Thomson’s return a win for Canes

By Dale Woodard - Lethbridge Herald on February 10, 2022.

Welcome back, Bryan Thomson.
Playing their second game of a four-game Saskatchewan road swing, the Hurricanes downed the Moose Jaw Warriors 2-1 in Western Hockey League action Wednesday night in Moose Jaw.
After sitting out eight games with a lower body injury, Thomson made his grand return – in his home town – and kicked out 34 shots as the Hurricanes not only got back into the win column after a 3-1 loss Saturday in Swift Current, but also handed the Warriors a loss that ended their eight-game winning streak.
The Hurricanes also cooled off the Warriors red hot penalty kill as Yegor Klavdiev and Ty Nash scored power play goals in the opening 5:34 of the second period for all the offence the Canes needed to post the win.
Meanwhile, Thomson denied a penalty shot opportunity from Moose Jaw’s Eric Alarie and robbed Josh Hoekstra early in the third to keep Lethbridge’s 2-1 lead intact.
Later in the third, the Canes killed off a four-minute high sticking double minor to defenceman Chase Pauls 6:25 in before holding off a late rush by the Warriors to preserve the win as they now head to Saskatoon Friday night to take on the Blades.
With the win the Hurricanes improve to 18-19-2-1 and move into sole possession of eighth place in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Swift Current Broncos (16-23-4-1), who were idle Wednesday night.
The Warriors are 25-17-3-1 with the loss.
In the Moose Jaw crease, Lethbridge product and former Hurricane Carl Tetachuk stopped 21 of 23 shots.
Moose Jaw almost struck first in the opening period on a shorthanded breakaway from Cordel Larson, but his chance hit the post behind Thomson to keep it scoreless.
The Canes almost answered back on a partial two-on-none late in the first, but Tetachuk turned aside Tristan Zandee.
Moose Jaw managed to grab the lead before the first period was over when captain Daemon Hunt netted his 12th of the season with 1:18 left for a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
The Hurricanes got to the Warriors hot penalty kill with a pair of power play goals in the opening 5:34 of the second as Klavdiev scored on the power play 2:21 in before Nash handed Lethbridge a 2-1 lead.
It was Klavdiev’s 10th of the season and Nash’s 13th.
The Warriors had a chance to pull even on a penalty shot to Alarie, but the forward was unable to capitalize on the chance as the Hurricanes kept their 2-1 lead intact after two periods.
Thomson was called upon to come up big early in the third, getting his pad on a chance from Hoekstra to keep it 2-1 Lethbridge.
The Hurricanes penalty kill was put to work when Pauls was handed a four-minute double minor for high sticking 6:25 into the third, successfully killing off the infraction to keep their one-goal lead intact.
The Warriors pressed in the final minute with Tetachuk on the bench, but were unable to net the equalizer.
The Warriors outshot the Hurricanes 35-23.
The Hurricanes were 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Warriors were 0-for-5.
After Friday’s stop in Saskatoon against the 24-16-1-1 Blades, the Canes are in Prince Albert Saturday to take on the Raiders. As of Wednesday night, the Raiders are 16-24-1-1, in 11th in the East and five points behind Lethbridge.
The Hurricanes return home Tuesday for a rematch against the Warriors at the Enmax Centre at 7 p.m.

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