Blades make a habit of beating Pats, head to WHL Christmas break on a high

The Blades celebrate a power-play goal from Josh Paterson.

    Saskatoon Blades seem to relish playing the Memorial Cup hosting Regina Pats this season.

    On Sunday night at the SaskTel Centre, the two squads met for the fourth time in the current campaign, and the Blades skated away with a 3-2 victory before 3,534 spectators. Saskatoon has won three of the four head-to-head matches between the two sides, which includes earning a 4-3 overtime victory over the Pats in Regina on Friday. Last season, the Pats claimed five out of the six encounters between the two clubs.

    Blades head coach Dean Brockman was pleased his team put in an inspired effort on Sunday before heading off on a Christmas Break. The Blades dropped a 5-0 decision to the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday at the SaskTel Centre, and Brockman didn’t want game to be the last thing on the mind of his players as they head home.

    “You want to win your last game before you go home for Christmas,” said Brockman, whose team has won four of their last five contests. “We just didn’t really want to focus on last night.

Blades goalie Nolan Maier passes the puck to a teammate.

    “I think everybody knew what happened in the room. Guys really came through for us. When we look back at the last five games, we talked about trying to get on a roll and feel good about ourselves.

    “Guys are going to talk to their own friends, and you want to talk to them about being on a roll and how good the team is doing instead of trying to avoid them and telling them that you are losing.”

    At first, the Pats, who are feeling heat from back home for not playing better as a Memorial Cup host squad, got out of the gate quickly holding a 6-3 edge in shots on goal early. Blades 16-year-old rookie netminder Nolan Maier continued his hot play ensuring the visitors didn’t get on the scoreboard during that stretch.

Pats C Jake Leschyshyn battles Blades LW Brad Goethals.

    Maier set the tone early on making a robbery style glove save on Pats overage left-winger and Saskatoon area product Wyatt Sloboshan. The netminder anticipated making the save remembering how Sloboshan beat him for a goal on Friday night in Regina.

    “I saw Wyatt Sloboshan backdoor,” said Maier. “I remember on Friday night on the first shot of his it squeaked through me, and I wanted revenge on that one.

    “Luckily, I made the save and kind of stayed my ground at the end, but it felt really good.”

    After that stop, the game’s momentum changed. At the 11:08 mark of the first, Blades overage left-winger Braylon Shmyr slipped a backhand shot past Pats overage goaltender Tyler Brown for a power-play marker to give the host side a 1-0 lead.

The Pats react to a Blades goal.

    With 24.9 seconds to play in the opening frame, the Blades went ahead 2-0, when 17-year-old sophomore centre Chase Wouters slipped home a shot from the left side boards through a screen.

    The Pats cut the Blades lead to 2-1 at the 4:53 mark of the second when overage centre Matthew Bradley roofed a power-play goal past Maier.

    Before the second intermission rolled around, the Blades restored their two-goal edge. Working on another power play, Blades 16-year-old right-winger Kirby Dach found linemate Josh Paterson with a pass alone in front of the Regina goal. Paterson’s first shot was stopped, but he cashed in his rebound to give the Blades a 3-1 edge.

Braylon Shmyr had a goal and two assists for the Blades.

    With 5:20 to play in the third, Pats centre Jake Leschyshyn scored a gritty goal for his 10^th marker of the season to cut the Blades lead to 3-2, but that was as close as the visitors would get.

    Maier made 27 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Brown turned away 22 shots to take the setback in goal for the Pats.

    Following the game, Maier said he enjoyed beat veteran goalies like Brown, who backstopped the Pats to a berth in the WHL Championship series last season.

    “That is my goal all year,” said Maier. “I love that. I love doing it, and I’m really excited. Hopefully, I get to do some more.”

    The Yorkton, Sask., product has won his last four straight starts in goal for the Blades turning away 119 of 129 shots for a .922 save percentage over that stretch.

    “I think the biggest thing is my confidence is up,” said Maier. “I probably talk about that every interview I do, but I think that is the biggest part of it and staying calm.

    “I know I can play at this level, and I think it is showing.”

Matthew Bradley had a goal for the Pats.

    The Blades used a pair of midget AAA call ups at forward in their past two games in Kyle Crnkovic and Ethan Mack, who both played their first two respective WHL regular season games. Crnkovic, who is 15-years-old, was selected in the first round and 10^th overall by the Blades in the WHL Bantam Draft held last May, and he plays for the Northern Alberta Xtreme Midget Prep team based in Edmonton, Alta.

    Mack, who is 16-year-olds, was selected by the Blades in the eighth round and 157^th overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, and he plays for the Edmonton SSAC Boston Pizza Athletics.

Crnkovic enjoyed getting his first taste of regular season play in the WHL.

    “It has been a great experience,” said Crnkovic. “The guys have treated me really well.

    “They just said play your game and be yourself and try not to over complicate it. I just tried to do whatever I could to help the team win.”

    With the win, the Blades improve to 15-17-2-1 to move into a tie with the Prince Albert Raiders (13-14-5-2) for the second wildcard berth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with 33 points in the standings. The Raiders have a game in hand.

    The Pats, who have an overtime loss and three regulation losses in their last four games, fall to 16-17-3 to hold the first wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference two points ahead of both the Blades and Raiders. The Blades and Raiders have one and two games respectively in hand on the Pats.

Josh Paterson (#61) netted the winning goal for the Blades.

    Due to the fact the Pats are sitting in a position where they are close to being on the outside of the WHL playoff picture, the criticism the team will face in Regina will likely heighten due to the fact the “Queen City” hosts the 100^th Memorial Cup this coming May.

    The Pats embark on their Christmas break and return to action on Dec. 27, when they travel to Brandon to face the Wheat Kings (24-8-0-1).

    The Blades head out on their Christmas break and are set to return to action on Dec. 27, when they host the Raiders at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

    Brockman said he wants his players to enjoy the time off.

The Blades celebrate their win over the Pats.

    “I don’t want to send them any message that they have to think about hockey,” said Brockman. “Mentally, it is tough.

    “You want to just make sure you’re responsible, behaved and do the right things and enjoy family. I’ll talk to them about hockey when they come back.”

    Maier said he plans to return to Yorkton to indulge in family time.

    “I’m most looking forward to seeing my family and relatives,” said Maier. “I haven’t been able to see them in a while, so it is going to be good to catch up with them.”

    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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“No brainer” – Fiala named Blades new captain

Captain Evan Fiala, left, and HC Dean Brockman show off a third Pac-Man jersey.

    When it came time to speak to reporters about being named the new captain of his home area Saskatoon Blades, Evan Fiala was hit with a case of the nerves.

    “My stomach is still not settled here,” said Fiala. “Obviously, it feels good that is for sure.”

    The 20-year-old product of Clavet, Sask., which is located just outside of Saskatoon, was named the 58^th captain in Blades team history during a press conference at Merlin Ford Lincoln on Tuesday, where the club also unveiled their new third alternate Pac-Man jersey. The gritty, stay-at-home defenceman became the first to put on and wear the new alternate jersey during the press conference’s festivities.

    The Blades acquired Fiala in a trade last December shortly before the WHL Christmas break from the Spokane Chiefs. In 70 games split between the Chiefs and Blades last season, Fiala recorded four goals, 15 assists, a plus-11 rating in the plus-minus department and 139 penalty minutes.

    Growing up in the Saskatoon area and being well liked in the community, Fiala said it was special to be named captain of the Blades.

    “It is a huge honour that is for sure,” said Fiala, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 212 pounds. “Every guy would love to have that.

    “With our team, it is not a big deal that is for sure. We have a lot of good guys who are more than capable. It is a pleasure to wear it that is for sure.”

New Blades captain Evan Fiala puts on the team’s new Pac-Man jersey.

    Blades head coach Dean Brockman said his team did a complete evaluation when it came to deciding who would be the club’s captain. The bench boss noted his squad has some younger players who were deserving and had been with the Blades longer than Fiala.

    Even with that fact in mind, Brockman said Fiala was the obvious choice for the role.

    “When you are picking a captain, you want to check the boxes,” said Brockman. “He has certainly checked more than other guys.

    “He just plays the game with a lot of passion. He wears his heart on his sleeve all the time.

    “When you are watching him in practice or whether you are watching him in the gym or whether you are talking to him, it is just you can have that adult conversation and the tough conversation with him, and he never takes it the wrong way. When you are on the same page, it makes things a lot easier.”

    While Fiala was short-spoken during the press conference due to nerves, Brockman said the rugged rearguard does command the Blades dressing room, and the other players listen when he says something. The veteran coach said Fiala leads by example in showing strong traits for other players to emulate.

Evan Fiala shows off the front of a new jersey.

    “We talk about the passion that we want to play with and show our fans that we want to have a work ethic second to none,” said Brockman. “(Fiala) is just one example.

    “He is that contagious kind of guy. When you have a contagious kind of guy like that, you need him to be your leader and to do things right and do it every day, and that is the toughest part.

    “We just found that the connections that he makes with his teammates were second to none.”

    Fiala’s community links were another characteristic that led to him being named the captain of the Blades. Since arriving in Saskatoon, Fiala has been active in making all the Blades community appearances.

    “He knows the Saskatoon Blades,” said Brockman. “He knows the area. He knows how important it is for us to have this team bigger in the community, bigger in events.”

    The Blades haven’t had a captain since they sent centre Wyatt Sloboshan to the Chiefs in the deal to acquire Fiala. Sloboshan was subsequently traded to the Regina Pats on Jan. 2, after electing to not rejoin the Chiefs after the WHL Christmas break.

    Saskatoon finished the 2016-17 campaign with three players as assistant captains in now graduated defenceman Bryton Sayers, import defenceman Libor Hajek, who is now in his 19-year-old season, and winger Braylon Shmyr, who is now in his overage year. Hajek is taking part in training camp activities with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.

    Brockman said the Blades are still deciding who their assistant captains will be for the 2017-18 campaign.

Evan Fiala shows off the back of a new jersey.

    Last season, the Blades posted a 28-35-7-2 record to sit five points behind the Calgary Hitmen (30-32-8-2), who finished eighth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and earned the conference’s final playoff berth.

    “I know everyone from last year saw that we were that close,” said Fiala. “If we have a whole year like we did that second half, we will be just fine.”

    The rearguard described what type of passion he would like his side to play with to earn their first playoff appearance since 2013.

    “We’re coming out every game, and we are going to take that win from you that is for sure,” said Fiala.

    Besides being named the Blades captain, Fiala departs for the main training camp of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. He heads to camp as an undrafted and unsigned invite. Wings camp starts Friday and runs through to Tuesday in Traverse City, Mich., and Fiala heads to that camp with some positive momentum.

    “I felt it was important to send him off on a good note and to tell everybody whether it is Detroit or whoever is watching that he is a great leader,” said Brockman. “Those are the attributes you have to look forward to seeing.

    “I think he is the type of kid that if he goes there and plays well we feel we want him to stay there. Internally, I don’t want him to, but for his sake, we hope he goes there and does well. This is just a step in the direction to playing where we think he can play.”

    Fiala attended Wings development camp back in July, and he is looking forward to main camp, where he will attempt to turn heads to earn an NHL contract.

New Blades captain Evan Fiala speaks to reporters during a scrum.

    “It is a lot coming at me at once,” said Fiala. “I’m excited for it all. I’m ready for it.

    “Everyone who is there is obviously a good hockey player, so I am trying to take a little bit from everybody.”

    Fiala is one of four overage players the Blades have on their roster including centre Cameron Hebig, Shmyr and goaltender Logan Flodell. WHL clubs have to cut down to three overage players on Oct. 10.

    The Blades, who have a 3-2 record in the pre-season, close their exhibition schedule on Saturday, when they travel to Edmonton to take on the Oil Kings. They open their regular season schedule on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre against the Swift Current Broncos. The Blades plan to celebrate their return to their Pac-Man look at their home opener.

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

Pats get improved effort, bounces in Game 4 win

WHL Eastern Conference title series with Hurricanes tied 2-2

The Pats celebrate a positive bounce goal from Adam Brooks (#77).

    LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – The Regina Pats came out with a strong effort, and they also received a big positive bounce to regain home ice advantage in the WHL’s Eastern Conference championship series.

    On Wednesday before a packed crowd of 5,203 spectators at the Enmax centre, the Pats were locked in a 2-2 draw with the host Lethbridge Hurricanes late in the second period of Game 4 of the WHL Eastern Conference title series.
    The visitors had the edge in play, but the game was still in the balance.

    With 1:54 to play in the second, Pats captain Adam Brooks sent a centring pass from the right corner boards in the Lethbridge zone across the face the Hurricanes goal.
    The puck deflected off the skate of Hurricanes import defenceman Igor Merezhko into the Lethbridge net to put the Pats ahead 3-2.

    The tally sent the Hurricanes reeling, and the Pats struck again before the second period expired.

Captain Adam Brooks breaks into the offensive zone for the Pats.

    With 43.8 seconds to play in the second, Pats star centre Sam Steel slipped a nice pass from the left corner of the Lethbridge zone to linemate Dawson Leedahl in front of the Lethbridge net. The overage Saskatoon product snipped home a key insurance marker to give the Pats a 4-2 lead.

    Regina cruised to a 6-2 victory from that point to even the best-of-seven series with the Hurricanes at 2-2. Game 5 is set for Friday at 7 p.m. local time in Regina at the Brandt Centre.

    “You get a two-goal lead after two periods, it is big for sure,” said Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock. “Merezhko, it just happened to hit his skate.

    “We got a bounce there. We had the urgency to probably play in their end and deserve it.”

    The Hurricanes tried to fight back in the third, and they outshot the Pats 11-6 in the stanza. With that said, the Pats were playing a more shutdown defensive style of game at that point, and they were content to dump the puck in the defensive zone and trap up the Hurricanes in the centre ice zone.

Pats winger Nick Henry is stopped by Hurricanes goalie Stuart Skinner.

    Still, Regina was opportunistic in the third. At the 7:53 mark of the third, star offensive defenceman Connor Hobbs blasted home a shot from the point to put the visitors up 5-2. Pats centre Wyatt Sloboshan popped home an empty-net goal with 2:56 to play in the third to round out the final score.

    Hurricanes head coach Brent Kisio said Brooks’s lucky goal to make the score 3-2 in the second hurt the Lethbridge side, but the Pats were still putting out the better effort at that point in the contest. Kisio said his club was way better in their 3-1 victory in Game 3 on Tuesday.

Hurricanes centre Dylan Cozens follows his rebound to the net.

    “We were in the game, but we weren’t in the game,” said Kisio. “I don’t think we were playing real hard here or playing the way we had to play to beat them.

    “(Tuesday) night, we played hard. We had our feet moving. Tonight, we just stood around and watched.

    “Give Regina credit, they completely outworked us (and) completely outplayed us today.”

    Pats winger Braydon Buziak had the lone goal in a first period that was very up tempo and had a lot of scoring chances for both sides.

    Dylan Cozens batted home a floating puck in the air for the Hurricanes to tie things up at 1-1 at the 2:21 mark of the second. Pats winger Jeff de Wit put Regina ahead 2-1 at the nine-minute mark of the second.

    The Hurricanes tied things up at 2-2 just 34 seconds later, when centre Ryan Vandervlis flicked home the equalizer close in from the left side of the Regina net.

Winger Jeff de Wit had a goal for the Pats in their Game 4 win.

    Stuart Skinner turned away 28-of-33 shots to take the loss in goal for the Hurricanes. Tyler Brown stopped 24 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Pats.

    During Wednesday’s game, the Pats played with a lot of skill and likely didn’t score on their best setups. They also buzzed in the Lethbridge zone despite missing speedy winger Austin Wagner, who left Game 3 with an injury.

    Steel appreciated the pace his side played at in the Game 4 victory.

    “We played more our style of play,” said Steel, who had two assists in the win. “They played us really hard the first few games, and a big credit to them.

    “It has been a great series so far. Tonight, I think we just found another level and made few more plays.”

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

Pats lunch pail effort forces Game 7 with Broncos

Pats winger Dawson Leedahl (#71) muscles his way out of a crowd.

    SWIFT CURRENT – The Regina Pats became the lunch pail crew to stay alive in the post-season.

    Having finished first overall in the WHL regular season 52-12-7-1 mark and being rated first in the final CHL top ten rankings released on March 22, the Pats are commonly pictured as a team that wins on finesse. On Saturday night at the Credit Union i-Plex in Swift Current against the host Broncos, the Pats didn’t abandon their skill.

    With that said, their greasy goals of just diving to the net proved to be the difference in a 5-3 victory in Game 6 of a WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Pats, who trailed the best-of-seven set 3-1 at one time, evened the series up at 3-3. A winner take all Game 7 is set for Monday at 7 p.m. at the Brandt Centre.

Austin Wagner had two goals and an assist for the Pats.

    The Pats hit the scoreboard first at the 7:24 mark of the first period, when standout winger Austin Wagner scored on a shift where his club buzzed around the Broncos net. The Broncos evened things up at 1-1 heading into the first intermission on a goal from Russian defenceman Artyom Minulin.

    The host side proceeded to jump ahead 3-1 with two early goals to open the second period. Just 29 seconds into the frame, winger Arthur Miller knocked home the rebound of a shot from Broncos captain Glenn Gawdin to put Swift Current up 2-1.

    At the 2:27 mark, Gawdin converted a nifty setup pass from winger Tyler Steenbergen to put the Broncos up 3-1 and the sellout crowd of 2,890 almost blew the roof off the team’s home rink.

    For the longest time, it appeared the Broncos were going to advance to the WHL’s Eastern Conference championship series for the first time since 2001. They were sent reeling after the Pats scored twice inside of the final 90 seconds of the second to force a 3-3 tie.

Winger Filip Ahl zips into the offensive zone for the Pats.

    With 1:24 to play in the frame, Pats star centre Sam Steel fed a setup pass across the face of the Broncos goal to pinching rearguard Josh Mahura, who popped home the puck to cut the Broncos lead to 3-2. Regina tied the score up at 3-3 with 25 seconds to play in the second, when centre Wyatt Sloboshan tipped home a point shot from Mahura.

    The Pats continued to jump on the Broncos early in the third. Just 75 seconds into the frame, Wagner scored his second goal of the night by just driving hard to the net. At the 5:48 mark, Swedish winger Filip Ahl added a greasy insurance goal to put the Pats up 5-3.

    In between those Regina tallies, the Broncos had a chance to get the momentum back in their favour, but Swift Current centre Kaden Elder ended up ripping a shot off the crossbar of the Pats goal.

Pats centre Wyatt Sloboshan (#13) forechecks Broncos rearguard Max Lajoie.

    After the Pats vaulted ahead by two goals, they proceeded to sit back defensively and were successful in closing out the contest. Netminder Tyler Brown was steady in the Regina net making 34 stops to pick up the win.

    Jordan Papirny turned away 23 shots to take the loss in goal for the Broncos.

    The Pats needed to resort to a more greasy effort as captain Adam Brooks dressed but was limited to cheering on his teammates and opening the door on the bench for a second straight game. Brooks hasn’t seen a shift since being on the receiving end of a knee-on-knee hit in his team’s victory in Game 2 of their series with the Broncos.

The Pats celebrate Austin Wagner’s goal in the first period.

    Regina’s on ice chemistry seemed to have taken a step up when Ahl returned for their victory in Game 5 after missing three contests to undergo tests for the mumps.

    For the second straight contest, Sloboshan took Brooks’ regular spot centring a line that contains Ahl on left wing and Wagner on right wing. Everyone on that unit was a plus-four in the plus-minus department.

    Sloboshan, who is a former captain of the Saskatoon Blades, has mainly played a defensive forward role with the Pats, but he arguably had his best outing wearing Regina’s colours on Saturday night. Besides collecting a couple of assists to go along with his goal, Sloboshan was tough in the faceoff circle and came in hard on the forecheck.

Glenn Gawdin had a goal and two assists for the Broncos.

    Wagner had an assist to go along with his two goals, while Ahl had a pair of helpers.

    The Broncos, who were 39-23-4-6 in the regular season, were without star winger Lane Pederson, who left the first period of his team’s loss in Game 5 due to injury. His status for Game 7 is likely uncertain.

    Heading into Game 7, the Pats now look poised to make their first appearance in the WHL’s Eastern Conference championship series since 1993. In order to succeed in playoffs, teams will have to find gutty ways to win at times, and the Pats have done that for two straight games.

    If the Pats put on a gritty effort for a third straight contest, they will increase their chances of advancing. On the other side, the Broncos aren’t going away, so there are no guarantees on how Game 7 will play out. 

    The drama in how that contest unfolds should be fun 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.

Oil Kings spoil robbery attempt by Flodell

Blades goalie makes 43 saves in 3-2 OT loss

Logan Flodell made 43 saves for the Blades.

    Logan Flodell almost singlehandedly ran the Saskatoon Blades winning streak to three games.

    The 19-year-old netminder stood on his head making 43 saves, but the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings exited Wednesday’s WHL contest at the SaskTel Centre with a 3-2 overtime victory. With the Blades holding a 2-1 lead, Oil Kings left-winger David Koch netted the equalizer at the 5:32 mark of the third period.

    He proceeded to pot the winner just 11 seconds into overtime on an odd man rush to deliver the visitors to victory.

    The Oil Kings started the contest by pinning the Blades in their own end and getting the first eight shots on goal. Flodell slammed the door to ensure the game remained scoreless.

    Momentum changed near the midway point of the frame, when the Blades scored twice on the power play with their first two shots on goal in the contest to go up 2-0.

    The first tally was a tick-tack-toe passing play that saw right-winger Josh Paterson tap home a backdoor feed from 16-year-old rookie Michael Farren. Just a minute after that goal, 16-year-old rookie right-winger Chase Wouters wired home his fourth of the season to give the hosts a two-goal edge.

    The Blades carried the play from that point until the momentum changed again, when Oil Kings Russian defenceman Anatolii Elizarov fired home a point shot through a screen with 45.2 seconds to play in the first period to cut Saskatoon’s lead to 2-1.

    The Oil Kings poured it on in the second earning four power-play chances and outshooting the Blades 19-7. Flodell stood his ground to ensure the hosts went into the second intermission with a one-goal edge, which also set the stage for Koch’s heroics.

The Oil Kings celebrate Davis Koch’s equalizer goal.

    Patrick Dea turned away 15 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Oil Kings.

    With the win, Edmonton improved to 15-15-3 to sit seventh overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and four points in front of the ninth place Blades, whose record moved to 13-18-3.

    Saskatoon sits a point behind the Brandon Wheat Kings (13-14-4) for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. The Wheat Kings have three games in hand on the Blades. Those two teams face each other in a home-and-home series before embarking on the league’s Christmas break.

    The Blades and Wheat Kings play Friday in Brandon and go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. Saturday’s contest is also the Blades “Teddy Bear Toss” game.

Blades deal captain to Spokane to get bigger

Blades captain Wyatt Sloboshan was traded to Spokane.

    At the conclusion of Wednesday’s game, the Blades dealt 19-year-old captain Wyatt Sloboshan to the Spokane Chiefs in a trade involving four players.

    Sloboshan, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 184 pounds, was sent to Spokane along with 18-year-old defenceman Nolan Reid, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 175 pounds, and a third round pick in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft for 19-year-old defenceman Evan Fiala, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 205 pounds, overage forward Markson Bechtold, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 190 pounds, and a conditional sixth round WHL Bantam Draft selection.

    Sloboshan, who didn’t play Wednesday due to a lower body injury, has four goals and 12 assists in 30 games. Reid has played in all of the Blades 34 games this season collecting no goals and 11 assists.

    Fiala, who is a Saskatoon area product, has two goals and seven assists in 32 games. Bechtold has five goals and three assists in 13 games. The additions of Fiala and Bechtold give the Blades a boost in the size department.

    Fiala’s younger sister, Joelle, is a standout forward with the Saskatoon Stars of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League.

    Bechtold’s addition gave the Blades four overage players. In order to get down to the league limit of three overagers, they placed centre Kolten Olynek on waivers. Olynek had seven goals and six assists this season playing 31 regular season games with both the Blades and the Prince Albert Raiders. The Blades originally claimed Olynek via waivers in early October.

Back in the Express with feature on Pats Hobbs

Connor Hobbs is having a stellar season with the Pats.

    I was back in the Saskatoon Express this week with a feature story on Regina Pats offensive defenceman Connor Hobbs.

    Hobbs, who is from Saskatoon, is having a stellar 19-year-old season piling up 13 goals, 23 assists and a plus-19 rating in the plus-minus department.
    He went into this season already having an NHL entry-level contract signed with the Washington Capitals.

    This season, Hobbs has helped the Pats jump out to a 21-2-6 start.

    The only disappointment Hobbs has suffered is the fact he wasn’t invited to the main training camp for Canada’s world junior team.

    The story on Hobbs can be found right here.

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

Warriors’ Luka knows offence

16-year-old nets three points in 5-1 win over Blades

Luka Burzan, second from right, celebrates scoring for the Warriors.

    Luka Burzan appears to be one of the select few that can make and immediate impact in the WHL as a 16-year-old rookie.

    The Surrey, B.C., product was selected by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the first round and sixth overall in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft, and he made a name for himself by piling up the points coming up through the minor hockey ranks in southern British Columbia.

    Even with that in mind, most first round WHL Bantam Draft selections usually experience their share of bumps as 16-year-old rookies, and they will often have break out campaigns later in in their careers.

    On Thursday night before 3,302 spectators at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon against the host Blades, Burzan showed he is ready to break out now. The skilled forward netted the Warriors first two goals, picked up an assist on his squad’s third marker and helped power Moose Jaw to a 5-1 victory. In 15 appearances so far this season, Burzan has seven goals, six assists and is a plus-four in the plus-minus department.

    He also picked up his points playing right wing on a line that contained a pair of 18-year-old standouts in centre Noah Gregor and Russian import Nikita Popugaev playing left wing. Burzan envisioned himself playing in a top six forward role with the Warriors as a 16-year-old rookie.

Luka Burzan gets set up in the offensive zone.

    “Coming into this season, I thought I would just try to get better this summer and just try to work my hardest,” said Burzan. “Coming into this season, that was my goal was to get in the top six and get this opportunity. I am just trying to take advantage of it.”

    Against the Blades, Burzan showed he has the smarts to take advantage of good opportunities. With 1:21 to play in the first period, Burzan converted a nice pass from Gregor coming across the face of the Saskatoon goal and easily popped the puck into an open cage to give the visitors a 1-0 edge. It was a goal Blades netminder Brock Hamm had no chance at stopping.

    Just 1:40 into the second, Burzan received a nice feed from Popugaev and snapped home a low wrist shot stick side on Hamm to put the Warriors up 2-0. Burzan has found it easy to play alongside Gregor and Popugaev.

    “They are two very great players,” said Burzan. “They move the puck really well.

    “They are very smart. They have good vision. When I am playing with them, it makes it way easier.”

    At the seven-minute mark of the second, Burzan set up Gregor in the slot, and he blew home a shot to put the visitors up 3-0.

Warriors centre Noah Gregor zips wide around a Blades defenceman.

    Blades captain Wyatt Sloboshan stopped the bleeding momentarily just 23 second later sneaking home a goal between the legs of Warriors netminder Zach Sawchenko to cut Moose Jaw’s edge to 3-1.

    Before the second ended, Warriors centre Jayden Halbgewachs scored on the power play to give the visitors a 4-1 edge. Gregor rounded out the game’s scoring with a short-handed breakaway goal in the third.

    Zawchenko made 32 save to pick up the win in goal for the Warriors, who improved to 12-4-4. The star 19-year-old goalie came up huge in the first period turning away 15 shots. The Blades were carrying the play in the contest until Burzan popped home his two goals.

    Hamm, who has struggled all season, turned away 30 shots to take the loss in goal for the Blades, who fell to 9-12-1.

    Blades head coach Dean Brockman said his squad had too many break downs defensively, which allowed the Warriors to roll.

    “It just seems like every time we make a mistake it ends up in our net,” said Brockman.

    Burzan believes his Warriors have the talent to challenge the WHL’s elite teams like their arch rivals the Regina Pats, who are an impressive 15-0-3.

Blades head coach Dean Brockman glances at a scoreboard replay.

    Moose Jaw’s depth became stronger after acquiring 19-year-old left-winger Brayden Burke in a recent trade with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Burke finished third in league scoring last season with 27 goals and 82 assists.

    The Warriors are also awaiting the return of captain Brett Howden, who is listed as out week to week with a lower body injury. Howden was taken by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round and 27^th overall in last June’s NHL Entry Draft. He had nine goals and five assists in 11 appearances with the Warriors this season before getting hurt.

    “I think we are going to have very good team,” said Burzan. “We are going to have good chemistry.

    “We just need to learn how to compete and play hardest up against these teams like Regina, those hard teams. I think we can compete with them.

    “We will just try to get better as a team, and I think we will have a good season.”

    The Warriors travel to Swift Current on Friday to take on the Broncos. The Blades head to Brandon to face the Wheat Kings on Friday and Saturday night.

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

Christmas comes early for Blades

Double Blue earns huge upset victory over Rockets

The SaskTel Centre scoreboards flashes the final of the Blades upset win.

    The Saskatoon Blades gave themselves an early Christmas present.

    On Saturday at the SaskTel Centre, the Blades entered their final contest before the WHL’s Christmas break as huge underdogs against the league leading and defending league champion Kelowna Rockets. The Rockets were also rated fourth in the Canadian Hockey League's top ten rankings. After falling behind 2-0 after the opening 20 minutes, the hosts side roared back to pull out a well-earned 5-3 victory before an appreciative crowd of 3,997 spectators.

    “They are a pretty phenomenal hockey team,” said Blades overage right-winger Connor Gay. “They are team that is quite offensive, and I think we stuck to our game tonight.

    “We played good defence, and I couldn’t be happier that we won tonight.”

    The Rockets came into “the Bridge City” with two big absences as centres Nick Merkley and Rourke Chartier were both in Finland trying to crack the final roster for Canada’s world junior team. Kelowna was also without forward Tomas Soustal, who is trying to earn a spot on the Czech Republic’s team for world juniors, and left-winger Calvin Thurkauf, who will be part of Switzerland’s team at the world juniors.

    Despite the fact that foursome was overseas, the Rockets jumped ahead 2-0 on a pair of tallies coming off the stick of WHL scoring leader Tyson Baillie, who potted his first marker on a breakaway. While Kelowna held a 2-0 edge after first frame, Blades played at an even pace with the visitors.

Blades rearguard Mitch Wheaton, right, helps with the teddy clean up.

    Just 67 seconds into the second, the Blades were finally rewarded for their effort, as centre Wyatt Sloboshan scored to cut the gap to 2-1. Sloboshan’s goal triggered a flood of stuffed animals to get thrown on to the ice surface due to the fact Saskatoon was holding its teddy bear toss promotion.

    After the stuffed animals were cleared away, the Blades momentum continued to roll with goals coming from the sticks of captain Nick Zajac and stand out centre Cameron Hebig, which gave the hosts a 3-2 edge.

    The lead didn’t last long as five seconds later Rockets left-winger Justin Kirkland put a floater past Saskatoon netminder Evan Smith, who was making his first start with the Blades after being acquired in a trade with the Victoria Royals on Dec. 10.

    Before the second period ended, the Blades jumped back ahead 4-3. While working on a power play, Sloboshan got the puck down low by the right side of the Kelowna goal after a greasy bounce off the boards, and Vanscoy product made no mistake potting his second of the contest.

    After jumping out to a 7-4-3 start, the Blades hit a big slide starting on Nov. 15. Saturday marked the fifth time Saskatoon has won since that date as their record improved to 13-17-3. During the skid, they often couldn’t recover after giving up the first goal of a game, so Gay was pleased his side erased a two-goal deficit on Saturday.

    “There has been lots of talk about us obviously deflating after the first couple of goals get let in,” said Gay. “Lately, I think we’ve been really trying to stay positive and fighting back in games. Lately, it has been working out.

    “You never want to be down in a hockey game. If you are down, you have to stay positive and you have to work hard to get back in the game, and that is what we did.”

    Gay added another power-play goal at the 7:31 mark of the third to put Saskatoon up 5-3. Smith made 27 stops to pick up the win in goal.

    Star netminder Jackson Whistle turned away 28 shots taking the loss in goal for the Rockets, who fell to 25-9-1 but remain first overall in the WHL.

Evan Smith made 27 saves to earn his first win in goal for the Blades.

    “Our guys believe they can win any game,” said Blades head coach and general manager Bob Woods. “Last year we probably didn’t think that way. Now, we believe that.

    “We probably put a little bit more pressure on ourselves, because our expectations are higher than they have been. There is nothing wrong with that. I think that is a great step for our guys.

    “We want to have success, and we are not happy if we don’t. That to me is the type of environment you want to have especially with your young guys.”

    The Blades sit ninth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, and they trail the 14-19-3 Edmonton Oil Kings by two points for eighth place and the conference’s final playoff berth. Saskatoon finished last in the entire WHL each of the past two seasons after hosting the 2013 Memorial Cup.

    Woods said wins like the one his squad earned over the Rockets help his players gain confidence, but he cautioned his squad still has a lot of room for improvement.

    “We are the type of team that still has a lot of growing pains,” said Woods. “We are the youngest team in the league, and I hate always bringing that up, but it is a fact.

    “There are lots of things for us to learn. We just have to keep going and take in every experience and build on it. The second half is going to be a tough go.

    “Hopefully, we are in some meaningful games and have a chance to battle for that last playoff spot.”

    The Blades and Rockets both return to action on Dec. 27. Saskatoon travels to Prince Albert to take on the Raiders, while Kelowna heads to Kamloops to take on the Blazers.

    NOTES – In the second period of Saturday’s game, Rockets defenceman Cal Foote received a major penalty and a game misconduct for a head check. That play will be automatically reviewed by the WHL office for a suspension.

    Whistle stopped Blades right-winger Mason McCarty on a penalty shot late in the third period.

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

Blades make strides, more work ahead

The Blades bench during a stoppage in play.

    They finished last in WHL, but the 2014-15 season for the Saskatoon Blades can't be considered a write off.
    Still rebuilding from hosting the 2013 Memorial Cup and making a blockbuster trade to get Brayden Schenn for a run in the 2011 playoffs, the Blades were going to hard pressed to make the WHL playoffs. On ice, a modest goal would be to build on the 16-51-2-3 record the team posted in the 2013-14 campaign. They did better that mark in a modest fashion with a 19-49-2-2 finish.
    In the second season under the ownership of Edmonton product Mike Priestner and his management group, the team started to set more building blocks to steer the club back into the direction of being a contender and ensuring the Blades brand stays relevant in the community.
    The biggest sign of success came from the fact 8,929 people came to the Sasktel Centre to watch the Blades final regular season home game on March 20, which they lost 3-1 to the Medicine Hat Tigers. I know the cynics will say the only reason attendance was that high was due to the fact there was a guaranteed 50/50 pot set at $51,000, which saw spectators Ross Wiebe and Carly, his daughter, walk away with a prize of $67,207.50.
    Still, the fact was 8,929 came to watch a final regular season game, when the Blades had been playing out the string for about three weeks with no hope of making the playoffs.

Blades centre Wyatt Sloboshan battles for a draw.

    As a charter member of the WHL in 1966, the Blades have seen their share of excellent seasons and really bad campaigns. In past campaigns where the final regular season home game had no meaning due to the fact the Blades would miss the post-season, it was common for about 2,300 to attend that last game. Out of the 2,300 that came, it usually felt like half the crowd didn't really want to be there.
    That wasn't the case with the final regular season home game for this season. All you had to do was look into the stands, and you realized the 8,929 spectators in attendance wanted to be at the Sasktel Centre that night. There was a good atmosphere in the building.
    Besides having a strong draw for their final regular season home game, the Blades drew 6,718 spectators to their second last regular season home date on March 14, when they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Brandon Wheat Kings, who finished first overall in the WHL.
    Overall, the Blades averaged 4,563 spectators for their 36 home contests, which was a slight drop in average attendance from the 4,719 spectators that came to games in the 2013-14 regular season. Those numbers are still good for two non-playoff years.
    The Blades management and office staff put in a lot of ground work over the course of the season to engage the community, and those efforts appear to be paying off. Over the past eight years, Saskatoon proper has seen a population increase of about 50,000, so there is also an untapped base to go after.

The Blades break out of their own zone.

    It seemed like every game this season the Blades had some promotion going to make coming to the rink fun. One of the more enjoyable ones was likely a Las Vegas style kind of event they put on in January. Overall, it is starting to feel like the Sasktel Centre is the place to be again in Saskatoon on Blades game nights.
    The Blades also had a new head coach and general manager in Bob Woods this season and a new assistant coach in Dean Brockman. While the wins didn't pile up for a roster that was the youngest in the WHL, the work ethic of the players was there night in and night out. On most nights, the Blades players gave those that came out to see them perform an honest effort.
    They also appear to have been successful in setting up a good culture around the dressing room. While the setback stockpiled, players still wanted to be at the rink. Actually, a number of players the Blades traded away to stock up WHL Bantam Draft selections didn't actually want to leave.
    They wanted to stay in Saskatoon to help turn the team's fortunes around, but they also understood there is a business aspect to the league. If deals could be made to help the club in the future, they will be made.
    Junior hockey is the first level where players can feel the sting of the business side of the game. With that said, the Blades did their part to lessen the sting of that business blow.

The Blades celebrate a goal.

    That was shown on the night 18-year-old defenceman and local product Nelson Nogier made his return to the Bridge City. Nogier spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Blades, and he was the poster boy team player, who was huge in representing the club in the community. He was also the WHL's scholastic player of the year in 2013-14.
    He was dealt to the Rebels just before the Christmas break in a blockbuster trade.
    When he made his return to play in the Sasktel Centre on Feb. 18, the Blades honoured him in a pre-game ceremony. He was presented his old game jersey in a glass case, an amazing looking framed action photo, and he took the ceremonial faceoff.
    The ceremony sent a message to any player looking to join the Blades that they will always be respected, if they come in and give an honest effort. It makes players want to play for the Blades, and it makes parents hope their kids get to go play for the Blades.
    On the ice, the Blades appear to have some pieces of the puzzle in place. Netminders Nik Amundrud and Brock Hamm look like they could be a solid tandem, when they return as 18-year-old sophomores.
    Veteran defenceman Brycen Martin, who was picked up in trade with the Swift Current Broncos, is a solid part on the back end, and he has the ability to quarterback the power play. Yorkton product Jake Kustra played seven games as a 15-year-old call up, and he appears able to provide a spark.
    Up front, 17-year-old rookie Wyatt Sloboshan potted 10 goals and 21 assists in 49 regular season game for his hometown WHL club. He has some sound potential heading into his 18-year-old campaign.

The Blades salute the Sasktel Centre faithful

    Left-winger Nick Zajac is heading into his overage campaign and should provide some good leadership next season showing young players the ins and outs of the league.
    With all that said, the Blades were still last in the entire 22-team WHL. They scored the third fewest goals at 195, gave up the most goals against at 309 and finished with nine straight losses.
    The returning players have to work on their games and get stronger and faster physically. Woods also has to keep finding ways to keep improving the overall talent level.
    The Blades still have a lot more work to do in order to become an elite WHL club. If they keep following the current rebuilding blueprint they have drawn up, they should get rewarded in the long run.

    If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Roughed up at Rutherford

Kaitlin Willoughby gets in a scrum with two UBC players.

    It was an odd sight to see Kaitlin Willoughby exchanging punches with opponents, but it was something you could see coming.
    On Saturday night at the Rutherford Rink, the Huskies were trailing the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 5-1 late in the third period of a Canada West women's hockey game. The clash featured constant exchanges of chirps and pushes and shoves between whistles. The 5-1 score would be the final outcome, but before the game concluded, the frustration of last season's Canadian Interuniversity Sport rookie of the year took over.
    As she drove to the Thunderbirds net late in the third, you could see in her eyes she was driving to the goal motivated by rage, which isn't uncommon at that point in a chippy contest. You either suspected Willoughby would score on that rush, drive goaltender Danielle Dube into the net or get involved in an altercation.
    Willoughby's shot was stopped as she went to the net hard, and then she got involved with a UBC forward Rebecca Unrau and defender Madison Patrick. Both sides got off two to three serious punches each in the scrum, before the officials broke things up without handing out penalties.
    With that setback, the Huskies dropped their fourth game in a row. They also dropped a 1-0 decision at the Rutherford Rink on Friday. Having sat first overall in Canada West at the semester break, the Huskies have dropped to fifth in the conference and face the biggest stretch of adversity they have encountered all season.
    In the losses to the Thunderbirds (12-4-4), the Huskies (11-7-2) visibly got dragged down over time by all the extra-curricular activities that occurred between the whistles. Out of all the teams the Huskies faced in the tight Canada West conference this season, the Thunderbirds arguably are the best skating team they have encountered. UBC also has a lot of talented players like Rafter and Unrau.
    The Thunderbirds also came into the games playing with a high tension edge, which is similar to that of the NHL's Boston Bruins or Philadelphia Flyers. That was a characteristic you hadn't seen to that extent in any other team in the Canada West women's league.
    During Saturday's game, a lot of words were exchanged between whistles. As players went off for line changes, they would usually bump into or shoulder each other as a way to pester each other. A few times, the odd slashes would get traded.
    The Thunderbirds also ran over Huskies netminder Cassidy Hendricks a couple of times early in the contest, which resulted in goaltender interference calls. That also added to the frustration for the home side.
    In some form or other, the exchanges between whistles, be it verbal or physical, will always be part of hockey. The Huskies have to do their best to skate away from that type of activity, because it takes the focus of what they should be doing in the game.

Kandace Cook takes a draw for the Huskies.

    By the sounds of things, that type of activity was even more prevalent in Friday's setback than it was in Saturday's loss.
    Besides the on ice distraction factor, the Huskies need to contend with the fact their offence has dried up, as they have scored only four goals in their four-game skid. Defence has also been the name of the game in the Canada West ranks as only five players are averaging a point or more per game.
    In Saturday's contest Unrau and Tatiana Rafter each scored twice for the Thunderbirds, while Nicole Saxvik had a single. Dube made 27 stops to earn the win in goal for UBC.
    Kandace Cook had the lone goal for the Huskies, while Hendricks made 25 saves suffering the loss in goal for the defending conference champs.
    On Friday night, Thunderbirds forward Stephanie Schaupmeyer had the lone goal of the contest, while Samantha Langford made 25 stops to earn the shutout win in the UBC goal. Hendricks made 25 stops in goal for the Huskies.
    Going forward into their final eight games, the Huskies need to focus on having a good outing in their next outing against the University of Manitoba Bisons (14-5-1). Those two teams meet this coming Friday at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink. There is still lots of time for them to get their game back to the level it was in the first semester before playoffs roll around.

Fourth time a charm for Adolph

Head coach Dave Adolph works the Huskies bench. 

    Dave Adolph finally got the record.
    The head coach of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's hockey team became the Canadian Interuniversity Sport leader in career conference wins on Friday night, when his Huskies down the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 4-3 in double overtime in Vancouver. Friday's victory gave Adolph his 378^th career conference victory, which passed the old mark of 377 held by legendary University of Alberta Golden Bears head coach Clare Drake. Adolph also holds the record for career games coached in the CIS, which stood at 722 after Friday's action.
    "There's only one Clare Drake," said Adolph to UBC sports information assistant Tim Huebsch. "In my mind, he's responsible for the success of CIS men and women's hockey. I've been fortunate to have coached for a long time, and although records are meant to be broken, Clare Drake remains in a league of his own."
The veteran bench boss had to wait for the record breaker. The Huskies lost their previous three games before pulling out the double overtime victory over the Thunderbirds.
    For a while, it appeared Friday's game would be a fourth straight setback. The Thunderbirds led 3-0 on goals from Nick Buonassisi, Luke Lockhart and David Robinson. Robinson's tally came at the 6:51 mark of the third, and it appeared the game was over.
    The Huskies, who have had trouble scoring goals in bunches this season, stormed back to force a 3-3 tie to send the contest to overtime. Craig McCallum scored for the Huskies on a power play, and Jesse Ross added another goal for the visitors just 33 seconds later to cut the lead to 3-2. Defenceman Connor Cox picked up the equalizer with 5:27 to play in the frame.
    After playing a scoreless four-on-four first overtime period, McCallum scored in the three-on-three second overtime frame to give the Huskies a 4-3 win.
    Ryan Holfeld made 30 saves to earn the win in goal. Eric Williams turned away 22 shots in net for the Thunderbirds.
    The Huskies weren't able to duplicate the comeback heroics one night later falling 5-0 to the host Thunderbirds. Buonassisi, Greg Fraser, Brad Hoban, Joe Antilla and Anthony Bandaro netted singles for the Thunderbirds (11-9-4). Matt Hewitt made 22 saves for the shutout win in the UBC goal.
    Jordon Cooke made 32 saves suffering the loss in goal for the Huskies (10-13-1).
    The Huskies return to action this coming Friday and Saturday, when they travel to Winnipeg to take on the University of Manitoba Bisons (12-12). U of S needs to earn four more points in the standings to lock up a playoff berth.

Mistaken identity

Tigers forward Trevor Cox celebrates a goal. 

    So it appears Connor Cox was in two places at the same time on Friday night.
    Out in Vancouver, Cox had the equalizer for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men's hockey team to tie the UBC Thunderbirds 3-3 in the third period. The Huskies would win that contest 4-3 in double overtime.
    Back in Saskatoon, a Blades online game story from their 5-4 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers in a WHL clash at the Sasktel Centre gave the Tigers fourth goal to Connor Cox.
    The line in the game story said, "Connor Cox would add to his league-leading points total, scoring just seconds after a Tiger power play ended."
    The story meant to say Trevor Cox, who leads the WHL in scoring, picked up the Tigers fourth goal.

The real Connor Cox manning the Huskies blue-line

    To be fair, I understand how easily the mistake could happen. During his career in the WHL, Connor Cox played 121 regular season games with the Blades from 2010 to 2012. Over that time, Connor became extremely popular in the Blades' dressing room, with the team's staff and the local media that covered the hockey club. He also became a fan favourite as he developed his strong reputation as being a team-first guy.
    You can be sure the staffers with the Blades have a bunch of good memories of Connor, and his name was likely ingrained in the head of the person writing the game story for the web.
    I know for myself I have made my share of errors during my years writing stories. You don't want them to happen, but they do.
    As for the one from the online story, it allows those that know and are friends with Connor to engage in some humour with him.

Blades looking good

The Saskatoon Blades celebrate Friday's win.

    Speaking of the Saskatoon Blades, they played their first home games since the WHL trade deadline and Jan. 10, and the team's young roster impressed.
    Stuck near the bottom of the league standings, the Blades made a bunch of moves leading up to the deadline to build a more youthful roster. Currently the Blades only have two overage players and four players in their 19-year-old seasons.
    On Friday night, they pulled off a major 5-4 upset of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who are once again a powerhouse club in the league. The contest was a back-and-fourth affair, where the Blades ultimately overcame a 4-3 deficit to pull out a one-goal victory.
    Rookie defenceman Nolan Reid scored the winner near the midway point of the third.
    Best part about that win for Saskatoon was the fact the Blades played aggressive the whole game and weren't afraid to make plays offensively. They also received some much needed breaks getting a pair of goals to go in off the skates of Tigers defencemen and capitalized on a giveaway on a short-handed situation.
    On Saturday night, the Blades slipped past the Kootenay Ice 3-2 at the Sasktel Centre. Wyatt Sloboshan played the role of hero scoring the winner for Saskatoon with 10.8 second to play in the third to break a 2-2 tie.
    With three wins in a row, the Blades improve to 12-29-2-1. While the win column has been dry for long stretches of the season, the work ethic has been there for the Blades. The wins should supply some confidence and help the team to continue to set building blocks for the future.

   If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.