WHL Morning Skate: May 6
NEED TO KNOW
– Lynden Lakovic scored three minutes into overtime to force a winner-take-all Game 7 between the Warriors and Blades
– With five matches between Saskatoon and Moose Jaw heading to overtime, the 2024 Eastern Conference Championship is tied for the most games in a series requiring extra time in modern WHL history
– Portland can advance to the WHL Championship Series for the first time since 2014 with a win on Monday night
RESULTS
Saskatoon 3, Moose Jaw 4 (OT)
Series tied 3-3
Let’s be honest.
This series deserves seven games.
Brayden Schuurman scored twice to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead in the second period, but Moose Jaw-born Rowan Calvert leveled the game for the Blades with his first goal of the series. Mid-season acquisition Rilen Kovacevic came up big for Moose Jaw with a game-tying goal midway through the third period (and a pair of assists, to boot) and Lynden Lakovic ripped a shot top-shelf on the short side of Evan Gardner for the overtime winner. With an assist on the game-winning goal, Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie has extended his point streak to 13 postseason games and 29 playoff and regular-season games dating back to February 3. It was a sell-out crowd in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon is sure to bring the atmosphere in Game 7 on Tuesday, with more than 11,000 fans packing the SaskTel Centre for Game 5.
THREE STARS
1- Brayden Schuurman, MJ
-2G, +2
2- Rilen Kovacevic, MJ
-1G, 2A, +3
3- Evan Gardner, SAS
-31/35 saves
-.885 save percentage
TOP PERFORMER
Picking up Matthew Savoie may have been Warriors General Manager Jason Ripplinger’s blockbuster move this season, but another move on October 5, 2023, just saved Moose Jaw’s season.
Part of the package that came back to Moose Jaw for Ben Riche and a trove of draft picks was veteran forward Brayden Schuurman, who delivered with a pair of goals in a must-win Game 6 on Sunday.
The Abbotsford, B.C. product broke the ice less than a minute into the match with a slick one-timer, courtesy of a precision pass from another player brought in mid-season, Rilen Kovacevic.
With the game tied late in the first frame, Schuurman pounced on a loose puck in the high slot and rifled it past Evan Gardner to restore the Warriors lead.
Big Game Brayden Schuurman!👊
The product of Abbotsford, B.C. gives the @MJWARRIORS the lead heading into the second period!#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/EYvJNRn80c
— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 5, 2024
Schuurman was recognized for his efforts as the first star of the game.
The 5-foot-9, 197-pound forward has six goals and a +5 rating through 15 postseason contests.
Moose Jaw has a chance to advance to the WHL Championship for the first time since 2006 when the puck drops on Game 7 on Tuesday, May 7 in Saskatoon, Sask.
ON TAP