CALGARY -- Despite missing two of their top players, the Calgary Hitmen looked like a team on a mission on Wednesday night against the Moose Jaw Warriors.
After a close first period, the Hitmen would score four straight goals through the second and third periods, going on to a 5-1 victory in Western Hockey League action in Calgary.
The Hitmen -- who were without standout defenceman Carter Yakemchuk and Sawyer Minio -- improved to 22-11-3-1 and moved into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference, while the Warriors dropped to 10-24-3-2 and remain in 11th place.
Calgary got off to the start they were hoping for, as Oliver Tulk jumped on a loose puck at the top of the crease and put a quick backhand top shelf for a 1-0 lead only 1:06 into the contest.
That would be the only goal of the opening frame, and in no small part thanks to the play of Warriors goaltender Matthew Hutchison. Playing his first game for Moose Jaw since beng acquired from the Vancouver Giants a day earlier, Hutchison would turn aside 19 shots in the opening frame as the Hitmen had a ton of pressure through the first 15 minutes.
The Warriors got back into it with some zone time of their own late in the period, but the score would remain 1-0 after 20 minutes.
Moose Jaw received the first power play of the game early in the second, and they’d tie the game.
Aiden Ziprick got off a shot from the point that would find its way through traffic and a screen by Ethan Semeniuk in front, finding the top corner to make it 1-1 2:19 into the frame.
Just over four minutes later, David Adaszynski restored Calgary’s lead, finishing off a two-on-one with Chase Valliant after a neutral zone zone turnover led to the odd-man rush.
The Hitmen spent the vast majority of the next eight minutes in the Warriors zone and they’d be rewarded.
Axel Hurtig made it 3-1 at the 12:02 mark of the period and 33 seconds later, Oliver Tulk scored on a breakaway to make it a three-goal lead.
Ben Kindel picked up assists on both goals, extending his WHL-best point streak to 21 games while also setting a franchise record that had stood since the turn of the century when Pavel Brendl played for the Hitmen.
Tulk then finished off his hat trick 9:23 into the third, breaking in on a partial breakaway on his wing for Calgary’s fourth-straight goal.
That would cap scoring on the night, and the Hitmen had their comfortable win.
Hutchison faced a total of 53 shots on the night while the Warriors had 24 on Calgary’s Anders Miller.
The Warriors are back in action Friday when the Regina Pats are back at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, with puck drop at 7 p.m.
