SASKATOON — The Saskatoon Blades are hoping the SaskTel Centre will truly be “home sweet home” for them this month.
On Saturday the Western Hockey League club opens a five-game homestand against the rival Regina Pats. In total, the Blades play seven of their nine November games at home.
“It’s pretty loud,” defenceman Tanner Molendyk said. “It’s a big building but the crowd gets it going.”
Last week the Blades beat the Tri-City Americans, 5-1, on Wednesday; fell 5-3 to Everett on Friday, and, on the road, downed the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-1, on Saturday. The Blades enter the week with a 12-4-0-0 record. They sit third in the WHL’s Eastern Division. Saskatoon is 8-2-0-0 in its last 10 games.
Against Tri-City, captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere scored on the powerplay to put the Blades up 1-0 in the first period. Then the Blades scored a trio of second period goals: Rowan Calvert, Brandon Lisowsky (power play), and Ben Saunderson. In the third, Trevor Wong increased the Blades’ lead to 5-0. Lukeas Dragicevic ruined Austin Elliott’s shutout bid with a third period goal for the Americans. Elliott stopped 11 of the 12 shots he faced. For Tri-City, Nick Avakyan made 14 saves.
In front of 2,325, Wong recorded three points. De La Gorgendiere and Lisowsky each had two points.
Last Friday in Saskatoon, with 3,586 looking on, the visiting Silvertips never trailed. Everett led 1-0 and 3-1 at the intermissions. Lisowsky scored for Saskatoon in the second period while Wong and Jordan Keller lit the lamp for the Blades in the third. Saskatoon goalie Ethan Chadwick made 26 saves.
Braden Holt stopped 17 shots for Everett. The Silvertips scorers were Ty Gibson (two), Austin Roest, Jackson Berezowski, and Steel Quiring.
With three goals over the final two periods on Saturday, the Blades beat the host Wheat Kings. De La Gorgendiere scored in the first period on a powerplay while Wheat King Andrei Malyavin equalized at regular strength to make it 1-1. Keller lit lamp in the second and third frames. Lisowsky scored in the third period. Wong had two assists.
Elliott stopped all but one of the 26 shots sent his way. For Brandon, Carson Bjarnason made 30 saves.
