Jayden Halbgewachs scored twice including a key goal early in the third period as the Moose Jaw Warriors beat the Swift Current Broncos 8-2 tonight.

The victory earned the Warriors a split of the home-and-home with Swift Current and left the Broncos five points back of Moose Jaw for top spot in the WHL.

It was another rough start for the Broncos who gave up three goals in the first 8:49.

"We weren't ready at the get go just like last night," said Broncos defenceman Colby Sissons. "Unlike last night we didn't have the push back we needed."

The Broncos battled back in the second period as Beck Malenstyn had a Sissons shot deflect off of him for his first goal with Swift Current on the power play.

Luka Burzan gave the Warriors their three goal lead back, but Kole Gable finished a nice Glenn Gawdin feed after a Warriors turnover to make it 4-2 through forty minutes of play.

The Broncos had some jump early in the third period, but several missed nets and a Brody Wilms save on a Matteo Gennaro two on one chance denied them a chance to close the gap. Halbgewachs then scored the dagger 4:17 into the period for a 5-2 Moose Jaw lead.

"We had a good start to the second," Sissons said. "We had lots of push back, but we needed to start hitting like we did last night. We didn't make their D pay like we did last night. I guess we just let our foot off the gas and against the best team in the league that's going to happen."

Gennaro was then hurt on a hit in the corner of his own zone with six minutes to play in the game. The Warriors struck three more times after his injury to add salt to the wound in an 8-2 Broncos loss.

Quinto Waitzner fought veteran pugilist Barrett Sheen shortly after the injury and handled himself well despite an age and weight disadvantage.

Gawdin's two assists extended his point streak to twelve games.

Carter Spenst played his second WHL game as an affiliate player for Swift Current and managed an even plus/minus in a blowout loss.

Logan Flodell stopped 37 of the 45 shots he faced in Swift Current's net including a Braydon Burke penalty shot. The loss snapped his personal five game winning streak and the team's six game streak.

The Broncos take their 26-8-2-0 record into a home game on Saturday against a surging Saskatoon Blades club that has won seven of their past ten games and sit tied with Regina for the first wildcard playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Despite missing Tyler Steenbergen and Aleksi Heponiemi for all but one of their last eight games the Broncos are still 6-2 over that stretch. They've also been missing Artyom Minulin since the Christmas break as all three players are participating in the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Heponiemi's Finns and Minulin's Russians both one preliminary round games today. Canada is 2-0 and takes on the United-States in an outdoor game tomorrow.