SWIFT CURRENT -- The Moose Jaw Warriors kept it close but couldn’t find a win against the Swift Current Broncos in Western Hockey League action on Friday night.
Luke Mistelbacher scored in overtime as the Broncos took a 3-2 victory in Swift Current.
Moose Jaw fell to 11-41-5-2 with their 12th straight loss, though they did pick up their first point in that same span. Swift Current improved to 30-25-1-1 and remain in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Swift Current looked to get on the board early when the Warriors’ Nolan Paquette was hit with a high sticking major only 45 seconds into the game, but other than a hit post in the early moments of the power play, the Broncos wouldn’t get many opportunities on the lengthy man advantage.
They would get on the board first, though, when Connor Gabriel scored on a shot from the left faceoff circle, making it 1-0 at the 9:13 mark of the period.
Moose Jaw had a couple chances early in the second to tie the game, and they’d break through with 5:14 gone in the period. Aiden Ziprick got off a shot from the point that Owen Berge would tip in the slot, and the puck would slip by Broncos goaltender Joey Rocha.
Not long after, Warriors netminder Josh Banini was forced from the game after taking a hit to the head during a rush to the front of the net, and Matthew Hutchison would play the remainder of the contest.
Ethan Hughes then gave Moose Jaw the lead, pouncing on a rebound off a Riley Thorpe shot and popping the puck home for the 2-1 edge with 9:02 gone in the period.
Swift Current would tie things up with eight seconds to play in the period when Clarke Caswell took a turnover in the Broncos zone and went the length of the ice before dropping a pass back to Mistelbacher, who scored his 37th of the season to make it a 2-2 game.
Swift Current carried play much of the third period, even getting a handful of breakaways that Hutchison was able to handle, but the score remained tied.
Ethan Semeniuk had a chance to put the Warriors ahead late, but Rocha would make a huge save and then stop Lynden Lakovic in close with 1:45 to play in the third.
Things once again ended up in overtime, and like he did earlier in the season, Mistelbacher ended it quickly, scoring on a backhand in close 52 seconds into the extra frame.
Hutchison finished with 19 saves in 34:18, Banini stopped 14 in 26:34. Rocha had 24 stops for the Broncos.
The Warriors are back in action for Nickelodeon Night when they host the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday, with the local squad wearing special Paw Patrol jerseys. Puck drop is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
Swift Current is also in action Saturday when they host Prince Albert at the Swift Current Iplex. Game time is 7 p.m.
