Brendan Rowinski will make his first appearance with the Moose Jaw Warriors Friday. Rowinski missed the first 17 games of the season after off-season knee surgery. Fellow 20-year-old Dylan Hood will make way for Rowinski against the Pats. Rowinski will take Hood’s spot on the top line with Quinton Howden and Spencer Edwards.
Meanwhile it looks like centre Joey Kornelsen won’t play this weekend. After injuring his shoulder for the second time this season, it looks like the Warriors will take their time before clearing Kornelsen to play. Still he’s listed as day-to-day and shouldn’t be out for long.
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The Warriors’ depth players were excellent in Regina Friday. In addition to the fourth line, the checking line of Jesse Paradis, Nathan MacMaster and Jordan Wyton spent much of the game on the forecheck.
The Warriors were able to get Hood-Howden-Edwards against the Pats’ top line of Carter Ashton, Jordan Weal and Thomas Frazee.
Twice Collin Bowman delivered huge open-ice body checks Friday and in both instances his victim was Dyson Stevenson.
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While Damien Ketlo was fantastic in the second period for the Pats, Warriors starter Thomas Heemskerk made several outstanding saves in the third period. His best came when he stopped a Colin Reddin deflection in the final couple of minutes. He had nearly no time to react, but not only got down to stop the shot, but he didn’t give up a rebound either.
Heemskerk will start Saturday and it seems a safe bet that if the Warriors win, Brandon Stone may get the nod Sunday against Seattle as the Warriors face their first three games in three nights stretch of the season.
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As far as I know there’s not a listing of the Warriors franchise record for most shots on goal in a period, but the 27 they had in the second period Friday must be close if it’s not the most they’ve ever had in a period. The NHL record for shots in a period is 33 by Boston in 1941. The Bruins finished with 83 shots in that game. The WHL record for a shots in a game is 85 by Brandon in 1979 against the Regina Pats.
