PREVIEW: Warriors expecting another test in Prince Albert
After two tight contests in Alberta to start the week, the Moose Jaw Warriors are expecting more of the same when they travel to northern Saskatchewan this weekend.
“It’s starting to feel like playoff hockey,” Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary said. “The games are getting tighter, harder checking and I thought we did a better job of that, not giving up a whole lot scoring chance wise and goaltenders were on their game.”
The Warriors split their two-game road trip, falling 1-0 in a shootout in Lethbridge on Tuesday and rebounding with a 3-2 win in Calgary on Wednesday.
Now, Moose Jaw will look to collect another two points when they battle the Prince Albert Raiders at the Art Hauser Centre on Saturday night.
The Warriors are expecting just that, a battle when they face the Raiders.
“It’s getting tighter checking for sure, it’s good for us, getting used to that kind of style of game, it’s a test and we’re doing pretty good so far,” Warriors forward Brayden Yager.
“Their building is pretty electric, they’re a hard team, they battle pretty hard, so we’re just going to go there and try to play with a lot of pace, and win races and battles.”
The two East Division rivals squared off last Friday at Mosaic Place with Moose Jaw collecting a 3-1 win over Prince Albert.
The Warriors are 3-1 against the Raiders this season, including winning both matchups at the Art Hauser Centre so far this season.
O’Leary said the Raiders won’t make it easy on the Warriors.
“They play heavy and hard,” he said. “They like to muddy up the waters in front of both nets, so we have to be ready and willing to get inside.”
Wednesday’s win pushed the Warriors over .500 on the road this season.
O’Leary said the team has found its game away from Mosaic Place as the season has gone on.
“A lot of those tough nights on the road were early on and confidence is a big part of that, when you’re playing well, it doesn’t matter if you’re at home or on the road and we like our game right now,” he said.
A big part of the Warriors finding their stride on the road has been the team’s ability to bounce back from a bad game or even bad period, which has gotten stronger as the season as went on.
“That’s one of our best assets is bouncing back,” Yager said. “Our third period is usually our best period, so we know we can get back on track.”
The Warriors and Raiders face-off at 7 p.m. on Saturday night.
Tune into all the action with Voice of the Warriors James Gallo on Country 100, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 6:40 p.m.
