be important for us to not only get back in a hurry as defencemen, but forwards to give outlets in a hurry as well to get around that forecheck.”
The Warriors and Silvertips meet at 9:05 p.m. on Friday night. Tune into the action on WHL Live and Country 100, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 8:40 p.m.
