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WHL Saskatoon Blades

Hurricanes Blow Over Blades

March 4, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


SASKATOON, SK - The Blades only managed to score 5 goals in their last two games while giving up 22 goals between Brandon and Lethbridge. There definitely wasn't much more Bob Woods could say about his team on this night.

"It didn't look like a very good team. We had a lot of guys who didn't have very good nights. We got 41 shots but they had 30. It was pretty embarrassing," says a disgruntled Bob Woods after losing the teams third straight game.

It didn't take long for the Hurricanes to get things rolling as on the rush, Tyler Wong found a streaking Giorgio Estephan who scored just 41 seconds in to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead.

The top power-play in the league went to work and the Hurricanes made the Blades pay. Andrew Nielsen with a wrist shot went off the post and in past Hamm on the Hurricanes second shot of the game.

Looking for a spark, Colton Waltz and Carter Folk go at it for a scrap after Folk got a high hit up on Hausinger.

With 1:58 left in the first, Mason McCarty in the corner being hounded by two Hurricane defenders almost fell in the corner but still made a great pass to Sloboshan to scored to put the game within one at 2-1.

Despite leading in shots the first, it was all Lethbridge as they dominated down low and keeping the puck in the Blades zone.

Another quick start to a period for Lethbridge with Ryley Lindgren dropped the pass to Brady Reagan who went high glove on Hamm just 19 seconds in the game making it a 3-1 Lethbridge game.

On a bad line change by the Blades, Ryan Lindgren made a long stretch pass to Ryley Vandervlis who broke out on a breakaway and beat Hamm short side to make it 4-1 at the 8:00 minute mark.

More bad luck for the Blades as Colton Waltz tried to make a pass in front of the net but didn't get enough on it and intercepted by Igor Babenko as Hamm tried to dive and poke it away but couldn't stop it and ended up going in past Hamm it was already 5-1 Lethbridge and ultimately end Hamm's night as he gets pulled for the second straight game.

The Blades answered with a goal of their own as Ryan Graham took the puck in on the wrap around and got it to Connor Gay who goes between the arm of skinner with 4 minutes left in the second to make it 5-2.

Another Hurricanes power-play would result in a mad scramble in the crease as the Canes kept jabbing away at it and eventually Jordy Bellerive would get the goal with 1:30 left in the second.

It didn't get any better as the Hurricanes scored early in the period again with 1:21 into the third. Andrew Nielsen at the point with the slap shot seemed to take an odd turn as the puck found Igor Babenko who got the loose puck for his second of the game to make it 6-2 Lethbridge.

The Blades had a 5 on 3 opportunity and capitalized with Perillat's pass to Connor Gay who one timed it from the circles for his second of the game to make it 7-3.

Lethbridge would continue to add to their goals as Arvin Atwal carried it into the zone with a pass to Jordy Bellerive to Igor Babenko on a tic tac toe play for his third goal of the game for an 8-3 score.

More frustration for the Blades as Cameron Hausinger and Jordy Bellerive dropped the mits for the games second fight as it has been all Lethbridge throughout the entire game.

Ryan Vandervlis stopped and fed it to Davis for the cross pass to tip in past Smith and made it 9-3 Lethbridge at 12:52.

With 1:33 left to play in the game, Colton Kroeker in the corner with the pass to Carter Folk in the slot who made it 10-3 as the Blades give up double digits in goals for the second straight game.

"We didn't have a great start and after the Waltz fight we got fired up and had a good rest of the period to make it 2-1 but it's disappointing because it's a big game for us and we're trying to chase a playoff spot and watching that game you wouldn't think that was the situation," adds Woods on the magnitude of the loss.

When asked about what happened after being down by only one, Connor Gay had only the word "everything" to sum it up. "It was just a total breakdown and an embarrassing effort. It's one thing to have forty plus shots but it's another to put shots on goal. We're not finishing our chances we're not getting key opportunities and whenever you give up ten and twelve goals in two nights it's definitely embarrassing."

The Blades will have to put this loss aside as they go head to head against Kootenay tomorrow night at 7:05 P.M.

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 4, 2016


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