Generals forward Ben Duperreault lifts a backhand shot just into the shoulder of goalie Luke Grassl

The Moose Jaw Generals definitely weren't on top of their game on Thursday night, but they were still able to extend their winning streak to four games with a 4-1 win over the Swift Current Legionnaires.

With the win, the Generals move into a tie for fourth place with the Battlefords Stars and Tisdale Trojans heading into the Christmas break.  It's a great turn around for a team that looked to be a in a free fall at the start of the month with just one win in seven games, but now they have a 15-8-3-0 record.

“Not the way we wanted to go about it, but definitely happy to get the two points and find a way to get it done and go into the break on a high note in that top-four spot with some games in hand,” said head coach Ray Wareham after the win.

Rhett Gardner was all the Generals needed as the scored three times to lead the way for the team.  He scored the goals three different ways as well with one on the power play, one shorthanded and one unassisted at even strength

“What do you say about Rhett Gardner,” stated Wareham on his captain.  “I though Trey (Tendler) was pretty good too, but Rhett led the charge and it was nice to see him get rewarded and good way for him to go into the break and gain some confidence going out to Quebec (for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge).”

“The shorthanded goal I just got a good bounce, he didn't give me much to shoot at, so I went deke and it worked, and then everything else was just part of the play, I walked it out on the one and just a shot on net with traffic in front on the other,” explained Gardner afterwards.

Regan Nagy opened the scoring for the Generals with 6:28 to go in the first.  It came on a power play when the Generals got a flurry of chances and after eight shots on goal in the one opportunity, finally beat Luke Grassl.  

The Legionnaires didn't let Moose Jaw go into the break with that lead though as Morgan Greve scored with just under two minutes to go in the opening frame.

The Generals' power play continued to click in the second period as a point shot by Gardner found its way through traffic and put the Generals up, 2-0, midway through the frame.

The score stayed that way until early in the third period when Greve's second of the game made it 2-2, but Gardner took over after that.  He scored a shorthanded goal with 7:11 remaining in the game and then iced it with a goal just before the one minute mark.

“It definitely wasn't pretty, but we just wanted the two points going into the holidays and our goal was to go 3-1 and we've been 4-0, so that's a nice little streak going into the break,” said Gardner.

The Generals took a lot of penalties in the game, but were able to kill off all six Legionnaire power plays.  They then made the Legionnaires pay for taking penalties by going 2-for-4 with the man advantage.

Ryland Pashovitz got the start for the Generals and made 23 saves for his 11th win of the season.  Moose Jaw fired 31 shots on Swift Current goalie Luke Grassl.

Spirits are high for the Generals now after playing their final game of 2012.  Wareham feels that, outside of their last game, the team is playing some of its best hockey of the season, “I thought that Regina weekend was arguably our best hockey of the year, but then tonight you could tell a little bit beforehand the focus just wasn't there and it was kind of ugly, but we found a way to win.”

The Generals players all went their separate ways after the game.  They'll head to Calgary on Boxing Day to open the 35th annual Mac's Tournament, their first game is against the Red Deer Chiefs.