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WHL Saskatoon Blades

Crnkovic Scores Twice, Blades Double-Up Tigers 4-2

October 31, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


MEDICINE HAT, AB - The goals keep coming for Kyle Crnkovic.

The pride of Chestermere, AB scored his league-high tenth of the season, Ethan Chadwick made 35 saves, and the Saskatoon Blades stomped the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-2 Saturday night at Co-Op Place.

Crnkovic scored twice - his third multi-goal game of the season - and extended his point streak to a league-high 11 games in the process. The alternate captain was joined by Brendan Lee and Egor Sidorov on the scoresheet, earning the Blades a critical two points to maintain their steadfast pace towards top spot in the East Division.

The win comes one night after dropping a 4-3 decision in Lethbridge to the Hurricanes. Saskatoon is now five points back of first-place Winnipeg with a game in hand, having won six of the last seven.

Tristen Robins regained sole possession of the league-lead in scoring with a pair of assists. The San Jose Sharks prospect is now up to 21 points on the year, and has been an influential reason for the Blades 8-2-1-0 record.

Brayden Boehm and Oren Shtrom netted the goals for the Tigers, who slipped to 4-5-1-1. Beckett Langkow stopped 20 shots in the loss.

Special teams proved the difference-maker once again for the Blue & Gold, scoring all four goals on the man advantage on six opportunities, and killing off all four penalties.

The Blades will try for a second straight win on Wednesday, hosting the Swift Current Broncos for the first time this season at SaskTel Centre.

Robins became the first player in the WHL to hit the 20 point mark when he sent a cross-ice pass to Crnkovic on the powerplay. Crnkovic made no mistake on his team-leading ninth to give the Blades a 1-0 lead.

Just over a minute later, Brayden Boehm tallied his first of the season to tie the game 1-1. After a short scrum in front of Chadwick, the Nanaimo, BC product scooped up a loose puck and put it past the Blades netminder.

But the Blades had the answer, capitalizing on a second power-play opportunity.

Langkow stopped Aidan De La Gorgendiere's first shot, but Egor Sidorov was there on the rebound to send the Blades into the first intermission leading 2-1.

Both teams added markers in the second period. Crnkovic's second of the game and 10th of the season came 5:12 into the middle frame, sniping a hard shot top-corner on Langkow to make it 3-1.

Oren Shtrom had the answer three minutes later, collecting his third of the campaign to cut the Blades lead back to one.

Penalty trouble continued to haunt the Tigers in the third period. With Lukas Svejkovsky in the box to start the frame, Brendan Lee let a one-timer go from the high slot that beat Langkow on the glove side to regain the two-goal lead.

Chadwick stood strong between the Blades pipes, stopping a combined 26 shots through the final two periods.

Medicine Hat pulled Langkow late in the game and had several good chances to draw within one, but the Saskatoon-born netminder stood his ground to earn the second victory of his young career.

Next up, the Blades welcome the Swift Current Broncos to SaskTel Centre on Wednesday at 7:00pm.

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