WHL leading Ice right the ship

Winnipeg ends slump with 6-0 victory over Blades

Connor McClennon (#94) dangles in the offensive zone for the Ice.

Any thoughts of about the demise of the Winnipeg Ice evaporated into the air.

Coming into Wednesday’s WHL regular season game against the host Saskatoon Blades at the SaskTel Centre, the Ice topped the overall WHL standings and were rated first in the CHL Top 10 Rankings. In their previous four outings heading into Wednesday’s game, the Ice weren’t living up to their record or high rating having lost three times in regulation.

Two of those losses included falling 6-2 at home to the Blades on December 4 and dropping a 4-1 decision to the Raiders in Prince Albert on Tuesday.

Owen Pederson (#17) makes a hit on the forecheck for the Ice.

Actually, the Ice had only won twice in their previous six contests heading into Wednesday having dropped a 4-3 decision in overtime at home to the Raiders on November 28 to start their recent struggles.

On Wednesday, the Ice righted the ship scoring three goals in a dominant first period and rolled to a 6-0 victory over the Blades to disappoint most of the 2,516 spectators at the SaskTel Centre. The convincing win allowed the Ice to improve their WHL leading record to 24-4-1.

“We were definitely fired up to play this one after being on a little bit of a skid for the last (six),” said Ice 17-year-old star centre Matthew Savoie. “Losing last night in P.A. really got us fired up.

“I just think the mentality coming into this game was must win, and we were really fired up today.”

Jakin Smallwood breaks into the offensive zone for the Ice.

Just 3:31 into the opening frame, the Ice drew first blood when left-winger Owen Pederson slipped home a shot five-hole on Blades netminder Nolan Maier.

Savoie said that first tally helped his team hit another gear.

“I thought the first shift from each line was really energetic,” said Savoie. “We came out with a physical mentality with the bounce back from last game.

“I thought the start was really key for our group tonight. Pedey’s goal just got us going.”

Jack Finley had a goal and an assist for the Ice.

The Ice upped their advantage to 2-0 just over six minutes later when star right-winger Connor McClennon wired a shot from the left slot past Maier.

Before the opening frame ended, the Ice went up 3-0 after tallying on the power play. Overage right-winger Jakin Smallwood made a smart pass in the centre ice zone to spring Savoie on a rush down the left wing.

Savoie burst down the wing, made a deke around a defenceman and snapped his 17^th of the season past Maier.

“I kind of just got on the ice a little bit late,” said Savoie, who had an assist to go with his goal on Wednesday. “Smallsy (Smallwood) kind of just had the puck in the neutral zone and made a good bump pass to me.

Matthew Savoie scores a power-play goal for the Ice.

“I kind of just went full speed and caught the D-man a little flat footed. I just put it through his triangle and tried to shoot it around the other side. Fortunately, it went in.”

Winnipeg held an 18-8 edge in shots on goal after an impressive showing in the first period.

The Blades pushed back really well in the second period. Early in the frame, Blades sophomore 17-year-old defenceman Pavel Bocharov rang a shot off the post.

That set the tone for the host side in the second as the Blades controlled territorial play holding a 12-6 edge in shots on goal.

Ben Zloty is a skilled offensive-defenceman for the Ice.

Sophomore 17-year-old Ice netminder Daniel Hauser put up a wall in front of the Winnipeg net allowing the visitors to take their 3-0 lead into the third.

The Ice regained control of the contest early in the third when 17-year-old centre Connor Geekie wrapped home his 10^th goal of the season to give the visitors a 4-0 lead.

With 4:54 remaining in the third, Pederson scored on the power play to complete a two-goal night to increase the Ice edge to 5-0.

The Ice rounded out the scoring when 19-year-old power forward Jack Finley tipped home a point shot from offensive-defenceman Ben Zloty with 2:04 remaining in the third.

Jonas Woo made his WHL debut for the Ice on Wednesday.

Finley finished the game netting an assist to go with his goal recording his first two points as a member of the Ice since being acquired in a trade with the Spokane Chiefs on December 6. Finley had been the Chiefs captain and had attended the selection camp for Canada’s world junior team.

Smallwood finished the contest collecting three assists.

Maier turned away 27 shots to take the setback goal for the Blades (14-12-1). Hauser stopped 28 shots to pick up the shutout win in goal for the Ice (24-4-1).

The shutout was the third of the season for Hauser.

When the dust settled, Savoie said Wednesday’s game was the performance his club needed to get things back on track again.

Ice G Daniel Hauser stops a shot that came through a screen.

“After a loss, you always want to play the next day and get back out there to bounce back,” said Savoie, who leads the WHL in scoring with 47 points coming on 17 goals and 30 assists. “I think playing the very next day after a loss was good for our group.

“I thought we came out good today.”

The Blades now play the Raiders twice before both those clubs go on a Christmas break. The sides meet Friday at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre to start a home-and-home series and conclude that series with a 7 p.m. encounter on Saturday at the SaskTel Centre.

Jack Finley (#26) celebrates his first goal with the Ice.

That Saturday game will be the Teddy Bear Toss night for the Blades.

The Ice travel to Brandon to face the Wheat Kings on Friday (7 p.m. local time, Westoba Place). That is the first game of a home-and-home series between those two sides.

They go at it again on Saturday in Winnipeg at 7 p.m. at the Wayne Fleming Arena before they depart on their respective Christmas breaks.

Savoie said the Ice just have to continue being themselves in order to go into the Christmas break on a high note.

“We just have to keep sticking to our system,” said Savoie. “When things don’t go right, you just go back to the step one and go back to the simple details for us.”

Zach Benson drives up ice for the Ice.

NOTES – Jonas Woo made his WHL debut with his hometown Ice on Wednesday. The Ice selected the 15-year-old defenceman in the first round and 18^th overall in the WHL Prospects Draft that was held online last Thursday. He was a plus-one in the Ice victory.

Earlier in the day on Wednesday, the Ice acquired 17-year-old Italian import right-winger Alessandro Segafredo from the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for 18-year-old Czech import defenceman Martin Bohm and a sixth round selection in the 2024 WHL Prospect Draft.

The Ice celebrate their 6-0 victory on Wednesday.

Segafredo had three goals, seven assists and a plus-four rating in the plus-minus department in 19 games with the Thunderbirds. He wasn’t able to suit up for the Ice on Wednesday.

Bohm had two assists and plus-10 rating in 15 games with the Ice.

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