The Moose Jaw Warriors fought their way to a 5-3 win over the Saskatoon Blades on Sunday at SaskTel Centre.

Both teams are known for playing with speed, but they weren’t able to showcase it throughout the first period, as both teams weren’t clean coming up the ice in transition, which led to several broken plays.

Despite the slow flow, the Warriors were able to find their way on to the scoreboard only 1:48 into the game. Oleg Sosunov stepped off the left line, skated down the left boards and then dropped the puck to the top of the circle for Jayden Halbgewachs, and the 20-year-old lifted the puck towards the net where Captain Brett Howden directed it over the goal line for his 18th of the season.

With under nine minutes left in the opening period, Tristin Langan poked the puck away from the Blades at the Moose Jaw blue-line, as the puck rolled towards the Saskatoon zone,17-year-old Brecon Wood rushed up the ice and was able to convert on a breakaway for his third goal of the season that gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

Moose Jaw was given a power play in the final 90 seconds, but they weren’t able to set up in the offensive zone, instead Blades forward Josh Paterson created a neutral zone turnover and then battled his way towards the Warriors net where he scored a shorthanded goal with 16 seconds left in the period.

After slow first period, the Warriors started the second on the power play and they used the man advantage to establish a quicker pace and a territorial advantage.

Just as Saskatoon got back to even strength, Howden controlled the puck along the Blades left boards, the captain made a great pass cross ice to Brayden Burke inside the right circle where he then made a quick pass to Justin Almeida on top of the left crease where he chipped in his 28th goal just 51 seconds into the frame.

Saskatoon started the third strong and pulled back to within one 97 seconds into the frame when Paterson scored his second the game. The Blades then tied the game at three when Eric Florchuk finished an odd-man rush up the ice.

The back half of the third period was a grind as the teams fought for the chances.

With just over seven minutes left in regulation, Burke put the game on his stick, he took a pass along the Warriors’ right boards and rushed up the ice, the 20-year-old burst down the Blades left boards, muscled his way around a defenceman and charged the net where he finished with a shot passed Nolan Maier to give the Warriors the lead.

In the final moments of the game, the Warriors buckled down defensively and didn’t give the Blades any clean looks towards their net.

Moose Jaw finished the game with an empty net goal from Halbgewachs with four seconds left to finish their weekend with a victory in the Bridge City.

Burke, Howden and Halbgewachs had a goal and two points each, while Sosunov picked up two assists.

The Warriors are now off until next weekend when they head to Alberta for games against Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.  The road trip starts on Friday at the Enmax Centre against the Hurricanes and then wraps up on Saturday at Canalta Centre against the Tigers.