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WHL Saskatoon Blades

Blades Comeback to Earn Single Point in Red Deer

October 27, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Red Deer, Alta. - For the sixth time this season the Saskatoon Blades needed more than 60 minutes to determine the outcome of a hockey game. However, the Blades came out on the losing end of a 4-3 overtime game in Red Deer. The Blades now sit a 8-4-2-0 on the season with two more stops left on the road trip this weekend.

The Blades and Rebels went into Friday night's game tied in the standings with identical records and a 1-1 split of the season series.

Saskatoon got on the board first thanks to Max Gerlach's 8th goal of the season. Majid Kaddoura dished the puck to his defence partner Brandon Schuldhaus in the Blades zone and the veteran blue liner and former Rebel went end-to-end before finding Gerlach in the slot. The assist was Kaddoura's first career point in Western Hockey League.

Red Deer's leading scorer, Brandon Hagel, responded midway through the first period with his 11th goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1.

The Rebels then took the momentum and the lead in the second period thanks to Hagel's 2nd goal of the game and then another from fellow 20-year-old Jeff de Wit. It was de Wit's 8th total goal and 4th against Saskatoon this season. Neither team was assessed a penalty until Majid Kaddoura was called for holding 16:35 into the second period. The Blades killed it off; their first of three successful kills in the game.

Red Deer outshot the Blades 18-9 in the middle stanza bringing the total shots after two periods to 33-19 in favour of the home team. Nolan Maier was evidently comfortable with the workload making a variety of highlight reel saves to keep the Blades close.

Then in the third period Brandon Schuldhaus joined in on the rush as the fourth Blade to enter the zone. Kirby Dach placed a perfect pass on the tape of Schuldhaus who snapped a wrist shot cleanly over the glove of Ethan Anders for his second of the season to make it 3-2. The Blades took the momentum and used it to finally sustain some pressure in the Rebels zone. After cycling the puck and circling the zone, Kirby Dach took matters into his own hands. From the right wing corner, Dach appeared to be looking towards the blue line for a pass option before cutting on a dime back towards the corner, flipping the puck into the air, and one-timing the bouncing biscuit far-side over the glove of Anders. The crowd in Red Deer was stunned as were the players on the ice as Dach dazzled with his 8th goal of the season to tie the game 3-3 with just 2:05 left in the 3rd period.

The overtime period didn't last long nor did it favour the visiting team. The Blades failed to gain possession of the puck and Saskatoon native Alex Morozoff ended the game 1:21 into the 3-on-3 extra frame.

Nolan Maier was sensational between the pipes for the Blades making a season high 44 saves on 48 shots faced. He was named the 2nd star of the game.

Both teams went 0/3 on the man advantage while the Blades big guns got back on the score sheet. Kirby Dach had a goal and an assist to bring his season point total to 24 in 14 games, sitting 5th in the league scoring. Dawson Davidson added a helper as well to maintain his lead in points among all defensemen in the WHL.

The Blades will now get set for a Saturday night meeting with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Alberta capital. Edmonton is also played on Friday night, earning two points in a 7-2 drubbing of the Kootenay ICE in Cranbrook.

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 27, 2018


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