Scorcher at SaskTel Centre – Rockets down Blades 5-4 in OT

Rockets goalie Jari Kykkanen stops Blades RW Egor Sidorov (#19).

That one was a Doug McConachie special.

Late great sports editor of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix would have loved Saturday’s WHL regular season clash between the Kelowna Rockets and the host Saskatoon Blades at the SaskTel Centre, because he would have been thoroughly entertained. Seeing something that felt like it was from hockey’s 1980s fire-wagon era, the Blades held a 4-3 lead, but the Rockets forced overtime when import Czech defenceman Marek Rocak wired home the equalizer from just ahead of the right faceoff dot to force a 4-4 tie with 17.9 seconds to play in the third period.

Rockets captain Gabriel Szturc celebrates scoring an OT winner.

In a three-versus-three overtime period, the Rockets proceeded to win the opening faceoff and never relinquished possession of the puck. After pinning the Blades in their end, the Rockets were able to get a line change.

Rocak got the puck to Rockets import captain Gabriel Szturc. Szturc took a shot from in close by the right side of the Saskatoon net, but his shot was blocked. The puck came back out to him.

Szturc proceeded to circle with the puck in the Saskatoon zone to the top of the left faceoff circle, where he roofed a shot to the top right corner of the Blades net to deliver a 5-4 victory to the Kelowna side just 78 seconds into extra time.

While the Blades didn’t win, one of the lessons that onlookers can learn is that a hockey game can be great and entertaining even if the home side doesn’t win. McConachie always strived to cover WHL contests objectively, but he did want the Blades to win.

The Rockets begin piling on top of Gabriel Szturc after their OT win.

Even though the Blades didn’t win on Saturday, he likely would have thought Saturday’s clash between the Blades and Rockets was fantastic. The action was fast paced with the teams transitioning up and down the ice at a rapid rate.

The skilled players on both sides got to showcase the best of their abilities. The Blades also drew their second best attendance figure of the season at 6,320 spectators, which included a number of young players from minor hockey teams in attendance.

The youngsters were full of energy, and they helped create quite a raucous atmosphere in the Blades final home game before they departed on their Christmas break. When reflecting on the night’s experience, those at the SaskTel Centre would have to admit they had a great time.

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

The Blades faithful should be in space where they can’t wait until Wednesday, December 27^th rolls around to when “the Bridge City Bunch” is next in action. They return from their Christmas break on that day to face their archrivals the Prince Albert Raiders (17-15-0-2) at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

Plus, the Blades, who are rated fifth in the CHL’s Top 10 Rankings, sit second in the WHL’s overall standings with a 23-8-2. Their 48 standings points equals the total put up by the Prince George Cougars, but the Cougars hold the tiebreak for first overall posting more wins with a 24-9 mark.

Saskatoon had won seven straight games heading into Saturday’s encounter with the Rockets, and the Blades have earned standings points in their last 10 straight outings posting eight wins and two overtime setbacks over that stretch.

Egor Sidorov had a pair of goals for the Blades.

The Rockets are showing that they are no slouches either. With the win over the Blades, the Rockets have won their last two straight and more importantly seven out of their last nine contests heading into their Christmas break.

Thanks to winning seven of their last night outings, the Rockets have improved to 15-15-2. After taking a stumble out of the gate, the Rockets are showing that they may have indeed turned the corner.

They will return to action on Wednesday, December 27, when they travel to Kamloops to face the 8-20-3-2 Blazers (7 p.m. local start, Sandman Centre).

As for Saturday’s game itself, the Blades opened the scoring at the 7:17 mark of the first period on a goal from star import right-winger Egor Sidorov. Set up in front of the Kelowna net, Sidorov received a pass from star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky and one-timed home a shot to give the Blades a 1-0 lead.

Caden Price scored for the Rockets in the first period on Saturday.

All of a sudden, momentum swung big time on the side of the Rockets. At the 10:39 mark of the first, Rockets 19-year-old right-winger Luke Schelter batted home a puck out of the air from the front of the Blades net into the goal to even the game’s score at 1-1.

Just one minute later, Rockets star offensive-defenceman Caden Price, who is a Saskatoon product, wired home a shot from just inside the left faceoff circle to put the visitors up 2-1.

With 3:44 remaining in the opening frame, the Rockets extended their edge to 3-1. After Kelowna cleared the puck into the Saskatoon zone, Rockets star left-winger Andrew Cristall got the puck away from two Blades players at the right side of the Saskatoon net.

Saturday’s game at the SaskTel Centre attracted numerous young fans.

Cristall passed the across the front of the net to Rockets breakout star left-winger Tij Iginla, who jetted into an open area on the left side of the goal when he saw Cristall had the puck. Iginla promptly popped home his 25^th goal of the season to give the visitors their two-goal edge.

Right before the first frame ended, the Blades got an important traction moment. With 2.4 seconds remaining in the first, Sidorov scored in vintage style one-timing home a shot from the right slot for a power-play goal to cut the Rockets lead to 3-2.

Trevor Wong had a pair of assists for the Blades.

Blades 19-year-old defenceman Grayden Siepmann fed Sidorov with a beauty pass for the sharpshooting winger to drive home. With his two first period tallies on Saturday, Sidorov has 32 goals in 31 appearances this season for the Blades.

After what seemed like an avalanche of goals in the first, the Blades had the only tally in the game’s second period. With 5:55 remaining in the second, Lisowsky entered the zone on the right wing and roofed home his 18^th of the season from a bad angle to even the score at 3-3.

In the third, it appeared the Blades had moved into position to take the contest scoring a short-handed goal themselves to go up 4-3 with 4:21 remaining in the frame. 

Tyler Parr put the Blades up 4-3 with a short-handed goal.

Blades star captain Trevor Wong broke down the left wing into the Kelowna zone and passed the puck across the front of the Rockets net to 18-year-old left-winger Tyler Parr, who jetted into the offensive zone on the right wing.

Parr popped home his third of the season to give the hosts their one-goal edge in the third. That set the stage for the dramatics with Rocak scoring for the Rockets to send the game to overtime and Szturc winning it in the extra session for the visitors.

Austin Elliott turned away 19 shots to take the extra setback in net for the Blades. Jari Kykkanen stopped 27 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rockets.

Marek Rocak scored with 17.9 seconds left in the third to force OT.

Lisowsky finished the contest with three points coming off a goal and two assists. Wong had a pair of helpers for the Blades. 

Iginla had a goal and an assist for the Rockets, while Cristall had two assists for the Kelowna side.

In the grand scheme of things, the spectators at the SaskTel Centre might have been the biggest winners on the night. In a contest that spanned two hours and 22 minutes in real time, they got to see one heck of a show.

The value of that is priceless no matter who wins on the scoreboard.

The Rockets celebrate their OT victory on Saturday night.

NOTES – WHL outgoing commissioner Ron Robison visited Saskatoon on Saturday night as part of a final tour to drop in on each of the circuit’s centres. He dropped the ceremonial faceoff before the start of the contest. Last June, Robison, who is 68-years-old, announced the 2023-34 campaign would be his last as WHL commissioner. Dan Near, who is 43-years-old, has been hired as the WHL’s new commissioner, and he will begin transitioning into that role on January 1, 2024.

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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Raiders drop heartbreaker going into Christmas break

Iginla pots winner for Rockets with 21.7 seconds left in third

The scene as Tij Iginla (#11) scores the winner for the Rockets.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Old “Mo” turned out to be a Grinch to the Prince Albert Raiders.

On Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre, the Raiders were playing their final WHL regular season contest before heading off to their Christmas break. In a clash that saw many momentum swings, it appeared momentum would be on the side of the Raiders going down the home stretch.

Trailing the Rockets 3-2 late in the third period, Raiders import left-winger Krzysztof Macias scored a power-play goal off a net scramble to force a 3-3 tie with 2:41 remaining in the frame. The scramble was cause when Raiders 20-year-old star winger Sloan Stanick tried to score on a wraparound, and the puck squirted out to Macias during the frantic action and the product from Poland netted the equalizer.

The Rockets celebrate their winning goal from Tij Iginla (#11).

With 21.7 seconds remaining in the third, Rockets breakout star centre Tij Iginla netted the winner during a net scramble around the Prince Albert net. It appeared Raiders netminder Max Hildebrand had the puck momentarily covered, but the action continued allowing Iginla to score to give the Rockets a 4-3 victory. The result came to the disappointment of most of the 2,431 in attendance.

While the Raiders weren’t able head into their Christmas break on a winning note, head coach Jeff Truitt was pleased with his club’s effort in their final game before departing to enjoy holiday festivities.

“We battled,” said Truitt. “I thought the first period we really managed the puck real well.

Tij Iginla had a goal and two assists for the Rockets.

“I thought that there wasn’t a lot of turnovers on our part. I thought that we managed things. In the second period, it was a bit of a battle period.

“The temperature went up a little bit, which is good. They obviously weren’t going to budge. It was a battle.”

Truitt admitted it was tough for his side to see the game conclude with how Iginla’s winner unfolded.

“The third period the disappointing part about it was we battled back after they were up,” said Truitt. “We tied this thing up, and we have a call that the puck wasn’t covered.

“It was disappointing for sure, because we battled back to 3-3 and could have got a point, but we didn’t.”

Referee Brody McGrath discusses penalty calls after a scrum.

With the loss, the Raiders still go into the Christmas break holding a sound 17-15-0-2 record. They are getting an early start in entering their holiday period.

The WHL has a regular schedule of games set for Saturday and Sunday before everyone on the circuit will be on their respective breaks. No matter what the results are of Saturday’s and Sunday’s games, the Raiders will be sitting in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference entering the break.

Macias, who has 13 goals and five assists in 31 appearances so far this season for the Raiders, said it was tough to go into the break on a heartbreaking setback, but he and his teammates believe they put in a good effort.

Oli Chenier scored the Raiders first goal on Friday.

“It is not the best feeling to lose the game, even if we worked hard,” said Macias. “For sure, it is better to lose the game that way then to lose the game with no effort.

“That was our goal for all the season. No matter the score, we have to put 100 per cent effort every night. That situation happened today (on Iginla’s winner), it is hockey.

“It happens sometimes. We got unlucky. It happens to every team, and I think we will games the same way that we lost today.”

Iginla had a huge night for the Rockets recording a pair of assists and a plus-two rating in the plus-minus department to go with his goal. His first assist came on the Rockets first goal as they opened the game’s scoring at the 10:49 mark of the opening frame.

Justice Christensen had the Raiders second goal on Friday.

He put a shot pass in the direction of the Prince Albert net that was tipped into the goal by Rockets 19-year-old left-winger Max Graham.

Near the end of the opening frame, the Raiders nearly went into the first intermission having tied the game up, but a rocket drive by star 17-year-old right-winger Ryder Ritchie was denied by the glove hand of 19-year-old netminder Jari Kykkanen.

The Raiders pulled even at 1-1 at the 3:44 mark of the second on an unassisted goal from 16-year-old rookie left-winger Oli Chenier. Chenier got the puck in the right corner of the Rockets zone while in on the forecheck, skated into the right slot and potted his third tally of the season.

Ethan Neutens had the Rockets third goal on Friday.

At the 10-minute mark of the second, the Rockets jumped back in front 2-1 thanks to a power-play goal from right-winger Marcus Pacheco. Pacheco recorded his second marker of the season deflecting home a shot from Iginla.

Just under four minutes later, the Raiders pulled even on the scoreboard at 2-2, when offensive defenceman Justice Christensen potted a seeing-eye point shot on the power play.

At the 4:42 mark of the third, the Rockets jumped back in front 3-2 when 18-year-old right-winger Ethan Neutens floated home a shot from the left point.

Friday’s game had a fair share of high-tension type play, and things boiled over with 7:30 remaining in the third. After Graham nailed one of the Raiders players with a knee hit, he ended up engaging Christensen in a fight.

A scrum breaks out near the Raiders net.

Graham received a major penalty for kneeing, a fighting major and game misconduct. His kneeing major will be automatically reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

Christensen was given an unsportsmanlike conduct minor and a fighting major.

While the bout between Graham and Christensen was going on, a big scrum occurred on another part of the ice. That scrum resulted in Rockets 20-year-old defenceman Kayden Sadhra-Kang, Raiders 18-year-old defenceman Terrell Goldsmith and Raiders 18-year-old centre Harrison Lodewyk all receiving 10-minute misconducts.

Raiders D Justice Christensen, left, fights Rockets RW Max Graham.

Macias’s power-play goal came on the tail end of the power play resulting from Graham’s kneeing major. Iginla’s winner followed.

Hildebrand turned away 21 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders. Kykkanen stopped 20 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rockets, who improved to 14-15-2.

The Rockets return to action on Saturday when they travel to Saskatoon to take on the 23-8-1 Blades (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

The Raiders players all head their separate ways on their Christmas break, and will get back together as a team on Tuesday, December 26. They return to action on Wednesday, December 27 when they travel to Saskatoon to take on the Blades (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

Sloan Stanick’s wraparound attempt led to a Raiders equalizer.

Truitt said he told his players to soak in the holiday time.

“I just told them to enjoy the holidays,” said Truitt. “We’ve worked hard this first half.

“To be where we are at, we’re happy, but we’re not satisfied. We want to be better. We want to continue to grow and get better in the standings with point production.

“For right now, it is time for them to be with their families and enjoy the holidays for a bit – just be a young adult, because it is going to come quick enough. The second half is always harder than the first. When you get these breaks, you enjoy yourself, and we’ll come back strong on December 26th.”

The Raiders celebrate an equalizer from Krzysztof Macias (#34).

Macias said his team is satisfied first half of the season and has great anticipation for the second half of the campaign.

“The first half wasn’t bad that is for sure,” said Macias. “We are in playoff spot right now, so that is the most important thing.

“Obviously, we wanted more. We always want more. I think the second half will be even better for us.

“I think we will work every night going 110 per cent, because that is our identity. Our coach talks all the time about our identity to be tough to play against and to work hard every day. I think it pays off, so we have to stick together for the second half.”

The Rockets celebrate their win on Friday night.

NOTES – WHL outgoing commissioner Ron Robison visited Prince Albert on Friday night as part of a final tour to drop in on each of the circuit’s centres. He dropped the ceremonial faceoff before the start of the contest. Last June, Robison, who is 68-years-old, announced the 2023-24 campaign would be his last as WHL commissioner.  Dan Near, who is 43-years-old, has been hired as the WHL’s new commissioner, and he will begin transitioning into that role on January 1, 2024.

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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