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WHL Saskatoon Blades

Late Comeback Earns Blades Shootout Victory over Broncos

November 4, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


SASKATOON, SK - Brendan Lee was the shootout hero for Saskatoon as the Blades defeated the Swift Current Broncos 4-3 on Wednesday night at SaskTel Centre.

The game looked to be over for Saskatoon as they trailed for the majority of the third period, but a late tip-in goal by Brandon Lisowsky tied the game with just over 90 seconds left. Overtime solved nothing, but Brendan Lee came up clutch in the shootout to give the Blades the victory.

Josh Paulhus and Egor Sidorov also scored for Saskatoon, who improve to 9-2-1-0 on the campaign. They'll look to clean up a few areas ahead of this weekend's double-header against their closest rivals, the Prince Albert Raiders.

Cole Nagy scored twice and Josh Davies rounded out the scoresheet for the Broncos, who are now winless in ten and fall to a 2-7-2-1 on the season.

Blades goalie Nolan Maier stopped 20 of 23 to record his seventh win of the year and 98th of his career. Isaac Poulter stopped 29 pucks and takes the blemish in the shootout.

It was all Swift Current to start the game. Just 3:23 in, Josh Davies found himself all alone in the Blades end and slid the puck five-hole on Maier to give the Broncos an early 1-0 lead.

Three minutes later, Blades captain Aiden De La Gorgendiere started a great tic-tac-toe play.

The Langley, BC product sent it to alternate captain Rhett Rhinehart, who slid down the boards to Jayden Wiens, and finished with Josh Paulhus deflecting a snap-pass from the slot. The puck bounced off Poulter before clipping the post and crossing the line, awarding the Saskatoon-product his second of the campaign.

With 5:32 remaining in the first, the league's second-best powerplay went to work.

San Jose Sharks prospect Tristen Robins sent a hard shot towards Broncos netminder Isaac Poulter. After a short scrum in the crease, it was Belarusian import Egor Sidorov netting his sixth of the year to put the Blades up 2-1.

9:22 into the second, Sidorov split the Broncos defensemen and was hooked before he could get the shot off, resulting in a penalty shot. The draft-eligible winger put the moves on Poulter, but the veteran goaltender shut the door with his right pad to keep his team within one.

Just over five minutes later, Broncos defenseman Sam McGinley fed a lead pass to Saskatoon product Cole Nagy who went top right on Maier to tie the game at two.

Less than a minute later, a Blades penalty deemed costly as a cross-crease pass by Broncos forward Mathew Ward found the tape of Nagy who scored his second of the night to put the Broncos in front 3-2 after two.

With 1:37 remaining in regulation and the Blades net empty, De La Gorgendiere's shot was tipped in front by forward Brandon Lisowsky for his seventh of the year to tie the game at three and sending the game into overtime.

Both goalies stood tall in the extra frame as well as in the first two rounds of the shootout, but Saskatoon's Brendan Lee found the back of the net in the third round to help his team escape with two points.

The Blades will now turn their attention to Friday night's clash in Prince Albert, opening a home-and-home series against the Raiders which wraps up Saturday at SaskTel Centre.

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