WHL Saskatoon Blades

Preview: Gerlach Leads Blades Back to the Hat

November 9, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Saskatoon Blades (10-7-2-0) at Medicine Hat Tigers (9-7-0-2)

Date | Time Friday, Nov. 9th | 7:30 pm

Place Canalta Centre, Medicine Hat, Alta.

Video Stream WHL Live

Radio 98 COOL FM | Pre-Game Show w/ Les Lazaruk @ 6:30pm

Mobile App Apple | Android

Next Home Game 7:00pm Tuesday, Nov. 13th vs Medicine Hat Tigers

Social Media @BladesHockey | Facebook | Instagram

Watch every Blades road game at Shoeless Joe's Sports Grill in Saskatoon. Tune in live on the radio at 98 COOL FM, or stream on WHL Live.

Tonight... The road-heavy November schedule continues for the Blades as they open up a weekend trip in Medicine Hat against the Tigers. The two clubs are just 2 points apart in the standings, the Blades (22pts) sitting in a tie for 3rd in the Eastern Conference while the Tigers are in 6th (20pts). After the 1st place Prince Albert Raiders, there's a logjam of teams from 2nd-6th in the East with just 3 points of separation which makes the two points at stake tonight all that much more important.

Veteran forward Max Gerlach returns to Medicine Hat-- where he played 179 career games-- for the first time since being acquired at last year's trade deadline. Gerlach enters the game sitting at 198 career points. It's also the first meeting since the Blades and Tigers swapped 19-year-old forwards Gary Haden and Logan Christensen on Oct. 25th.

Head to head... It's the second of four meetings with the Blades leading 1-0 so far... a 10-round shootout win on Sept. 29th in Saskatoon when Nolan Maier and Mads Sogaard went toe-to-toe in goal. Josh Paterson had 2 points in that game, Tigers captain James Hamblin had 3pts. The Blades registered their highest shots-on-goal total of the season in that game with 42. Saskatoon has an advantage in goal differential with a +4 compared to the Tigers -5, but Medicine Hat has the edge in special teams with a combined success percentage of 108.7% to the Blades' 100.6%.

Who's hot... Max Gerlach has 2 goals in each of his last 2 games and 7 points in his last 4gp. Kirby Dach has 1G-4A in his last 2 games, while Chase Wouters has points in 4 of his last 5 games. The Blades- like the Tigers- have scored 5 goals in each of their last 2 games and have went a combined 4/10 on the PP in those 2 games. Josh Paterson is riding a 5 game point streak with 2G-3A.

Check out the Saskatoon Blades Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from November 9, 2018


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