Warriors take commanding 2-0 series lead with dominant road win

Portland, Ore.- Moose Jaw is full of firsts and milestone moments in the 2024 WHL Playoffs.

The Warriors have gone from having never won a game in the Championship Series to having a commanding 2-0 series lead in a hurry.

Jagger Firkus and company took it to the Western Conference Champion Portland Winterhawks with a 5-1 win at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

“Just really proud of the effort,” Warriors Head Coach Mark O’Leary said post-game. “We talked all day about what we were going to expect from Portland. I just thought we came ready to go. Each guy had contributions early on in the game, and I just thought we sustained it, for the most part, for 60 minutes. I know Portland had some pushes, but I thought we did a really good job protecting inside ice, especially in front of our own net.”

The Warriors struck first off the rush with Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus and Atley Calvert descending on the Winterhawks’ end on a two-on-one.

Calvert dished to Firkus, who returned the puck to Calvert for a wide-open tap-in just over five minutes into the match.

Rookie Pavel McKenzie doubled the lead with an impressive wrister through traffic after receiving a centering pass from Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Martin Rysavy.

With the Warriors leading 2-0, the game took on a more physical tone as tempers flared.

Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Brayden Yager and Firkus connected on a gritty play that saw Firkus muscle the puck over the blue line before springing Yager ahead of the Portland defenders to bury his first of the series.

Detroit Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson got the Winterhawks on the board with less than a minute to go in the middle frame, prompting a Moose Jaw time-out.

But the Firkus Circus was ready for an encore in the home stretch.

Firkus got the small but mighty contingent of Moose Jaw fans in the crowd on their feet by disrupting a Hawks breakout pass and ripping the puck past Jan Spunar just 15 seconds into the period.

“I think it’s obviously important, especially in the third period in Portland,” Firkus said. “We’re only up two goals and they’re a team that can score goals pretty quick. I think the start was what we were talking about in the room.”

He quickly followed it up with his second goal of the night- a sharp one-timer from the slot off a Kalem Parker feed from behind the Portland net.

The Warriors alternate captain closed out the night with two goals and an assist as Moose Jaw cruised to a 5-1 victory.

“A series can change really quick, but we have to change it and we have to take responsibility to change the series,” Winterhawks General Manager and Head Coach Mike Johnston said. “There are some things we can do better. We’ve seen glimpses of our team play at the level where we know we can play at but it hasn’t been consistent through the games and I thought tonight’s game was a lot closer than, certainly, the score at the end.”

2024 NHL Draft-eligible netminder Jackson Unger turned aside 38 of 39 shots he faced, matching his previous highest save total of the postseason.

This marks the first time a team has gone 2-0 to start the final round since the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2016.

The 2024 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien now shifts to Moose Jaw for Game 3-5.

Game 3 is set for Tuesday, May 4 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre at 8:00 p.m. ST.