The door to first place was open this weekend, but the Swift Current Broncos just couldn't walk through.

With opportunities to take over top spot in the league on both Friday and Saturday, the Broncos had trouble saying out of the penalty box in losses to Brandon and Moose Jaw.

The Warriors beat Swift Current 4-2 on Saturday night to take firm command of first place with a three point lead and a game in hand heading into the final week of the season.

"I think penalties obviously," Broncos defenceman Colby Sissons told Discover Moose Jaw.. "The last few games... we've taken 6-7 penalties. You have one of the best power plays in the league if you give them chance they're going to capitalize. Work ethic they came out and played their game. We tried to skate with them, but we didn't bring our game tonight."

The Warriors only scored once on the power play, but Swift Current was shorthanded six times through the first 40 minutes and weren't able to develop any flow to their game.

It was a physical game between the two rivals with several players leaving the ice with injuries and a couple of scraps along the way.

"I've been in this rivalry for the last three years and it's nothing new," Sissons said. "Maybe a little more heated at the end. At the end of the day we just didn't play the way we wanted to. We obviously reacted in the third how we wanted to, but it was just too late."

Swift Current got off to a flat start falling behind 2-0 on goals by Branden Klatt and Jayden Halbgewachs. The Warriors outshot the Broncos 16-5 and had a 4-1 power play edge after the first period. Swift Current also lost Giorgio Estephan temporarily when he was hit in the face with a Matteo Gennaro shot, but the veteran forward returned in the second period.

Justin Almeida then ran Broncos starting goaltender Stuart Skinner from the game in the second period with a quick snap shot from well outside that the veteran couldn't snag. He allowed three Warrior goals on 21 shots before giving way to Joel Hofer who stopped 17 of 18 shots in relief.

Brody Wilms stopped 21 of 23 Swift Current shots to earn the win for Moose Jaw.

Aleksi Heponiemi set Kaden Elder up with a beautiful saucer pass between two Warrior defencemen for Elder's career high 16th of the season. The goal gave the Broncos some live early in the third period.

Moose Jaw forward Barrett Sheen then drove Tyler Steenbergen's face into the glass to bust him open and knock him out of the game. Sheen received a five minute major penalty and game misconduct. A Brett Howden penalty during the major also gave the Broncos a 5 on 3 they couldn't convert.

Klatt scored his second of the game short after the penalty kill and the game looked out of reach.

Swift Current did push late as Beck Malenstyn deflected in a Colby Sissons point shot on a power play with just over two minutes left in the game, but a too many men penalty while trying to pull Hofer stalled their comeback effort.

The Broncos are the fourth most penalized team in the league averaging 4.3 penalty kills per game.

It was a physical game which included a spirited fight between Tanner Nagel and Tristyn DeRoose. Sahvan Khaira also fought Klatt late in the game in a quick bout.

The Warriors lost defenceman Brandon Schuldhaus, Dmitri Zaitsev and Kale Clague to injury at different points in the game.

Moose Jaw and Swift Current each won four games in the season series between the WHL's top two teams. The Warriors won the series thanks to two points for overtime losses.

Glenn Gawdin missed both games on the weekend after leaving Wednesday's game against Calgary after the second period. There is no word on a time table for the return of Swift Current's captain who did make the trip with the team this weekend.

Gawdin remains only two points ahead of Halbgewachs for the WHL points lead.

The Broncos wrap up their regular season by hosting Saskatoon on Wednesday and playing a home-and-home with the Regina Pats on the weekend. The Pats are also Swift Current's most likely first round opponent although they could still play the Pats, Wheat Kings or Raiders.