Sidorov Nets Hat-Trick, Blades Dismantle Pats 6-2
February 13, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release
SASKATOON, SK - Egor Sidorov, have yourself a night.
The Belarusian import recorded his first career hat-trick, earning the game's first-star in a 6-2 thrashing over the Regina Pats on Saturday night. This closes out Saskatoon's five-game homestand with four victories, having won nine of the last 11.
Alternate captains Tristen Robins and Kyle Crnkovic each lit the lamp and added assists, while captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere netted his fifth.
Draft-eligible Brandon Lisowsky had two helpers of his own in what's Saskatoon's third straight win to improve to 26-16-1-1 on the campaign.
Blades netminder Nolan Maier made 28 stops for career win number 113 where he now sits seven wins away from tying Tyson Sexsmith and Corey Hirsch for the WHL all-time wins record.
Pats goaltender Spencer Welke made 13 saves on 16 shots before being pulled after the second period. Backup Kelton Pyne made 11 stops as Regina falls to 17-23-1-1 on the year.
Budding superstar Connor Bedard led Regina in scoring, having a goal and an assist in the contest. Tanner Howe had the other Pats marker early in the third period.
The Blades had the first goal in the contest where Sidorov wheeled the puck from a tie-up behind the Pats net and fired it from the slot to beat Welke.
The lead was short-lived, however, with Regina answering just 15 seconds later. Bedard lasered a shot from the point that looked like it hit the post and went out but upon further review, the puck narrowly crossed the line.
The second period was a battle but in the end, the Blades came out with two quick goal near the tail end.
Lisowsky sent Robins in on the right-wing on a two on one, and snuck a low shot under the blocker of Welke, notching his 21st of the campaign.
Saskatoon added to the lead in the dying seconds on the powerplay.
Crnkovic managed to keep the puck in the Pats zone where De La Gorgendiere's shot was nearly stopped but trickled through Welke with 0.7 seconds on the clock, giving the Blades a two-goal lead with 20 minutes to play.
Regina swapped goalies to start the third, subbing Kelton Pyne for Spencer Welke.
The Pats came out of the intermission red hot. Bedard stripped Rhinehart of the puck and fed Howe in the slot who roofed it on Maier just 22 seconds into the frame.
But the Blades quickly cooled off the Pats, scoring just over 90 seconds later.
Wong got the puck behind the net and found Sidorov alone in the right faceoff circle and made no mistake for his second of the night.
Crnkovic added a late empty netter for his 30th marker of the season to effectively seal it for Saskatoon, but Sidorov was still hungry.
The Blades rookie ripped a shot through traffic from the point just 40 seconds later, netting his first career hat-trick. Sidorov is now up to 14 goals this season, fifth most on the team.
Sidorov, selected in the first round of the CHL draft in 2021, also scored once last night in Saskatoon's 4-1 win over Lethbridge. His three-goal performance gives him 23 points on the year, tying him for 13th on the rookie scoring list with Tri-City's Petr Moravec and Kelowna's Gabriel Szturc.
Saskatoon now hits the road for a five-game cross-prairie road trip with their first stop in Red Deer on Friday night.
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