WHL Saskatoon Blades

Blades Close out Road Trip with Win over Hitmen

Published on October 29, 2018 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Calgary, Alta. - The Saskatoon Blades earned two points on Sunday night closing out their 3-game Alberta road trip with a 5-3 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. Heading home with three of a possible six points on the trip after going 1-1-1-0 on the weekend to bring their season total record to 9-5-1-0.

It was a character win that checked several boxes on the Blades to-do list. Saskatoon scored on the power play, piled 41 shots on the opposition's goal, took only three minor penalties and didn't surrender a goal on any of them, and got scoring from a variety of forwards in the lineup. Despite tying the Hitmen on the shot clock 41-41, the actual quality of scoring chances was also in favour of the visiting Blades. That said, Nolan Maier was nothing short of outstanding turning aside 38/41 shots faced.

The Calgary Hitmen opened the scoring 10:03 into the first period, seconds after the Blades first minor penalty of the game expired. Veteran forward Jake Kryski found the puck on his stick at the top of the circles and displayed patience as bodies shifted towards him waiting for a screen before releasing a shot over the glove of Nolan Maier. However, the Blades were quick to respond. Just 32 seconds later Kirby Dach tied the game with his 9th goal of the season. The play started with Dach and Gerlach going in on a 2-on-1, then Emil Malysjev joined in as the third man. Malysjev received a pass from Dach, whiffed on his shot which luckily went right to Max Gerlach who made a nifty, no-look backhand pass to Dach for the backdoor tap-in. The 1-1 tie held up through the first period with the Hitmen taking a 21-10 lead on the shot clock into the break.

A quick look at the scoresheet shows the eerily similar timing of the next two goals in the second period. Eric Florchuk scored on a shot bad angle shot from the goal line which found a way through Hitmen netminder Jack McNaughton at the post. Florchuk's 5th goal of the season came 10:03 into the second period. Just like the first period, the opposite team answered back exactly 32 seconds later. This time it would be Carson Focht of the Hitmen scoring at the 10:34 mark of the second period to tie the game at 2-2.

Saskatoon managed to regain their lead before the second intermission; a power play goal that only took five seconds to execute. Kirby Dach won the face-off cleanly back to Brandon Schuldhaus on the left point. Schuldhaus, who was playing his 200th career game quickly passed to Max Gerlach at the right-side point, who then fired a shot through traffic for Josh Paterson to redirect past McNaughton. The goal was Paterson's 4th of the season putting the Blades in front 3-2 after 40 minutes-- a good sign considering Saskatoon entered the game a perfect 3-0-0-0 when leading after two periods this season.

The third period saw the intensity rise before the Hitmen tied the game once again. For the third time in as many games against Calgary, Riley McKay found a dance partner. Jackson van de Leest was the third different Hitmen player to drop the gloves with McKay this season, and by far the biggest standing at over 6'6" tall. The two combatants duked it out inside the Calgary blue line before tying up against the boards allowing the linesmen to step in.

Minutes later Egor Zamula fed a crisp pass through a crowd in front of Nolan Maier for Zach Huber to finish off with 15:58 remaining. The Blades didn't seem bothered and kept pressing as the minutes ticked off the clock. Then with 7:17 left to go, Kristian Roykas-Marthinsen scored what would be the eventual game winner. Gary Haden cycled the puck down low off the right wing half wall for Chase Wouters. The Blades captain then fed a pretty backhand pass in front for Roykas-Marthinsen who quickly picked the far-side top corner over the blocker of Jack McNaughton for his 5th goal of the season.

Kirby Dach added insurance to the Blades lead in the final minute with an empty net goal; his second of the game and team leading 10th of the season. It was also Dach's third point of the game, marking his fourth 3-point game of the season, and bringing his campaign total to 27 points through 16 games. He now sits fourth in the WHL scoring race.

Max Gerlach had 2 assists in the game, Gary Haden's assist gives him 3 points in as many games with his new club, and for the second straight game Josh Paterson and Chase Wouters each added a point.

Nolan Maier's 38 saves gave the 17-year-old NHL draft prospect his 8th win of the season, improving his total save percentage to .908 along the way.

The Blades still hold 2nd place in the East Division, 3 points ahead of the Brandon Wheat Kings and 1 back of the Red Deer Rebels for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference.

Next action for the blue & gold is Thursday night at home as they welcome the Kootenay ICE to SaskTel Centre. Game time is 7:00pm. It's the Blades' annual Girls Rock Night presented by Konica Minolta.

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 29, 2018


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