PREVIEW | Warriors host Pats in regular season finale Saturday
Moose Jaw, SK – The Moose Jaw Warriors will get one final tune-up for the playoffs when they host the Regina Pats on Saturday night.
The Warriors and Pats meet for one final Trans-Canada Clash in the regular season finale at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
“We’re going to treat it like game one, do a little dry-run and it’s going to be a lot of fun, but at the end of the day, we’re coming for two points and we’re going to get ready for playoffs,” Warriors forward Atley Calvert said.
The Warriors will be honouring Calvert along with the team’s other 20-year-olds, Lucas Brenton and Martin Rysavy, following Saturday’s game.
The trio has played over 600 combined games in a Warriors’ uniform and Calvert said it’s surreal that Saturday is his final regular season home game.
“Everyone says it goes by fast and you don’t really realize it until you’re 20, but it’s going to be fun,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure that we play well and take care of business before we head into playoffs.”
Moose Jaw is coming off a 5-3 loss in Brandon on Thursday, which saw the team jump out to a 3-1 lead in the first period only to allow the Wheat Kings to climb back into the game.
Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary said the game had an exhibition feel with Moose Jaw sitting a few veterans in the game.
“From our standpoint, there wasn’t a whole lot to play for in terms of standings and that sort of thing, but there’s still more there for us to give at this time of year to prepare ourselves for the playoffs and that was the disappointing part,” he said.
“It was a good start for us, we did a whole lot of good things, but it just got real casual after that.”
Going into the final game of the regular season against the Pats, O’Leary said he wants to see the team preparing its game for the post-season.
“Habits are going to be formed, whether good ones or bad ones, but that’s a choice,” he said. “We have another opportunity here against Regina, we know they’re going to compete and we need to do the same.”
The Warriors have went 6-1-0-0 against their biggest rivals this season, including winning their last four meetings since the start of the second half.
Calvert said the Warriors need to start strong.
“If we come out with a lot of energy, and we will with it being our last home game of the regular season, so come out with a lot of energy, make sure we’re doing our details and make sure we have a good one so we’re feeling good going into playoffs,” he said.
The Warriors will be hosting YARA Awards Night prior to puck drop on Saturday with the pre-game ceremony getting underway at 6:50 p.m.
