MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- The Moose Jaw Warriors had one of those nights against the Calgary Hitmen on Sunday evening in Calgary.
With over 16,000 fans in attendance at the Scotiabank Saddledome for Teddy Bear Toss Night, the Warriors would be unable to get anything going and would drop a 9-0 decision in Western Hockey League action.
Moose Jaw fell to 6-15-3-1 and remain tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference, while Calgary continued their ascent up the standings, and improved to 13-8-3-1 to sit in third place in in the Conference.
The Hitmen didn’t waste any time getting on the board.
Maxim Muranov broke in on his wing and eluded a Warriors defender along the boards before getting hauled down behind the net, but his pass out front would find Calgary captain Carson Wetsch, and he’d knock it home only 1:35 into the proceedings.
That sent more than 20,000 bears flying on the ice, as the massive crowd did their part to make sure youngsters in their city will have a toy under the tree this Christmas. The game was delayed about 45 minutes as the ice was cleared.
The Warriors will hold their Teddy Bear Toss game on Friday, Dec. 6 when the Swift Current Broncos are in town. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
Moose Jaw had a handful of chances of their own as the period progressed -- including a brilliant individual effort by Brayden Yager that saw the Warriors captain weave his way through the Calgary zone and narrowly miss scoring.
Former Regina Pats standout Tanner Howe would strike twice for Calgary in the final 10 minutes of the period, scoring from close range at 13:58 and with 1:32 remaining to give the Hitmen a 3-0 lead after the first 20 minutes.
A long breakout pass led to Calgary’s fourth goal three minutes into the second period, with Oliver Tulk finishing off the play with a hard shot from the slot off the post and in.
The Hitmen kept up the pressure as the period continued, and were outshooting the Warriors 14-0 in the period only six minutes in.
Former Warrior defenceman Kalem Parker figured into Muranov’s second goal at the 8:18 mark of the period, getting off a shot in close that Muranov would tip in front.
Howe then finished off his hat trick with 8:38 remaining in the second, redirecting a Ben Kindel wrist shot from the point.
Moose Jaw would finally get their first shot of the period with eight minutes to play, and were outshot 20-1 in the frame at that point. By the time the period was out, Calgary had put 40 shots on Jackson Unger in only 40 minutes.
Wetsch continued the onslaught, scoring his second of the contest with 5:36 to play in the period to make it 7-0.
Ethan Moore added to Calgary’s lead with 7:52 gone in the third period, and Alex Hurtig scored his first career WHL goal with 5:21 to play in the game to finish off scoring on the night.
Unger ended up facing a total of 51 shots, while Anders Miller faced 19, including only three in each of the second and third periods.
Parker would go on to have a stellar game against his old team, picking up two assists and finishing plus-six on the night. Kindel had four assists, while Tulk added three helpers to his goal.
The Warriors are back in action Tuesday night when they’re in Lethbridge to face the Hurricanes.
