Sidorov strikes in clutch time again for Blades

Scores OT winner to even series with Warriors 2-2

Egor Sidorov (#19) celebrates his OT winner for the Blades.

MOOSE JAW, Sask. – Egor Sidorov renewed his reputation of being “Mr. Clutch” for the Saskatoon Blades.

On Wednesday night playing before 4,643 spectators at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, Sidorov’s Blades were locked in a 4-4 tie in overtime against the host Moose Jaw Warriors in Game 4 of the WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series. The Blades were applying pressure in the Moose Jaw zone and 19-year-old right-winger Rilen Kovacevic had a chance clear the puck out of his zone down the right side boards by the blue-line.

Kovacevic tried to tip the puck out of his zone, but Blades star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky made a sweeping check with his stick and knocked the puck high in the air to Sidorov, who was alone in front of the Moose Jaw net. Sidorov put a deke on Warriors star netminder Jackson Unger and tucked home a forehand shot to give the Blades a 5-4 victory at the 3:29 mark of the extra session.

The Blades pile on top of Egor Sidorov after he scores in OT.

After scoring his extra time winner, Sidorov, who leads the WHL with 13 goals this post-season, proceeded to celebrate by rolling around on the ice before he was mobbed by his teammates who poured off the Saskatoon bench.

The win allowed the Blades to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2. In the four games of the set played so far, three of them have been decided in overtime. The series returns to Saskatoon for Game 5 on Friday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

“It was a great backcheck by (Brandon) Lisowsky,” said Sidorov, who has four game-winning goals in the current post-season. “It was a great backcheck.

Blades fans in Moose Jaw celebrate their team’s OT win.

“He just pass me puck. Honestly, it was in my head to go between my legs, but after, I was no. I was going to fake backhand and go forehand goal.

“That was a big game. It was huge for us win. We just have to keep going.”

Warriors captain and star offensive-defenceman Denton Mateychuk said Wednesday’s loss was a tough result to swallow. He thought his team showed great resiliency battling back from deficits of 3-0 and 4-2 to tie the contest.

“It is obviously a bit of a disappointment to let that one slide away after how we battled back after the first period,” said Mateychuk. “There were a lot of good things that came out of that game.

Egor Sidorov has four game winning goals in the post-season.

“It just stings a little bit.”

The Blades came out of the games on fire. Just 14 seconds into the first period, Blades star centre Fraser Minten put a shot on goal from the left boards in the Moose Jaw zone.

Unger got a piece of the shot causing the puck to fall and sit loose in the crease in the Moose Jaw goal. Lisowsky swooped in and popped home the loose puck to give the visitors a 1-0 edge.

Just 53 seconds later, Blades star captain Trevor Wong jetted into the Moose Jaw zone on a rush. He set up just inside the right faceoff circle, used Mateychuk as a screen and blew home his fourth of the post-season to push Saskatoon’s advantage out to 2-0.

Brandon Lisowsky had a goal and two assists for the Blades.

Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary called a time out immediately after the Blades second goal to settle his troops down.

A short time later, the Warriors went on the power play, but they weren’t able to get a traction moment. The Blades were strong on the kill. The Warriors best scoring chance came when offensive-defenceman Kalem Parker put a shot through a screen that was gloved by Blades breakout rookie netminder Evan Gardner.

After that kill, the Blades extended their lead to 3-0 at the 8:32 mark of the opening frame. Blades offensive-defenceman Ben Saunderson put a shot on goal from the point that was deflected home by import right-winger Alexander Suzdalev.

Brayden Yager had two goals and one assist for the Warriors.

“I loved our start,” said Blades head coach Brennan Sonne, who team finished first overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 50-13-2-3 mark. “That is what I am talking about the desperation that we had.

“It went away because of circumstances, but I loved our start. That was our best start of playoffs.”

The Warriors got a traction moment at the 12:06 mark of the opening frame when star right-winger Brayden Yager slipped home a shot from the point right when a Moose Jaw power play expired to cut the Blades edge to 3-1.

With 3:06 remaining in the first, Yager had the puck on the left wing in the Saskatoon zone and passed it across the front of the net to star right-winger Jagger Firkus. Firkus ripped home his 10^th of the post-season to further cut the Blades lead to 3-2.

Jagger Firkus had a goal and two assists for the Warriors.

Just 58 seconds later, Blades star offensive-defenceman Tanner Molendyk fired home a shot from the point to give Saskatoon a 4-2 edge heading into the first intermission. After 20 minutes, the Blades led 4-2, but the Warriors had a 12-7 edge in shots on goal.

The offence kept coming in the second. Just 64 seconds into the frame, Yager tucked home his second of the night at the right side of the Saskatoon net to cut the Blades advantage to 4-3.

The Warriors evened the score at 4-4 at the 9:57 mark of the second on a tally from right-winger Rilen Kovacevic. Kovacevic collected rebound in front the Saskatoon net from a point shot taken by Warriors overage import right-winger Martin Rysavy and potted home the equalizer.

Trevor Wong had the Blades second goal on Wednesday.

Mateychuk said the Warriors had belief that they could rally back and tie the game.

“I think it shows the heart that we have in our room,” said Mateychuk, whose club outshot the Blades 14-6 in the second period. “Everybody in there wants to win, and that is a really good thing.

“Having a better start I think everybody knows that. You can’t give up three goals in the first eight minutes. We’ll learn from that and be ready to go Friday.”

The third period was a scoreless frame with the teams finishing tied 8-8 in shots on goal.

With 10:54 remaining in the third, the Blades had arguably their best chance to score when overage star left-winger Easton Armstrong was stoned twice at the left side of the Moose Jaw by Unger.

Alexander Suzdalev had the Blades third goal on Wednesday.

Yager had a chance to net his third of the night with 6:50 to play in the frame, but he was denied by Gardner’s glove hand.

That set the stage for Sidorov come through with the winner in overtime.

Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary was pleased his squad rallied back to tie the game but said the stumble out of the gate in the first period hurt his club.

“I’m just really disappointed in the start,” said O’Leary, whose team finished fifth overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 44-21-0-3 mark. “The goals were one thing.

“I just thought we stood around and watched. For as big as this game was and as excited as we were about the opportunity, it is just disappointing with the start. Again, they did what they always do.

Tanner Molendyk had the Blades fourth goal on Wednesday.

“They punch back. It was great to battle ourselves back into the game. At the end of the day, you can’t start like that and expect to get a bounce late.”

Gardner stopped 33 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Jackson Unger turned away 19 shots to take the extra time setback in net for the Warriors.

Lisowsky had a three-point night for the Blades collecting his goal and two assists. He also had a plus-two rating in the plus-minus department.

Yager had an assist to go with his two goals for a three-point night, and Firkus had a pair of helpers to go with his marker.

Sidorov has loved the battle his club has shown in the series, which has been extremely competitive.

Rilen Kovacevic had the Warriors fourth goal on Wednesday.

“We are not tired,” said Sidorov. “There are two great teams playing each other, so that is a good experience.”

The Blades did hit the ice on Wednesday without veteran defenceman John Babcock due to an undisclosed injury. Blades utility winger Tyler Parr returned to action after missing seven games due to an undisclosed injury.

Looking back at the first four games of the series so far, Sonne believes it has been a great one for the fans. Due to being in the series as a bench boss, Sonne said it has been challenging on his heart.

“I’m in the emotions,” said Sonne. “I’m in the room. I’m with the guys.

“I’m doing all the video, so just imagine me stepping out of that and I’m not the coach anymore. If I’m a fan, I’m really enjoying this. As a coach, I’m going to have to get an EKG (electrocardiogram) actually is what is going to have to happen.

The Blades head off the ice after their win on Wednesday.

“As a fan, I think this is entertainment to the max, and I think the province is probably enjoying this quite a bit.”

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