EDMONTON -- The Moose Jaw Warriors didn’t get off to the greatest of starts on Saturday afternoon in Edmonton, and that led to their second loss of the season to the Central Division leading Oil Kings
Edmonton built a 4-0 lead through the first half of the Western Hockey League contest and would hold on the rest of the way, going on to a 4-1 victory at Rogers Place.
Moose Jaw falls to 4-3-1-0 and remain in fifth in the Conference, while the Oil Kings improve to 6-2-0-0 and vault into second place.
The Warriors were a bit sloppy to start the game, with a couple of turnovers in their zone leading to extended zone time for Edmonton, and the Oil Kings would rack up four shots and a handful of solid scoring chances in the first minute and a half.
Edmonton had a great chance to take the lead when Riley Thorpe was hit with a double minor for high sticking three minutes into the game, but Warriors goaltender Kyle Jones would make a couple of big saves to keep the game scoreless.
The Oil Kings continued to carry the play, and while the Warriors would have a bit of offensive zone time, they wouldn’t record their first shot on goal until just after the 13 minute mark of the period.
Edmonton kept up the pressure as the period progressed and would be rewarded with 1:55 remaining. Poul Anderson was in the right place to pounce on a rebound off a Max Curran wrap-around attempt and would put a shot from the slot top shelf glove side.
That would be the only goal of the opening frame, with the Oil Kings holding a 15-2 lead in shots.
Miroslav Holinka made it a 2-0 Edmonton lead early in the second, corralling a loose puck off a Lukas Sawchyn shot in close and tucking home a wrap-around only 1:11 into the period.
Some less than stellar defence led to the Oil Kings next goal, as a pair of Warriors had a chance to clear the zone, only for Kayden Stroeder to end up with the puck and feed Cage Smith for a one-timer and their third marker with 6:02 gone in the second.
Little changed as the period continued, and Andrew O’Neill would make it a 4-0 game midway through. He’d pick up the puck below the left faceoff circle and walk out to the front of the net untouched before putting a shot home short side at the 10:11 mark.
Edmonton was outshooting the Warriors 29-5 at that point of the contest, giving the Oil Kings nearly as many goals as Moose Jaw had shots.
The Warriors found some jump in their game not long after that goal and generated a few more chances before finally getting on the board.
Kash Andresen outraced an Edmonton defender for the puck going up the ice and put a perfect shot top shelf glove side from the bottom of the left face-off circle, making it 4-1 with 4:42 to play in the second.
That’s where things would remain through a largely uneventful third period, and Edmonton would come away with their win.
Jones ended up turning in a solid performance despite the loss, stopping 41 shots while facing a slew of quality scoring chances. The Warriors had 16 shots on Edmonton goaltender Parker Snell.
The Warriors are back in action Wednesday when they host the Kamloops Blazers at Temple Gardens Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.
