“Cheating” Catches up With Blades in Lop-sided Loss to ICE

By Les Lazaruk

 

CRANBROOK, B.C. – It was a loss that was bound to happen to the Saskatoon Blades.

The Kootenay ICE snapped a six-game winless streak, scoring four times in the first 10 ½ minutes on the way to a 7-2 laugher over the Bridge City Bunch.

“This was a real stinky (loss),” deadpanned Blue and Gold assistant coach Jerome Engele. “We weren’t prepared to play and we never did play, really, for the entire game.

“But, (a bad loss) has been coming for a while. We haven’t been playing well in the last few games. You could see it coming. We’ve been cheating all over the ice and sometimes you need this.”

Victimized by the lopsided result was Tyler Brown, making his Blades debut in goal after being acquired Wednesday from Regina…part of the multi-player/draft pick deal between Saskatoon and the Pats. The 20-year-old Winnipeg product went the distance, stopping 25 of 32 shots.

“I feel very sorry for Brown,” explained Engele. “It’s his first start and the kid deserved us to play a lot better in front of him. He played well in net, you can’t blame him. But, we did nothing to help him whatsoever.”

Brett Davis scored two of the first four goals for Kootenay…now 19-22-3 overall. Single tallies came off the sticks of Alec Baer, Colton Kroeker, Colton Veloso, Keenan Taphorn and Sam Huston. Kroeker added three assists while former Bridge City Bunch forward Cam Hausinger chipped in with three helpers. Max Gerlach and Jake Kustra replied for the Blades…now 22-20-3 for the season.

The ICE were 2-for-8 on the power play and outshot Saskatoon 32-30. The Bridge City Bunch were 0-for-6 on the man advantage, including not being able to score during a 1:40 worth of two-man advantage early in the second period with Kootenay holding a 5-1 lead.

The Blades finish a three-game road trip in the Central Division Tuesday night in Calgary against the Hitmen.

Pacman Points – The loss was Saskatoon’s first to a Central Division team not named the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Bridge City Bunch dropped all four meetings with Medicine Hat this season, but had won eight other games against the other five Central clubs.

The 0-for-6 power play performance means the Blue and Gold have gone six consecutive games without scoring on the man advantage and haven’t connected in their last 16 power play chances.

Blades’ right winger Josh Paterson’s 10-game points streak came to an end Sunday…one day after line-mate Braylon Shmyr had a nine-game run snipped.

There was a multiple-fight situation following the game’s final whistle. Saskatoon defenceman Kustra and ICE forward Kaeden Taphorn…both born in Yorkton, Sk…started throwing punches after Bridge City Bunch centre Brandon Machado and Kootenay defenceman Ryan Pouliot had dropped their gloves.Kustra and Taphorn were assessed game misconducts in addition to fighting majors.

Slovak defenceman Martin Bodak failed to add to the ICE’s goal tally with just under 10 seconds remaining in the game when he was awarded a penalty shot after being hauled down from behind on a breakaway. Bodak deked Brown to the ice, but lost control of the puck and didn’t get a shot on net.

The Blades dressed 15-year-old affiliate forward Kyle Crnkovic in place of 17-year-old Tyler Lees. Saskatoon also played 16-year-old “AP” forward Tristen Robins for a second consecutive game. Robins was part of the trade that sent defenceman Libor Hajek to Regina back on Monday with Dawson Davidson also coming to the Bridge City Bunch in return. A third affiliate player, defenceman Zachary Ashton, was a healthy scratch while right wingers Caleb Fantillo (Lower Body), Kirby Dach and Michael Farren (both Upper Body) continue to be sidelined by injury.

Kootenay had 16-year-old Jesse Makaj dressed as a backup to goaltender Duncan McGovern with recently-acquired Matt Berlin (from Seattle) sidelined by a Lower Body injury. Also injured was defenceman Dallas Hines (Lower Body) and Swiss left winger Gilian Kohler (Upper Body). As well, 16-year-old defenceman Zachary Patrick was a healthy scratch.

The busiest individual shooters were Davis of the ICE with nine shots on goal while Kroeker had five shots. Eric Florchuk, who assisted on both Blue and Gold markers, topped the Blades with four shots on goal.

Kootenay won 36 of 66 faceoffs for the 60 minutes with Davis winning nine of 14 trips to the dot. Florchuk paced the Blades by capturing possession on six of eight draws.