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| Jakin Smallwood scored for the Ice on Friday. |
Still, the Ice, who were the WHL’s top team during the regular season, used their special teams to pull out a 3-1 victory over the visiting Raiders in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first round WHL playoff series at the Wayne Fleming Arena. Winnipeg cashed in on two-of-four power-play chances and killed off all five power-play opportunities the Raiders had.
The Ice, who posted a 53-10-3-2 regular season record, enter the series with the Raiders, who were 28-35-4-1 in the regular season, as big favourites. While the Ice’s record was way better than that of the Raiders, the Prince Albert side did give the Winnipeg side fits in eight head-to-head games in the regular season winning three of those contests.
The host side came out on fire in the first period hold an 11-2 edge in shots on goal. Despite that momentum over opening 20 minutes, the Ice were only able to put one goal past Raiders rookie import netminder Tikhon Chaika.
At the 12:03 mark of the first, the Ice entered the Prince Albert zone on a rush. Ice centre Cole Muir took a bank pass off the boards from linemate Skyer Bruce and circled around the back of the Raiders net.
After coming out the left side of the Prince Albert goal, Muir fed a pass to overage right-winger Jakin Smallwood, who was position in front of the Raiders goal. Smallwood quickly pushed the puck past Chaika to give the Ice a 1-0 lead.
The Raiders pushed back in the second period that saw the teams come out even in the shots on goal department 7-7. The Ice got the frame’s only goal scoring on the power play to extend their advantage to 2-0.
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| Reece Vitelli scored for the Raiders on Friday. |
Just 1:45 into the third, the Raiders broke through on the scoreboard when a midrange shot from right-winger Sloan Stanick deflected off the skates of Raiders overage captain Reece Vitelli into the Winnipeg net to cut the Ice lead to 2-1.
The visitors proceeded to receive a bad break just 15 seconds later when centre Hayden Pakkala received a minor penalty for high-sticking.
On the ensuing power play, Ice power forward Jack Finley found star 19-year-old right-winger Connor McClennon with a backdoor pass at the left side of the Prince Albert net. McClennon buried the puck into an empty cage past a sprawling Chaika to give the Ice a 3-1 advantage.
The power-play goal by McClennon came 68 seconds after Vitelli’s goal. Benson picked up his second helper of the contest on McClennon’s tally.
During the final three minutes of the third, the Raiders had the pick in the Winnipeg zone for most of that span of time but couldn’t put any more pucks past Ice star netminder Daniel Hauser.
Hauser made 19 save to pick up the win in goal for the Ice. Chaika turned away 27 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders.
Ice star centre Matthew Savoie left the game in the third period with his team up 3-1 and did not return after blocking a shot.
Both teams don’t have long to reflect on what happened in the series opener. Game 2 is slated for 7 p.m. local time on Saturday at the Wayne Fleming Arena.
Warriors wipeout Blades 5-1
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| Jagger Firkus had a highlight reel goal for the Warriors on Friday. |
Playing in front of a crowd 3,276 spectators made up mostly of their adoring faithful at Mosaic Place, the Warriors skated past the Blades 5-1 holding a 36-19 edge in shots on goal to take Game 1 of a best-of-seven first round WHL playoff series between the two sides.
The Warriors, who were 37-24-4-3 in the regular season, just edged the Blades, who were 38-26-3-1 in the regular season, by one standings point 81-80 in order to gain home ice advantage for the best-of-seven set. The friendly confines of Mosaic Place seemed to suit the Warriors just fine.
The host side stormed out of the gates holding a 12-6 edge in shots on goal and taking a 2-0 lead on a pair of stellar tallies.
Just past the midway point of the first, Warriors centre Atley Calvert tipped home a shot from linemate Martin Rysavy to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
With 5:04 remaining in the first, Warriors star right-winger Jagger Firkus put home a lacrosse style goal to the top right corner of the Blades net push the host’s lead out to 2-0.
The Blades appeared to get a spark 78 seconds in the second, when standout centre Josh Pillar fired home a shot from the front of the Moose Jaw goal to cut the Warriors lead to 2-1. Pillar was in the right spot at the right time as a point shot from veteran Blades defenceman Charlie Wright went wide and bounced off the right back boards right to Pillar in front of the Warriors net.
At that point, Pillar wasted no time in taking advantage of a positive bounce.
The Warriors restored their two-goal lead at the 11:21 mark of the second, when defenceman Maximus Wanner took the puck down the right wing, cut across the front of the Saskatoon goal and put home a backhand shot to give the hosts a 3-1 edge.
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| Nolan Maier was pulled out of the Blades net to rest in the third. |
After Korczak scored the Warriors fifth goal at the 8:54 mark of the third, the Blades pulled star overage netminder Nolan Maier. Maier turned away 21-of-26 shots to take the setback in goal for the Blades.
Rookie netminder Ethan Chadwick played the rest of the way in relief turning away all 10 shots he faced.
Overage star goalie Carl Tetachuk stopped 18 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Warriors.
Alarie finished with two assists for the Warriors, while offensive-defenceman Denton Mateychuk had two helpers for the Moose Jaw side. Korczak had a helper to go with his goal, while Firkus also had an assist to go with his tally.
The Blades were without star overage centre and captain Tristen Robins, who is still listed day-to-day with a lower body injury. Robins missed the Blades last games of the regular season due to injury.
In eight regular season meetings between Saskatoon and Moose Jaw, the Blades won six of those encounters. Game 2 of the series between these two sides is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.
Blades’ Crnkovic picks up pair of East
Division honours
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| Kyle Crnkovic picked up two WHL East Division awards. |
The Chestermere, Alta., product was named the Most Sportsmanlike Player and a first team all-star for the East Division. Crnkovic appeared in all of the Blades 68 regular season games posting career highs in goals (39), assists (55) and points (94), while only collecting 20 minutes in penalties.
The WHL announced division award winners and all-stars as part of a massive news dump on Thursday. Blades star captain and overage centre Tristen Robins was named a second team East Division all-star.
Prince Albert Raiders rookie right-winger Harrison Lodewyk was named the Scholastic Player of the Year for the East Division, while the Raiders as a team was tabbed as the winner of the WHL Business Award for the East Division.
The WHL is slated to announce its overall league awards via livestream on June 1.
Also on Thursday, the Edmonton Oil Kings were the winners of the WHL U.S. Priority Draft Lottery. The WHL U.S. Priority Draft is slated for May 18, and the Oil Kings will select first overall in that draft.
The Medicine Hat Tigers won the WHL Prospects Draft Lottery. The WHL Prospects Draft is scheduled for May 19, and the Tigers will have the first overall selection for that draft.
If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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