Moose Jaw Warriors advance to second WHL Championship in franchise history with overtime win
Lynden Lakovic’s goal just 36 seconds into overtime on Tuesday night helped the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 3-2 win over the Saskatoon Blades in game seven and into the Western Hockey League final.
The Warriors will now face the Portland Winterhawks for the Ed Chynoweth Cup. It’s the first time in 18 years and just the second time in franchise history that the club will make a finals appearance.
Ethan Semeniuk opened scoring for the Warriors in the first period on a deflection in front off a Kalem Parker shot.
The Blades drew even midway through the second period when Easton Armstrong picked up the puck in the high slot and fired a backhand attempt past Warriors’ netminder Jackson Unger.
Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus broke the deadlock nearly ten minutes into the third period. Brayden Yager stripped a Blades defender of the puck and found a wide-open Firkus in the slot for a one-timer. The Blades battled back to tie the game with under four minutes to play on a goal by Vaughn Watterodt.
Lackovic then ended it 36 seconds into overtime, the sixth time in seven games the two teams needed extra time to decide a winner.
“Just excitement. It’s such a tight group and we’ve said it all along, they just don’t’ want to let each other down. Whether you get scored on early or you give up a lead like a couple of games ago, there’s just nothing that phases this group and we saw that here tonight,” Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary said.
The Warriors team bus received a police escort to the rink upon arriving in Moose Jaw, complete with flashing lights.
Once they arrived, dozens of fans cheered and ushered the team into the arena with captain Denton Mateychuk leading the way.
The Warriors have little time to celebrate and recharge. The WHL Championship begins Friday night in Portland. Moose Jaw Will host Games three four and if necessary five. Portland will host games one two and six and seven if necessary.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes
Donald Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes Thursday as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.
Can Trump come to Canada now that he's a convicted felon?
A Canadian immigration lawyer says now that Donald Trump is a convicted felon, he is technically barred from crossing the border into Canada.
Montreal tech billionaire charged with several sex offences
Robert Miller was charged Thursday with several sexual assault charges after Montreal police reopened an investigation into the tech billionaire.
Police: 3 killed, including suspected gunman, in Minneapolis shooting
Three people, including the suspected gunman, are dead after a shooting Thursday at a Minneapolis apartment complex, police said.
'Why didn't they stop?' Mom asks of driver in hit-and-run crash that killed son
The mother of a 13-year-old boy who was killed in a hit-and-run in Edmonton is begging the driver to come forward.
The northern lights are returning to night skies across Canada this Friday
If you missed the brilliant displays of the aurora borealis over North America on May 10, you may have another chance to see them on Friday night.
A pair enjoyed pricey meals and bolted when it was time to pay. Their dine and dash ended in jail
A Welsh couple who dined out on pricey meals and bolted when the bill came is now paying the price, behind bars.
$400K in damages for B.C. woman who had unnecessary mastectomy was 'inordinately high,' court finds
A jury's award of $400,000 to a woman who had a mastectomy after being misdiagnosed with breast cancer has been substantially reduced by B.C.'s highest court, which found the damages were "wholly disproportionate."