The top two teams in the East Division battle tonight as the Saskatoon Blades travel to Moose Jaw to take on the Warriors. Game time is 7:00 pm.Head-to-Head
The two clubs have faced off twice previously this season. On October 31st, the Blades came out of the Friendly City with a 4-3 victory. In the rematch at Credit Union Centre on November 3rd, the Bridge City Bunch squeaked out a 2-1 victory. Stefan Elliott (North Vancouver, BC), Walker Wintoneak (Flin Flon, MB), Gaelan Patterson (Saskatoon, SK), and Charles Inglis (Saskatoon, SK) have led the Blades' charge with 2 points each. The Warriors have been led by Brendan Rowinski, who has two points in the pair of games.
Saskatoon Blades
The Blades (18-3-0-3, 1st in East Division, 1st in Eastern Conference) enter tonight's contest winners of three consecutive games. The team has also picked up points in eleven straight games and 17 of the last 18 games. The squad was last in action last Saturday evening picking up a 3-2 win over the visiting Prince George Cougars. Derek Hulak (Saskatoon, SK), Inglis, and Josh Nicholls (Tsawwassen, BC) scored in the win while Adam Morrison (White Rock, BC) turned aside 24 of 26 shots for the victory between the pipes.
Hulak continues to lead the Blades in scoring this season with 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points. Wintoneak is second on the team with 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points. Patterson sits third with 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points. Elliott leads all Blades' defensemen with 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points, good enough for a tie for 3rd amongst Western Hockey League defensemen.
The Blades are led in goal scoring by Wintoneak, who has 13 markers on the season.
Randy McNaught (Nanaimo, BC) leads the Blades in penalty minutes with 79 on the campaign, which puts him 2nd in the WHL.
Blades' players remain 2nd through 6th amongst the leaders in plus/minus in the WHL in Elliott (+21), Sam Klassen (Watrous, SK) (+20), Wintoneak (+20), Hulak (+20), and Patterson (+19).
Morrison leads Blades' netminders in appearances this season with 16, compiling a 10-3-0-3 record with a 2.40 goals against average (5th in the WHL) and a .918 save percentage (T-5th in the WHL). Steven Stanford (Calgary, AB) is 8-2-0-0 with a 2.20 goals against average (3rd in the WHL) and a .918 save percentage (T-5th in the WHL) in 10 games played.
The Blades feature the 20th-ranked power play in the league, working at a 13.3% rate this season. The penalty killing unit is ranked 1st in the WHL, killing off 87.7% of shorthanded situations.
Moose Jaw Warriors
The Warriors (15-8-1-0, 2nd in East Division, T-3rd in Eastern Conference), meanwhile, enter tonight riding a streak of 4 consecutive games earning at least a point. The Tribe was last in action on Wednesday evening, dropping a 2-1 overtime decision to the Calgary Hitmen at home.
Veteran forward Jason Bast leads the Warriors in scoring with 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points. Rowinski (16-14-30) is tied for second in team scoring with Travis Hamonic (7-23-30), the leading scoring amongst Western Hockey League defensemen.
Bast's 17 goals put him atop the Warriors goal scoring list and in a tie for 6th in the WHL.
Defenseman Dylan McIlrath is first on the team with 63 penalty minutes so far this season.
McIlrath is also the team leader in the plus/minus with a +14 rating on the season.
In goal, Jeff Bosch has a 10-5-1-0 record in 17 appearances with a 2.86 goals against average and a .896 save percentage. Rookie Brandon Glover has played in 9 games this season with a 5-3-0-0 record to go along with a 3.82 goals against average and a .879 save percentage.
The Warriors' power play is working at a 28.4% clip this season, good enough to put them #2 in the WHL. The team has killed off 76.6% of shorthanded situation for a ranking of 16th in the league.
Blades vs Warriors
Fans can follow the action live tonight on 92.9 The Bull with "The Voice of the Blades" Les Lazaruk. The game can also be purchased on WHL WebTV.
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