The Moose Jaw Warriors are in the 2024 Western Hockey League Finals against the Portland Winterhawks. However, their playoff series with the Saskatoon Blades since April 26 has been very significant. That is because in the seven game series, six games went to overtime, according to the Canadian Press. That is the most number of overtime games in a playoff series in Western Hockey League history.
The Warriors won the opening game of the series by a score of 4-3 in overtime on April 26. Brayden Yager of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan scored the game-winning goal at 12:34 of the first overtime period from center Jagger Firkus of Irma, Alberta and Martin Rysavy.
The Blades won game two by a score of 3-2 on April 27. Fraser Minten of Vancouver, British Columbia scored from Lukas Hansen of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Vaughn Watterodt of Rosetown, Saskatchewan at 13:06 of the first overtime period to tie the series at one.
After the Warriors won game three by a score of 3-1 on April 30 to take a 2-1 series lead, the fourth game of the series retuned to overtime, where Saskatoon won 5-4 to tie the series at two. The overtime hero on May 1 was Yegor Sidorov, who scored from Brandon Lisowsky of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia at 3:29 of the extra period.
The Blades then took the 3-2 series lead with a 5-4 win on May 1. The Saskatoon hero in this game was Minten, who scored from Tanner Molendyk of McBride, British Columbia and Alexander Suzdalev at 18:15 of extra time.
The Warriors then won the last two games of the series. They won game six on May 5 by a score of 4-3, and then won game seven on May 7 by a score of 3-2. In game six, Moose Jaw’s overtime hero was Lynden Lakovic of West Kelowna, British Columbia, who scored from Matthew Savoie of St. Albert, Alberta at 2:57 of the overtime period. In game seven, Moose Jaw’s overtime hero was Lakovic again, as he scored from Atlee Calvert of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and Brayden Schuurman of Abbotsford, British Columbia at the 36 second mark of the extra period.
