WHL Saskatoon Blades

Blades Face Large Test At Home

Published on February 19, 2010 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


The Saskatoon Blades take to the ice tonight against the Vancouver Giants, the top team in the WHL's B.C. Division. Game time at Credit Union Centre is 7:05 pm.

Head-to-Head This is the lone meeting of the season between the Blades and Giants. In the only game between the clubs of the 2008/09 season, the Giants came away with a 5-1 win at home.

Saskatoon Blades

The Blades (40-13-3-3, 86 points, T-1st in East Division, T-1st in Eastern Conference) come into tonight's game after returning to the win column in fine fashion with an 8-1 victory over the Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday night at home. Josh Nicholls (Tsawwassen, BC) had two goals while Stefan Elliott (North Vancouver, BC), Randy McNaught (Nanaimo, BC), Marek Viedensky (Handlova, Slovakia), Derek Hulak (Saskatoon, SK), Gaelan Patterson (Saskatoon, SK), and Tyler Kizuik (Indian Head, SK) added singles in the win. Steven Stanford (Calgary, AB) stopped 19 of 20 shots between the pipes to earn the victory.

Hulak sits atop the Blades' scoring list with 26 goals and 44 assists for 70 points this season. Walker Wintoneak (Flin Flon, MB) is second on the team with 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points. Elliott, a defenseman, is third with 21 goals and 33 assists for 54 points, good enough for fourth amongst WHL rearguards.

Hulak leads the Blades with 26 goals this season.

Randy McNaught (Nanaimo, BC) is tops on the Blades and sixth in the league with 153 penalty minutes. Darian Dziurzynski (Lloydminster, AB) is second on the team and ninth in the WHL with 142 penalty minutes.

Hulak now has the top plus/minus on the team and has moved into a tie for third in the WHL at +37. Elliott is second on the team and tied for seventh in the league at +34 on the season.

In goal, Stanford has made 36 appearances this season and has a 25-6-3-0 record with a 2.64 goals against average (7th in the WHL) and a.905 save percentage. Adam Morrison (White Rock, BC), meanwhile, has played in 29 games this season and is 15-9-0-3 to go along with a 3.22 goals against average and a.895 save percentage.

The Blades are 19th in the WHL on the power play at 16.3%. The team is ranked 5th in the league at 82.7% while on the penalty kill.

Vancouver Giants

The Giants (36-20-1-3, 76 points, 1st in B.C. Division, 2nd in Western Conference) are playing the second game of a ten-game road trip and the first game of a tour through the East Division tonight against the Blades. The team comes into the game on a three-game winning streak following an 8-3 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds on Monday evening.

Craig Cunningham is the leading scorer in the entire Western Hockey League with 35 goals and 51 assists for 86 points coming into tonight's game. Brendan Gallagher is second on the team with 32 goals and 35 assists for 67 points this season. Defenseman Kevin Connauton is third on the team with 23 goals and 39 assists for 62 points and is tied for first on the league scoring list for defensemen.

Cunningham is first on the Giants and eighth in the WHL with 35 goals this season.

Brett Lyon leads the team and is third in the league with 162 penalty minutes.

Rookie David Musil has a +32 rating to lead the team and is ninth in the WHL in the plus/minus category.

In between the pipes, Mark Segal has a 14-7-0-1 record with a 2.76 goals against average and a.907 save percentage (10th in the WHL) in 26 games played. Derek Tendler has made 7 appearances this season and has a 3-2-0-0 record to go along with a 3.26 goals against average and a.871 save percentage.

The Giants are converting on the power play at a rate of 28.2% this season and are ranked 1st overall in the WHL. The team's penalty kill is ranked 3rd in the league at 84.1%.

Blades vs Giants

Be sure to cheer enthusiastically throughout tonight's game and you could come away with some tasty treats from the Blades Blue Crew. The "Cadbury Sweetest Section" and the "DQ Grill & Chill Ice Cream Toss" are sure to cure your appetite if you are lucky enough to come away with a treat!

Get your game night tickets online at ticketmaster.ca, by calling 938-7800, or by stopping by any Ticketmaster outlet.

The Blades have a pair of big event nights still to come in the month of February.

Tomorrow night marks "First Nations & Métis Night" as the Brandon Wheat Kings pay a visit to Credit Union Centre. The night will feature cultural dancers and drummers from around the Saskatoon area and a special tribute to the athletes of the 2010 Saskatchewan First Nations Winter Games. Game time is 7:05 pm.

Friday, February 26th is "Faith Night" as the Blades take on the Prince Albert Raiders. The Blades are thrilled to have two-time Grammy nominee "G.R.I.T.S." performing both pre-game and post-game concerts during the night. Fans will also have the chance to take part in a free skate during the post-game concert. The pre-game festivities begin at 6:00 pm with puck drop at 7:05 pm.

Check out the Saskatoon Blades Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 19, 2010


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