Unger reprises role as Blades frustrating nemesis

Hurricanes lock down playoff berth with 2-0 win

Jackson Unger made 30 saves for a shutout victory on Tuesday.

The Saskatoon Blades are likely looking forward to the day Jackson Unger graduates from the WHL.

The star netminder played a big part in derailing the Blades most memorable season in 30 years. Unger, who turned 20-years-old in January, backstopped the Moose Jaw Warriors to a seven game series win over the Blades in last year’s WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series, which saw a record six games go to overtime.

With the Blades holding a 3-2 lead in the series, Unger stopped 30 shots to push the Warriors to a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 6 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre on May 5, 2024 to even the series 3-3. In the series deciding Game 7 played two days later at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Unger turned away 37 shots to backstop the Warriors to a 3-2 overtime victory. Unger proceeded to backstop the Warriors to a four game sweep of the Portland Winterhawks to deliver a first WHL championship to the Moose Jaw franchise.

Jackson Unger has two shutout wins over the Blades this season.

For the Blades, the Game 7 loss to the Warriors was a heartbreaking end to the 2023-24 campaign that saw them finish first overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 50-13-2-3 record.

On Tuesday at the SaskTel Centre, Unger was up to his old tricks playing for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He stopped all 30 shots fired his way to power the Hurricanes to a 2-0 victory over the Blades to the disappointment of most of the 3,478 spectators in attendance.

The win allowed the Hurricanes to improve to 36-19-2-1 and officially clinch a berth in the WHL Playoffs.

Unger and superstar centre Brayden Yager were acquired by the Hurricanes in a blockbuster trade with the Warriors on December 2, 2024. Tuesday’s shutout win was Unger’s first shutout victory as a member of the Hurricanes and his second of the 2024-25 campaign.

Jackson Unger makes a third period stop for the Hurricanes.

The Calgary, Alta., product’s first shutout of the season came when he was still a member of the Warriors on November 21, 2024. In that contest played at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, Unger stopped all 32 shots sent his way in a 4-0 victory over – guess who – the Blades.

With both the Warriors and Hurricanes, Unger has faced the Blades five times this season posting three wins and turning away 129-of-135 shots fired his way. The Blades had to claw and scratch to get the two wins they did against Unger.

While the Hurricanes have loaded up in an attempt to make a long post-season run this year, Tuesday’s win over the Blades as a gritty one. Blades netminder Ethan McCallum came up with a big night making 25 saves and giving up just two goals in the setback.

Ethan McCallum made 25 saves in goal for the Blades on Tuesday.

The Hurricanes opened the game’s scoring at the 12:35 mark of the opening frame with a gritty goal. Hurricanes overage defenceman Logan McCutcheon fired a shot from the point that rebounded to the left side of the Blades net.

Lethbridge 16-year-old rookie centre Chase Petersen got to the rebound at the left side of the Saskatoon net and quickly potted his second of the season for a 1-0 lead.

The Hurricanes controlled play in the first period outshooting the Blades 14-5 in the frame. In the final seconds of the first, the Blades nearly got a traction moment. A puck game out to rookie centre Cooper Williams, who turned 17-year-olds on February 18, and Williams just missed getting his stick on the puck to deflect it into the Lethbridge net.

The Hurricanes celebrate a goal from Chase Petersen (#20).

On the Blades second power-play chance early in the second period, the Hurricanes pushed their lead out to 2-0 scoring short-handed. Hurricanes 20-year-old centre Brayden Edwards got the puck at his own blue-line and passed the puck to right-winger Luke Cozens jetting down the left wing to spark a two-on-one break.

Edwards entered the Saskatoon zone and passed the puck across the face of the Saskatoon net to McCutcheon. McCutcheon covered the backdoor feed to give the Hurricanes a two-goal edge.

The Blades had their opportunities to break on to the scoreboard including getting the first four power-play chances of the contest occurring before the eight-minute mark of the second period. Saskatoon never got a lot quality scoring chances on those first four power plays due to the Hurricanes defensive play and Unger’s stellar positioning in net.

Logan McCutcheon had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes.

Near the end of the fourth power play, Williams wired a puck off the post of the Lethbridge net for the Blades best scoring chance. The Blades, who have the seventh best power play in the WHL at 25.3 per cent, finished the contest 0-for-6 with the man advantage. The Hurricanes have the sixth best penalty kill in the WHL with an 81 per cent success rate.

Lethbridge failed to score on two power-play opportunities in the contest.

During the second half of the second period, the Blades started to pepper the Lethbridge net and finished with a 14-4 edge in shots on goal for the frame. Unger slammed the door to protect the two-goal edge.

Tyler Parr (#20) spins away from Caden Price (#22).

McCallum had to be sharp too in the second half of the second to keep the Blades in the game making a pad save on a breakaway chance from veteran Hurricanes right-winger Shane Smith.

In the third, the Blades two best scoring chances resulted in one misfire and one unfortunate break. With just over 10 minutes remaining in the third, Blades rookie defenceman Jordan Martin, who turned 18-years-old in January, missed an open net with a shot from the right side of the Hurricanes goal.

With about six minutes remaining in the third, Blades star left-winger Rowan Calvert received the puck at the right side of the Lethbridge net after a Hurricanes turnover. Calvert’s shot deflected off a stick wide of the Lethbridge net.

Jordan Martin missed an open net for the Blades.

Unger would make a key stop off Blades 18-year-old right-winger William James, who knocked the puck off the stick of Hurricanes star defenceman Caden Price towards the Lethbridge net.

In the final seconds of the third, the Blades were attacking with McCallum pulled for an extra attacker. 

During a scramble situation, the Hurricanes skaters collapsed around their net to ensure Unger picked up the shutout.

The Hurricanes sit third overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and are trying to finish as high in the standings as they can. They return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Prince Albert to take on the 33-19-3-1 Raiders (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

Cooper Williams had two big scoring chances for the Blades.

The Blades fell to 30-19-3-4 with the setback to sit along with the Brandon Wheat Kings (30-18-4-3) three points back of the Raiders for first in the East Division. The Wheat Kings have a game in hand on both the Blades and Raiders. Brandon holds the standings tiebreaker against the Blades posting three wins and two overtime setbacks in six head-to-head encounters.

The Blades get back at it on Saturday when they travel to Moose Jaw to take on the Warriors (7 p.m., Moose Jaw Events Centre). Saskatoon’s magic number of standings points needed to lock up a playoff berth is seven.

While the Blades have no more head-to-head meeting with the Hurricanes in the regular season, it is possible the two sides could meet in the first round of the post-season. If that materializes, the Blades will face their frustrating nemesis in Unger once again.

The Hurricanes celebrate their win on Tuesday night.

NOTES – The Hurricanes ensured that five of their six players from Saskatoon and the nearby area were in the starting lineup on Tuesday. Trae Johnson, who is from Martensville, lined up at right wing. Yager, who lives just outside Saskatoon, took up his regular centre spot. A trio of defencemen in McCutcheon, Noah Chadwick and Price, who are all from Saskatoon, were out for the opening faceoff and first shift. Price lined up at left wing, while McCutcheon and Chadwick patrolled the blue-line.

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