WHL Saskatoon Blades

Game Preview: Blades at ICE

Published on April 23, 2021 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Saskatoon Blades (14-4-2-1) @ Winnipeg ICE (15-5-1-0)

Date | Time Friday, April 23rd | 4:00pm MT

Place Brandt Centre, Regina, SK

Video Stream WHL Live

Radio 98 COOL FM | Pre-Game Show w/ Les Lazaruk @ 3:45pm MT

Mobile App Apple | Android

What's Next Monday, April 26th vs. Moose Jaw Warriors (6:00pm MT)

Social Media @BladesHockey| Facebook | Instagram

Tonight

The Saskatoon Blades (14-4-2-1) will try to bounce back against the Winnipeg ICE (15-5-1-0) after suffering a 4-0 loss to Prince Albert last night.

Saskatoon is still in the hunt for a division title, however, they're approaching the final three games as must-win scenarios, trailing the first-place Brandon Wheat Kings by three points.

The Blades and ICE sit tied for second place as they enter the final week of play. After winning five straight earlier this month, Saskatoon has dropped the last three, going 0-2-0-1 in that stretch.

Meanwhile, the ICE are coming off back-to-back wins over Moose Jaw and Swift Current, and have collected seven of a possible eight points over their last four games.

Tale of the Tape

Both of Saskatoon's overtime losses have come against the ICE, first in the season series opener on March 17 (2-1) and most recently on April 6 (3-2).

The lone victory Saskatoon has over the ICE saw veteran goaltender Nolan Maier earn his record-setting 86th career victory in a 3-2 decision on March 31.

League-leading scorer Peyton Krebs of the Winnipeg ICE has four points (2G-2A) in three games against Saskatoon, tying him with Connor McClennon for most points.

Over the last five years, Saskatoon holds an 8-6-2-0 record against the ICE franchise, however have dropped six of the last eight to Winnipeg.

Both teams enter tonight's season-series finale earning four of a possible six points in the three previous games.

Who to Watch

Speedy forward Kyle Crnkovic leads the Blades in scoring against the ICE this season, netting three points (1G-2A) in three games. The Chestermere, AB native continues to sit atop the team scoring charts with 27 points (8G-19A) in 21 games, which puts him sixth in the East Division.

Rookie winger Brandon Lisowsky sits fourth in team scoring with 15 points (7G-8A) in 21 games, and has found the scoresheet in six of the last nine games.

https://twitter.com/BladesHockey/status/1384680711848808449

Defenceman Rhett Rhinehart is also becoming a regular on the scoresheet, scoring eight points (3G-5A) in his last five games. The former 1st round pick by Prince Albert leads all Blades defenders with 14 points (4G-10A) in 18 games this season.

On the Record

Captain | Chase Wouters

Head coach | Mitch Love

On the Record

Higher for Maier

Veteran goaltender Nolan Maier continues to re-write the history books this season, not only setting a new record for most career wins (86) but also matching Andrey Makarov for most shutouts as a Blade (9).

Maier is currently second in the East Division with 10 wins, and is 26 starts away from catching Braden Holtby's record for most games played (177).

Known as one of the most endured goaltenders in junior hockey, Maier also leads the WHL in minutes played at 905 this season.

Ecologik Game Day 50/50...

24 games mean 24 chances to win a hefty cash prize through our Ecologik Game Day 50/50!

Purchase your tickets online beginning 1 hour prior to puck drop for every Blades game during the 2021 season. Participants must be of legal age to purchase and live in the Saskatoon area to purchase. Tickets are:

1 for $10

10 for $20

30 for $30

You know the drill: winner takes half the pot and the other half goes towards the Saskatoon Blades Player Education Fund.

Need to Know Love winning as much as we do? Download the Blades official mobile app, powered by SaskTel, and try your hand at some of our in-app games!

You have the chance to win a Hockey Gives Blood prize pack if you correctly predict the player who scores our first goal! Or put your puzzle-solving skills to the test with our photo scramble, featuring a new player and photo every game day.

The Blades official app has so much more to offer, giving our fans a new, interactive way to engage with their favourite team this season. It's available to download on Apple and Android devices!

Check out the Saskatoon Blades Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from April 23, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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