MOOSE JAW -- The Moose Jaw Warriors have endured some tough losses over the last couple seasons, but Wednesday night will likely move near the top of the list.
The Warriors took a 5-1 lead into the third period against the Kamloops Blazers but would surrender six unanswered goals, going on to drop a 7-5 decision in Western Hockey League action at Temple Gardens Centre.
Moose Jaw falls to 4-4-1-0 and remains sixth in the Eastern Conference, Kamloops improves to 5-4-0-0 and jumps into a tie for third in the Western Conference.
After a back-and-forth start, the Blazers received the first power play of the game five minutes into the first period and would test Warriors goaltender Matthew Hutchison. He’d be up to the challenge, though, making a great glove save in close on Jordan Keller while sprawled out in his crease.
The Warriors received their first power play with 7:25 to play in the first, and they’d capitalize. Moose Jaw product Gage Nagel finished off some nifty passing in the zone by putting home a cross-crease backdoor pass from Landen McFadden for his third goal of the season.
Hutchison was tested again a minute into the second period, this time when WHL scoring leader J.P. Hurlbert was sprung on a breakaway after a neutral zone turnover, but he’d come up with another big save.
That set the stage for a surge of Moose Jaw goals.
Aiden Ziprick made it 2-0 game two minutes into the second period, taking a feed at the point from Berge and walking all the way down to bottom of the left face-off circle before putting a shot top shelf blocker side.
McFadden then extended the lead to three only 35 seconds later, finding himself in the right place at the right time to put home a rebound off a hard-angle shot by Berge.
Nolan Paquette made it a 4-0 game 45 seconds after that marker, with his innocent-looking hard-angle shot finding its way past Logan Edmonstone and into the Kamloops net.
The Blazers got one back with 8:50 to play in the period, with Cooper Moore setting up behind the net and finding Josh Evaschesen in the high slot for the first goal of his WHL career.
Moose Jaw went back to work on the power play late in the period, and Aiden Ziprick would score his second of the game and third of the season, hammering home a one-timer pass to the right face-off circle by Pavel McKenzie with 4:21 remaining.
As it turns out, that would be the last good news for the Warriors on the night.
Evaschesen replied for Kamloops before the period was out, scoring on a goalmouth scramble on the Blazers’ second power play with 2:35 to play in the frame.
Kamloops had pressure to start the third period and were rewarded 2:36 in when Cooper Moore redirected a point shot by Evan Markel and found the back of the net.
The Blazers then pulled to within one at the 8:08 mark with their third straight goal, with Tommy Lafreniere having a shot from the left faceoff circle trickle into the net after the initial save by Hutchison.
Kamloops kept coming, and with 6:07 left in regulation, they’d tie the game. Some nice puck movement in the Warriors zone led to Jacob Dumansky finding Nathan Behm in front of the net, and he’d jam the puck home to make it a 5-5 contest.
The Blazers went on the power play with just over four minutes remaining, and they’d get the game-winner from exactly who one would expect -- Hurlbert scored his league-best 10th of the season for Kamloops’ fifth-straight goal and a 6-5 lead.
Lafreniere then added an empty netter with 1:02 remaining to close out scoring in the contest.
Edmonstone was replaced by Ivans Kufterins for the third period, and the Latvian rookie would hold the fort the rest of the way, making 10 saves and stymying the Warriors on a handful of great scoring chances to secure the win. Edmonstone had 17 saves.
Hutchison stopped 25 in the losing effort.
The Warriors are back in action Friday when they travel to Saskatoon to face the Blades. Game time is 7 p.m. from SaskTel Centre.
