Wheat Kings wipe out Blades 5-1

P.A. product Schneider posts goal, assist and plus-three rating

Braden Schneider had a goal, an assist and was a plus-three for Brandon.

    Braden Schneider had a Prince Albert moment playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings.
    With his team holding a 3-0 advantage on the host Saskatoon Blades, the 18-year-old defenceman saw his goaltender Jiri Patera get knocked to the ice via a trip from veteran Blades right-winger Zach Huber. Schneider, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 208 pounds, confronted Huber, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 197 pounds, starting a scrum.

    Schneider was given minor penalties for cross-checking and roughing, while Huber was assessed minors for goaltender interference and roughing.

    Schneider, who is a Prince Albert, Sask., product and played for the Prince Albert Raiders bantam AA team and the Prince Albert Mintos midget AAA club, admitted a little bit of his personality from his hometown coming out in that moment.

Braden Schneider (#2) takes part in Brandon’s head butt goal celebration.

    “I think I am a competitive guy,” said Schneider. “I think any guy on our team would do the same.

    “I think we are just a tight-knit group, and I think we have each others’ back no matter what happens. If we think it is dirty, we will be standing up for each other for sure.”

    Had the officials stretched the call and given out fighting majors in that moment, Schneider would have ended up with the Gordie Howe hat trick. Still, he had a great night posting one goal, one assist and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department.

Braden Schneider controls the puck at the point for the Wheat Kings.

    Overall, the Wheat Kings rolled to a 5-1 victory in Wednesday’s WHL regular season clash played before 2,815 spectators at the SaskTel Centre.

    Schneider said it was cool to have nights where seemingly everything went right for his side, but he added that isn’t always the case.

    “All our guys rose to the occasion,” said Schneider. “After the game, we reset and get ready for the next one, because the next one is just as big.”

    On a personal front, Schneider is having a breakout campaign in his third season in the WHL. He has posted six goals and 28 assists for 34 points to go with a plus-11 rating in 49 regular season appearances with the Wheat Kings.

Braden Schneider is having a breakout season with the Wheat Kings.

    Schneider’s assist and point totals are already career highs. He said the experience he gained over his first two major junior campaigns is helping out now.

    “Everyone is a bit bigger, a bit faster and a bit stronger,” said Schneider. “It is a little bit of an adjustment from midget, but once you get used to it, it almost seems easier.

    “I know where the little soft spots are now, and I am using my guys and carrying the puck a little bit more and shooting a little bit more. I think just the comfort level and the opportunity is helping me find the net a little bit more.”

    Wednesday’s game got off to an auspicious start for the Blades, which seemed to foreshadow what was to come. About a couple of minutes into the opening frame, Blades netminder Nolan Maier had the puck behind his net and nonchalantly sent a backhand pass into the left slot right to Wheat Kings centre Jake Chiasson.

Braden Schneider starts a rush up ice for the Wheat Kings.

    Chiasson wasn’t able to capitalize on the gift firing a shot wide of the Saskatoon goal.

    The Wheat Kings proceeded to a pot a goal seconds into a power-play at the 6:02 mark of the frame. Off a draw on from the faceoff circle to the left of the Saskatoon goal, Wheat Kings captain Connor Gutenberg slipped a pass across the face the Blades net to linemate Cole Reinhardt, who buried his 26^th goal of the season.

    Before the first ended, the Blades had a couple of strong chances to net the equalizer. 

Ridly Greig had two goals and two assists for Brandon.

    Patera made a glove stop on a drive by feisty Blades left-winger Riley McKay and then stoned Huber from point blank range.

    With 2:31 remaining in the first, the Wheat Kings expanded their edge to 2-0 off an offensive rush, where a pinching Schneider potted a backdoor pass from centre Luka Burzan at the left side of the Saskatoon goal.

    The assist was Burzan’s 100^th of his WHL career.

    Just 12 seconds into the second, Gutenberg netted his 11^th of the season to put the Wheat Kings up 3-0.

Connor Gutenberg had a goal and three assists for Brandon.

    The Wheat Kings took further control of the contest with 2:07 remaining in the second, when centre Ridly Greig fired home a power-play goal from the right boards to put the visitors up 4-0.
    The only thing that seemingly didn’t go right for the Wheat Kings was that Greig was stopped on a penalty shot about a couple of minutes before his power-play goal.

    “It is a lot easier to play, when everyone is going like that, and we are playing the way we want to be playing,” said Schneider. “We came prepared tonight, and it was a big game. “

    The Blades showed a bit of fight at the start of third. Following a penalty kill, overage Blades defenceman Nolan Kneen jetted into the Brandon zone on a breakaway and fired home his 11^th of the season to the top right corner of the Wheat Kings net.

    If there were any dreams of a comeback by the home side, the Wheat Kings burst that bubble scoring a short-handed goal on a two-on-one break with nine minutes remaining in the third. 

Nolan Kneen had the Blades lone goal on Wednesday.

    Greig potted his second of the night converting a setup pass from right-winger Ty Thorpe to give the visitors a 5-1 advantage.

    Greig had a pair of assists to go with his two goals for a four-point night. Gutenberg had three helpers to go with his goal for a four-point night as well.

    Patera turned away 22 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Wheat Kings (28-19-3-2). Maier turned away 27 shots to take the setback in goal for the Blades (27-21-2-3).

    Back on Dec. 28, the Wheat Kings had a 15-17-1-2 record, and there was uncertainty in which direction their season could go. In their 17 outings since, the Wheat Kings have posted a 13-2-2 record.

    “I think everyone is just buying in to what we are given,” said Schneider. “When we do that, we are a pretty tough team to beat.

Jiri Patera makes one of his 22 saves for the Wheat Kings.

    “I think everyone has learned their role and is buying into the system. I think it is all just coming around full circle for us. I think at the start some people were starting to write us off.

    “We were a little inconsistent. We were trying to find our stride, and I think once we found it, it was pretty scary.”

    The Blades and Wheat Kings will go at it again on Friday in Brandon (7:30 p.m. local time, Westoba Place).

    Schneider expects the intensity will be a lot higher in Friday’s encounter than it was on Wednesday.

    “The challenge is that they are going to be coming harder than they did tonight,” said Schneider. “I think the challenge for us is to be prepared and be ready to go and reset.

The Wheat Kings celebrate their win on Wednesday.

    “We know that they are going to be coming for blood from us.”

    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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Blades winning streak falls due to hectic schedule

Saskatoon goes down gutty playing third game in 48 hours

Chase Wouters and the Blades were in tough on Sunday.

    The WHL schedule maker might have gained an assist in bringing the Saskatoon Blades winning streak to an end.

    On Sunday, the Blades played their third game inside of 48 hours over a three day span, when they traveled to Brandon to take on the Wheat Kings for a 4 p.m. engagement. Saskatoon had a seven game winning streak intact going into Brandon.

    After downing the Kootenay Ice 4-2 at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon on Saturday night, the Blades stepped off the ice at around 9:20 p.m., and proceeded to eat, load up the bus and head out to Brandon. They arrived in Brandon at about 5 a.m. on Sunday and rested up as much as they could for a contest that was less than 11 hours away.

    The Wheat Kings came into the game having Saturday off after defeating the visiting Swift Current Broncos 3-2 in overtime on Friday night at Westman Place.

    Going into Brandon to win against the Wheat Kings is difficult at the best of times, but it is almost near impossible under the circumstances the Blades were facing.

    As has been the case all season, the Blades brought all that they could on that night, and the found themselves locked in a 3-3 tie after winger Chase Wouters scored his second of the night at the 11:32 mark of the third. All of a sudden, a Wheat Kings victory was by no means a given.

    Still, the expected Brandon victory in that scenario came to pass. Ty Lewis, who is Brandon’s 19-year-old star winger, scored his second goal of the night with 1:56 to play in the third to give the Wheat Kings a 4-3 lead. Centre Stelio Mattheos scored his 29^th goal of the season into an empty net 47 seconds later to seal a 5-3 victory for the host side before 3,051 spectators at Westman Place.

    The Wheat Kings improved to 27-12-0-1 with the win, while the Blades fell to 21-18-2-1 as their seven game winning streak came to an end. Both teams are currently holding playoff positions.

Ryan Kubic made 25 saves in goal for the Blades.

    Brandon took a 3-1 lead in the first period off of Lewis’s first goal of the contest and singles from the sticks of Connor Gutenberg and Tanner Kaspick. Star overage winger Braylon Shmyr had the lone reply for Saskatoon in the opening 20 minutes.

    While the Blades were down, they didn’t pack it in. Wouters scored his first of the night in the second period to cut the Wheat Kings lead to 3-2. Brandon only held an 18-15 edge in the shots on goal department over the first 40 minutes despite being more rested than Saskatoon.

    Fatigue finally caught up to the Blades in the third period. Wouters managed to tie the contest in the third, but the Wheat Kings carried play in the frame holding a 12-3 edge in shots on goal.

    The Blades needed one more positive bounce somewhere to escape with victory, but it never came. Ryan Kubic turned away 25-of-29 shots to take the setback in goal for the Blades. Logan Thompson stopped 15 shots to pick up the win in the Wheat Kings net.

    Defensive defenceman Jackson Caller had assists on all three Saskatoon goals.

    All WHL teams face hectic parts in their schedules, but hopefully situations like the Blades faced this past weekend become less of a norm next season, when the regular season schedule shrinks from 72 games to 68 contests for each club.

    While four fewer games might not seem like a big decrease, it will create more situations were teams play on a Saturday night and get to be off until Wednesday. Playing three games in less than 48 hours increases the chances a player could be injured in the third game just due to fatigue. If you can lessen the chances of doing that, it is always a good thing.

Jackson Caller had three assists for the Blades on Sunday.

    In the current day of the WHL, players seem to be more connected with their families thanks to social media. When teams play on Saturday and proceed to be off until Wednesday, a large number of teams make Saturday a non-curfew night. Players in the current day often spend those nights going out for dinner at a nice restaurant with their families and having a quality visit.

    When the 68-game regular season schedule comes into effect, it should provide a few more chances to play on Saturday and be off until Wednesday.

    You won’t be able to loosen up all the hectic parts of the WHL schedule, but the 68 game regular season schedule should ensure there are less moments where teams play three times in less than 48 hours. That small move should do wonders for competitive balance.
    The Blades return to action on Wednesday, when they host the Medicine Hat Tigers at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

    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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Blades need more than morale victories

Saskatoon enters break with tough loss to Wheat Kings

Blades goalie Logan Flodell guides a shot away from the Saskatoon goal.

    For every heart-stopping victory the Saskatoon Blades earn, it seems like there are two heartbreaking defeats awaiting just around the corner.

    On Saturday, “the Bridge City Bunch” entered the WHL Christmas break dropping a 3-2 decision at the SaskTel Centre to the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. Locked in a 2-2 tie, Wheat Kings winger Connor Gutenberg banged home the winning goal during a net scramble after an offensive zone faceoff with 66 seconds to play in the third period to mostly disappoint a crowd of 4,319.

    The hosts couldn’t counter with the equalizer and fell to 13-19-3-1 to sit four points back of the Wheat Kings, who improved to 15-14-4, for the final wildcard playoff berth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The Wheat Kings, who are the defending WHL champions, also have three games in hand on Saskatoon.

Wheat Kings winger Connor Gutenberg chases a loose puck.

    After three years of rebuilding under the ownership of Mike Priestner, who bought the franchise after it hosted the Memorial Cup in 2013, this is supposed to be the year the Blades obtain more tangible results – like earning a playoff berth.

    The Blades may still earn that elusive playoff berth. When play resumes after the WHL Christmas break, Saskatoon plays 22 of its remaining 36 games at home. There is the potential to make big gains.

    Since being bombed at home 8-2 by the Medicine Hat Tigers back on Nov. 26, the work ethic has been there for the Blades on most nights they have hit the ice. The highlight of that stretch was a thrilling 2-1 overtime win on Dec. 10 in Regina against the Pats, who are still rated first in the Canadian Hockey League’s top 10 rankings.

    Even on Saturday, the effort was there from the Blades and for the Wheat Kings as well.

Blades winger Braylon Shmyr zips into the offensive zone.

    Both sides have to be given credit for coming out hard, because there are a lot of occasions where the final regular season game before the WHL Christmas break turns into a dud. That sometimes is hard to avoid as players on both sides are looking forward to going home.

    Brandon used one tactic that seemed to catch the Blades off guard, which was to shoot or try and guide the puck on goal off an offensive zone faceoff.

    The Wheat Kings netted their first goal while playing short-handed doing exactly that at the 3:42 mark of the first. Off a draw, Wheat Kings centre Tanner Kaspick drove the puck on goal creating a net scramble, and linemate Meyer Nell potted the rebound to give the visitors a 1-0 edge.

    The Blades responded at the 2:13 mark of the second, when winger Braylon Shmyr slipped home a power-play goal on a backhander through a screen to force a 1-1 tie. That tally also ignited the contest’s Teddy Bear Toss promotion, where the spectators threw enough stuffed animals on the ice that they overfilled two half ton trucks and partially filled a third.

    At the 8:55 mark of the second, Brandon went ahead 2-1 off another offensive zone faceoff. Centre Reid Duke drove to the net off the draw and fed linemate Tyler Coulter with a sweet pass across the face of the Saskatoon net. Coulter potted his 11th of the season into an empty cage.

    The Blades showed their resiliency forcing a 2-2 tie at the 3:40 mark of the third on a highlight reel type tally. Breaking into the offensive zone, Shmyr slipped a smart pass past a Wheat Kings defenceman to spring Blades overage centre Jesse Shynkaruk in on a breakaway.

Evan Fiala and Tyler Lees (#16) load up a truck with stuffed animals.

    Shynkaruk went from his forehand to his backhand and slipped home his 11^th of the season past Wheat Kings goalie Jordan Papirny.

    That set the stage for the dramatics in the final 66 seconds.

    Papirny made 22 saves to earn the win in goal for Brandon.

    Logan Flodell, who has been outstanding all season in net for the Blades, turned away 26 shots in the Saskatoon goal.

    With Saturday’s setback, the Blades fall to 6-8 in one-goal games.
    They have earned four points in the standing in four of those losses due to the fact they came in overtime or after a tiebreaking shootout.  
    Saskatoon could really use the points that were lost in the one-goal setbacks that came in either regulation or extra time. Those lost points are making the difference between sitting in a playoff position or on the outside looking in.

    The Blades have been hampered by the fact the injury bug seems to bite their key players. Star centre Cameron Hebig hasn’t played a game due to an upper body injury. Right-winger Mason McCarty has missed the Blades last 10 games due to a severe lower body injury.

The Wheat Kings celebrate victory at the expense of the Blades.

    Shynkaruk and defenceman Jake Kustra, who are both healthy now, both lost significant time due to injury.

    Saskatoon is currently without defenceman Libor Hajek, who is taking part in the selection camp for the Czech Republic’s world junior team.

    The fact the Blades have been competitive and are still in the playoff hunt with their injuries and close setbacks helps the club stack up a big list of morale victories.

    However, the morale victories need to turn into actual victories on the scoreboard, or the Blades will be out of the playoffs for a fourth straight year.
    They are still in position to make a push for the playoffs, but the road to the post-season won’t be an easy one.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.