SASKATOON — Last week the Saskatoon Blades were like the house guests you do not want back.
The Western Hockey League team went 3-0 on the road. The Blades beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday, 3-2; shut out the Calgary Hitmen 3-0 on Friday; and romped past the Edmonton Oil Kings on Sunday, 5-1. The team has won six in a row and eight of its last 10.
As of Sunday night, the Saskatoon squad sported a 9-2-0-0 record. They were third in the WHL’s Eastern Division – just two points behind second place Red Deer (10-0-0-0).
The Blades’ road swing continues this weekend. The club plays in Medicine Hat on Friday and in Lethbridge on Saturday.
On Oct. 23, the Saskatoon team wrapped up its week by scoring four second period goals en route to victory over Edmonton. After a scoreless first period, Trevor Wong put the Blades on the board. Lethbridge’s Ben Wright tied the game at 1-1. Then the Blades got rolling. Brandon Lisowsky scored on the powerplay while Rowan Calvert and Wong also lit the lamp to put the visitors up 4-1. Conner Roulette added a third period power play marker.
Saskatoon homegrown goalie Ethan Chadwick made 31 saves. Wong and captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere recorded three points each on the night. The Blades fired 32 shots at Oil Kings netminder Kolby Hay, who stopped 27 of them.
Austin Elliott stopped all 30 shots he faced on Oct. 21 to lead the Blades to a 3-0 road victory over Calgary. For two periods it was a goaltender’s duel as the contest was scoreless until the third period. Conner Roulette’s sixth of the season got the Blades on the board. Lisowsky and Justin Lies also scored for Saskatoon. Calgary netminder Brayden Peters had 29 saves on 32 shots.
On Oct. 19, Lisowsky scored the game winning goal on a breakaway in the second period against Lethbridge. It was his third goal of the season. With 29 saves on 31 shots, Chadwick was named the first star of the game.
The Hurricanes’ Jett Jones staked the hosts to a 1-0 first period lead. Wong, who earned second star honours, tied things up 1-1 in the second period. Almost exactly two minutes later, Dustin Renas, the third star on the night, put Lethbridge back in front at the 9:33 mark. On the power play, Jayden Wiens scored his second goal o the season to knot the score at 2-2.
Blades forward Josh Pillar recorded two assists. Jared Picklyk made 26 saves for Lethbridge.
