Blades getting “Scrooged” in December of 2024

Saskatoon falls 4-2 to Wheat Kings heading into Xmas break

The Blades stop Wheat Kings LW Carter Klippenstein on a scoring chance.

December has been nasty for the Saskatoon Blades.

Before December rolled around, the Blades were on a heater.

Back on November 30, they downed the Swift Current Broncos 4-3 after a tiebreaking shootout at the SaskTel Centre. That win allowed the Blades to improve to 17-6-1-1 to have a solid hold on first place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. At the time, that victory was a third straight for the club and also a sixth triumph in the squad’s previous seven contests.

Luke Shipley scored twice for the Wheat Kings on Sunday.

The Blades appeared to be a surprise team in the WHL. Last season, they finished first overall in the WHL regular season standings with a 50-13-2-3 mark. In the WHL Playoffs, they advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship Series falling 3-2 in overtime in a series deciding Game 7 to the eventual WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors at the SaskTel Centre.

Due to the fact the Blades made some trades to load up for a long post-season run, many weren’t expecting them to have the type of campaign where they would challenge for top spot in the conference. While the Blades had to deal with a number of key graduations, they had enough strong returning players that they expected to be in the post-season mix and not fall to the bottom of the standings.

Brandon Lisowsky scored twice for the Blades on Sunday.

When the 2024 calendar flipped over to December, the wins dried up for the Blades. In six outings so far for December, the Blades have two extra time losses and have dropped their last four straight games in regulation.

On Sunday playing before 5,274 spectators at the SaskTel Centre before heading to their Christmas break, the Blades fell 4-2 to the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Wheat Kings jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but the Blades rallied to even the score 2-2 at the 8:37 mark of the third period.

Wheat Kings 20-year-old defenceman Luke Shipley scored a pretty goal during a stretch of four-on-four play with 5:56 remaining in the third for the winning tally, and he sealed victory with an empty-net marker with 4.2 seconds remaining in the frame.

Ethan Eskit made 27 saves for the Wheat Kings on Sunday.

Despite the winless stretch, Saskatoon still sits first in the WHL’s East Division with a 17-10-2-2 mark. The Blades trail the Medicine Hat Tigers (19-14-1) for top spot in the Eastern Conference by one standings points with three games in hand.

The Wheat Kings improved to 15-9-3-1 with the win and trail the Blades by four standings points for first in the East Division with three games in hand. The Wheaties still have one game to play before departing on their Christmas break to pull closer to Saskatoon in the standings.

They are back in action on Tuesday hosting the 7-19-3-1 Warriors (7 p.m. local time, Westoba Place). Both the Wheat Kings and Warriors will head on to their respective Christmas breaks after that contest.

Ben Riche set up the Blades first goal.

The Blades have a long stretch to ponder where they are at this point in the 2024-25 campaign. Saskatoon doesn’t play again until hosting the Warriors on Friday, December 27 at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

While the Blades have two extra time setbacks in December, all four of their regulation losses have been heartbreakers. Saskatoon has fallen twice by one goal in those regulation losses. The other two losses have come by two goals, where the opponent has sealed victory with an empty-net tally like Brandon did on Sunday.

Sunday’s clash with the Wheat Kings was played pretty evenly by the two sides. Brandon basically was able to make two more plays than Saskatoon did, but the Blades are likely lamenting missed chances.

Nicholas Johnson had a goal and an assist for the Wheat Kings.

Just 1:51 into the opening frame, the Wheat Kings jumped ahead 1-0 off a Blades turnover in their own zone. A pass between Blades captain Ben Saunderson and 19-year-old centre Lukas Hansen was botched causing the puck to sit on the stick of Wheat Kings breakout centre Matteo Michels.

Positioned midrange off to the right of the Blades goal, Michels roofed a shot to the top left corner of the Saskatoon net for the opening marker of the contest.

The Wheat Kings pushed their edge out to 2-0 scoring on the power play at the 11:30 mark of the opening frame. During a scramble for the puck at the left side of the Blades net, Wheat Kings right-winger Brady Turko fed a backhanded pass across the front of the goal to left-winger Nicholas Johnson at the open right side of the cage. Johnson popped the puck into the empty side of the net to give the visitors their two-goal edge.

Ben Saunderson brings the puck up ice for the Blades.

The Blades came into the second period on fire applying all sorts of pressure in the Brandon zone holding a 15-7 edge in shots on goal for the stanza. Some sharp play by Wheat Kings netminder Ethan Eskit ensured the visitors went into the second intermission still holding the lead.

Saskatoon trimmed Brandon’s lead to 2-1 at the 8:33 mark of the second on a vintage goal by star 20-year-old left-winger Brandon Lisowsky. Entering the Wheat Kings zone on a two-on-one break, Blades breakout star centre Ben Riche drove down the left wing into the Wheat Kings zone with the puck and fed the puck across the front of the Brandon net to Lisowsky. Lisowsky fired a one-timer home to cut the Wheat Kings lead to one.

Matteo Michels scored the Wheat Kings first goal on Sunday.

Just four seconds into a power play at the 4:04 mark of the third, the Blades thought they had the equalizer when right-winger Hudson Kibblewhite tipped home a puck in front of the Brandon net that came off a point blast from 20-year-old defenceman Grayden Siepmann. The officials immediately waved off the goal ruling Kibblewhite knocked home the puck with a high stick.

The officials went to a video review that determined the call on the ice was correct much to the dismay of the Blades faithful in attendance.

The Blades finally broke through with the man advantage scoring five seconds into their fourth power-play chance. Working low in the left side of the Brandon zone, Kibblewhite sent a smart pass to Lisowsky positioned at the top of the left faceoff circle.

The Blades celebrate an equalizer from Brandon Lisowsky (#8).

Lisowsky one-timed home his second goal of the contest to even the score at 2-2 at the 8:37 mark of the third. With his two tallies on Sunday, Lisowsky now has 139 career goals for the Blades moving him one tally ahead of Josh Nicholls for sixth on the Blades career goal scoring list. Nicholls played five seasons for the Blades from 2008 to 2013.

Shipley proceeded to spoil the comeback party for the hosts. Entering the Blades zone driving down the right wing on a three-on-one break, Shipley weaved around Saunderson, who slide on the ice to break up any potential passing plays.

Brayden Klimpke starts a breakout for the Blades.

After getting around Saunderson along the icing line, Shipley cut to the front of the Saskatoon net and put home a backhander to give the Wheat Kings a 3-2 advantage with 5:56 remaining in the third. He proceeded to add his empty-net goal to round out the game’s scoring.

Johnson picked up an assist on Shipley’s empty-net tally to round out a two-point night with one goal and one assist.

Evan Gardner turned away 26-of-29 shots to take the setback in net for the Blades. Eskit stopped 27 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Wheat Kings.

As the Blades head into their Christmas break, one has to wonder if they are falling back to earth and if the graduations from last season are finally catching up to them.

Evan Gardner stopped 26-of-29 shots for the Blades.

Their 17-10-2-2 record might be an accurate reflection on where they sit. While they played well building a 17-6-1-1 mark after their win over the Broncos on November 30, they likely overachieved and got a couple of wins that they shouldn’t have.

Over their winless last six games that have included two extra time setbacks, the Blades likely deserved some breaks to get victory in a couple of those contests.

When they return to action after the Christmas break, the Blades will be in the mix in a wide open Eastern Conference. They could get back to the Eastern Conference Championship Series for a third straight year, or they could be eliminated in the first round of the post-season.

Ethan Eskit, left, and Nolan Flamand celebrate the Wheat Kings win.

No matter how the 2024-25 campaign plays out for the Blades, it should be entertaining to watch.

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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