Hit of the GameIan Schultz plasters Warrior forward Thomas Frazee into the boards deep in the Hitmen zone in the later stages of the 2nd period. This hit helped the Hitmen kill off a key Warrior powerplay.
Save of the Game
Jeff Bosch continues to amaze even in a losing fashion. He stopped three straight shots from Kozun, Shattock and then Broda at point blank range in the first period. The play was reviewed but it was deemed that Bosch did actually save Broda's last attempt.
Quotable Quotes
Brandon Kozun - four point night
Coming back from an early deficit
“Just knowing that we can come back from that is going to give us confidence if it ever happens again.”
What’s next?
“We know the ability on our team. You know what, one game at a time.”
Playing in the ‘Crushed Can?’
"We know we can win in that building. We’ve done it twice this year. We know our abilities. We had the best road record in the league this year, so we know we can win on the road. We’re just going to take it one shift at a time, one period at a time, one game at a time."
What did Fiddler’s goal mean to the team?
“Those goals are huge. You get that goal and their team, I wouldn’t say gives up, but it’s just another dagger into it. Obviously, you need support and that goal was a support.”
Mike Williamson, Hitmen Head Coach
Tonight’s effort
“We wanted a win. It was a close hockey game again. I think our guys did a better job of not passing up opportunities to shoot the puck and we had a little better traffic and that’s what we did in the other game we won. It’s a good character test for our guys. I’m really proud of the way they responded. Now we’ve got to regroup and get the next one.”
Coming back from an early deficit
“Just knowing that we can come back from that is going to give us confidence if it ever happens again.”
What’s next?
“We know the ability on our team. You know what, one game at a time.”
Playing in the ‘Crushed Can?’
"We know we can win in that building. We’ve done it twice this year. We know our abilities. We had the best road record in the league this year, so we know we can win on the road. We’re just going to take it one shift at a time, one period at a time, one game at a time."
What did Fiddler’s goal mean to the team?
“Those goals are huge. You get that goal and their team, I wouldn’t say gives up, but it’s just another dagger into it. Obviously, you need support and that goal was a support.”
Mike Williamson, Hitmen Head Coach
Tonight’s effort
“We wanted a win. It was a close hockey game again. I think our guys did a better job of not passing up opportunities to shoot the puck and we had a little better traffic and that’s what we did in the other game we won. It’s a good character test for our guys. I’m really proud of the way they responded. Now we’ve got to regroup and get the next one.”
Down 1-0 after the 1st period
“I think it was a true test of the character of the hockey team and they responded. I think you create your own bounces and luck, so it was great to see the guys regroup after the first period and be rewarded for it. I thought a lot of our guys did (respond).”
Co-Captain Ian Schultz - one goal, one assist
Talk about tonight’s effort
“Absolutely, we kind of came out with the mindset that it's do or die. I mean, you look at it, it is now, you know we don’t want to go home. I am home so I don’t want to see anyone else go home. We have a great group of guys in here; everybody is starting to buy in for real now. It’s not just lace’em up and put your sticks on the ice, you know we are going out and getting it. We’re taking it into our own hands.”
What was said in the 1st intermission?
“We knew we were having a couple of bad bounces again, like it seems like we’ve had all series but you got to stay positive. Each game is a game of short memories, especially in the playoffs and we figured we played pretty well in the first. We just built on that. We established a good base in the first and we just kind of built on that in the second and the bounces started going our way and pucks started going in.”
Overcoming adversity, overcoming a deficit?
“It’s great. We kind of haven’t had a lot of rewards for our hard work so far, so to kind of get recognized or the opportunity tonight to extend the series is big for us and we wont take it for granted, we still have our backs to the wall. We still have to go into a hostile environment on Saturday and put up another good effort.”
Tough penalties against you?
"The standards been set for the referees in the series. We got to change our games to stay disciplined. Our coaches have preached good discipline since the start of the series. I think we finally took our heads out of the sand, as you may say, and kind of listened to him (Coach Williamson). We didn’t take as many stick infractions or holdings or anything like that. We are taking roughing and charging penalties, you know, making them feel like we’re coming for them."
How was your ability to get to the front of the net
"It was good, Bosch will save whatever he sees. It was huge to get in there and disrupt his vision and get in his head a little bit. A little bit of his focus was on us instead of the puck and I guess it paid off."
Talk about the Hitmen Powerplay
"Coach has been preaching discipline and moving your feet off the wall to get to the net and with the new rules they cant hook or impede you at all and it paid off for us tonight."
Talk about tonight’s effort
“Absolutely, we kind of came out with the mindset that it's do or die. I mean, you look at it, it is now, you know we don’t want to go home. I am home so I don’t want to see anyone else go home. We have a great group of guys in here; everybody is starting to buy in for real now. It’s not just lace’em up and put your sticks on the ice, you know we are going out and getting it. We’re taking it into our own hands.”
What was said in the 1st intermission?
“We knew we were having a couple of bad bounces again, like it seems like we’ve had all series but you got to stay positive. Each game is a game of short memories, especially in the playoffs and we figured we played pretty well in the first. We just built on that. We established a good base in the first and we just kind of built on that in the second and the bounces started going our way and pucks started going in.”
Overcoming adversity, overcoming a deficit?
“It’s great. We kind of haven’t had a lot of rewards for our hard work so far, so to kind of get recognized or the opportunity tonight to extend the series is big for us and we wont take it for granted, we still have our backs to the wall. We still have to go into a hostile environment on Saturday and put up another good effort.”
Tough penalties against you?
"The standards been set for the referees in the series. We got to change our games to stay disciplined. Our coaches have preached good discipline since the start of the series. I think we finally took our heads out of the sand, as you may say, and kind of listened to him (Coach Williamson). We didn’t take as many stick infractions or holdings or anything like that. We are taking roughing and charging penalties, you know, making them feel like we’re coming for them."
How was your ability to get to the front of the net
"It was good, Bosch will save whatever he sees. It was huge to get in there and disrupt his vision and get in his head a little bit. A little bit of his focus was on us instead of the puck and I guess it paid off."
Talk about the Hitmen Powerplay
"Coach has been preaching discipline and moving your feet off the wall to get to the net and with the new rules they cant hook or impede you at all and it paid off for us tonight."
Chasing Bosch, does that put doubt in his mind?
"I don’t think so. He should have all the confidence in the world. He stood on his head. Even tonight, he had some (great) saves. He’s kept them ahead of us a lot. A lot of their success goes to him and my hat goes off to him. He comes and competes every night. We expect him to bounce back twice as hard on Saturday so we just keep doing the same thing and hopefully the bounces go our way."
Tyler Fiddler - game-winning goal
Are you still feeling ill?
"Still sick here, but just trying to give the team what I got."
Can you talk about that explosive second period the team had.
"We thought we had a pretty good first period there. We didn’t get any bounces and didn’t score but we just said stick with it, and came through on the power play and on the special teams in the second period."
Moose Jaw Head Coach Dave Hunchak
Tonight's game comments
"They got some bounces tonight, we didn’t get any tonight. As a result they win the game, so it's back to Moose Jaw for Game 6. "
Is Saturday going to be a different Moose Jaw Warriors then tonight?
"We have to be a deeper group. We have to make sure we get production not only from Jason Bast and Thomas Frazee but those other guys as well too, that’s going to be really important. We cant have any passengers at this time of year, we gotta make sure that everything we do is for the right reasons and making sure we keep the pucks moving ahead, and make sure we get as many pucks to Jones as we can an see if we cant feed off the momentum our crowd is going to give us."
Does the 'Crushed Can' give you an advantage?
"It does, but there is no question we control the volume in that building by how we play. I think they are very passionate fan base when we’re going and we’re playing Warrior hockey, it's unbelievable in that rink. When we are not playing Warrior hockey, they let us know as well too, they are very knowledgable, they get it and they also get that Game 6 probably for both teams is the biggest game of the year."
Pulling Bosch?
"Mental break for him. Every time we have done that with Jeff he seems to bounce back and by no means do I think any of the goals tonight were his fault. I think there was a tremendous amount of traffic and some unfortunate bounces. Just a matter of giving him a mental refresher."
Did you say anything to Bosch when he came off the ice?
"Yup, spent some time with him. He understands, he gets that he’s our number one guy, as do we. We will go right back with him."
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