In their first game back at Mosaic Place after the Christmas break, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored two goals in the second period and went on to a 4-1 win over the Swift Current Broncos on Wednesday night.

Brayden Burke had a goal and three points, Brett Howden posted a goal and two points, and goalie Zach Sawchenko turned away 29 shots to backstop the Warriors to the win.

Moose Jaw moved back into sole possession of second place in the East Division with the win heading into their weekend home-and-home series with the Brandon Wheat Kings, who beat the Regina Pats 2-1 in a shootout on Wednesday.

The Warriors and Broncos established a quick pace to the game which produced a number of scoring opportunities on both sides of the red line in the early going of the game.

Moose Jaw’s fore-check was consistent throughout the period, they were quick to pressure the Broncos’ defence, they battled hard along the Swift Current walls, and they were able to create turnovers and extra attack time.

With just over eight minutes left in the period, the Warriors’ fore-check was able to keep the Broncos pinned in their zone, the puck came to Jett Woo at the right point who tossed the puck behind the net for Howden and the Captain connected with Brayden Burke between the circles where he tucked in his seventh goal of the year to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.

As the teams battled for positioning to start the second period, the Warriors were able to go up by two at 6:24 when Howden drove down the right wall then cut to the net and slid the puck past goalie Taz Burman for his 17th of the year.

Just under two minutes later, Broncos defenceman Artyom Minulin floated a wrist shot from the right blue line and Tyler Steenbergen deflected the puck past Zach Sawchenko to get the Broncos on the board.  

The goal was reviewed as the Warriors argued that the deflection was high-sticked, but the goal was allowed.

Moose Jaw was quick to respond, just under two minute later, when Tanner Jeannot burst down the Broncos right wall and then made his cut to the Broncos’ net where he snuck the puck over the goal line for his 11th of the year to give the Warriors a 3-1 lead.

Approaching the six minute mark of the third period, Warriors import forward Nikita Popugaev jumped on a puck in the neutral zone and drove hard down the Broncos’ left wall, he was able to connect with Jayden Halbgewachs driving the net where he picked up his WHL-leading 30th goal.

Swift Current tried to battle back, but the Warriors didn’t allow them many lanes to the net and when they were able to get a shot away, Sawchenko turned it away to seal the 4-1 win.

The Warriors were 0-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill in the second game of the home-and-home between the two rivals.

Moose Jaw will have Thursday to prepare for a weekend home-and-home series with the Wheat Kings, which starts Friday in Manitoba.  Catch all the action on Country 100 starting with the Westrum Lumber Timber Mart Pre-Game Show at 7:10 p.m.