By Les Lazaruk
It’s getting to be that some things are expected when the Saskatoon Blades play on Friday nights, at home and when the Swift Current Broncos visit!
Although Chase Wouters scored on the first shot of the game, just 24 seconds into the contest, the Bridge City Bunch couldn’t parlay the quick start into success, falling 6-4 to Speedy Creek before 3,664 fans at SaskTel Centre.
The result means the Blades (7-9-1 overall) are…
1-6-0 on Friday.
2-6-0 on home ice.
1-3-0 against Swift Current…with the away team winning every game in the season series.
“There’s going to be games throughout the season where you get beat and there’s games throughout the season where you kind of give it away. And, I think (the latter) is maybe part of it how we felt (about) this one,” said Saskatoon assistant coach Ryan Keller about the setback.
Once again, the Broncos best players were their best players. WHL goal-scoring and points leader Tyler Steenbergen notched a goal and two assists, giving him 24 tallies and 41 points in total over just 16 games. Line mate Aleksi Heponiemi matched Steenbergen’s output Friday, giving him 13 goals and a league-leading 27 helpers for 40 points while their centre, captain Glenn Gawdin, had a goal and an assist. Add in defenceman Colby Sissons, a 19-year-old free agent signing by the NHLs New Jersey Devils, getting a marker and a helper and that foursome accounted for 10 of 13 scoring points for the Broncos.
However, the Bridge City Bunch didn’t quit. Trailing 5-2 after two periods, the Blue and Gold overcame a disallowed goal with 7:59 remaining and cut the deficit to one goal on tallies from Libor Hajek and Michael Farren…the latter goal on a power play. The Blades had another man advantage in the final 2:13 of regulation time, but couldn’t beat former Saskatoon goaltender Logan Flodell to tie the score…instead, yielding an empty net goal by Swift Current’s Connor Chaulk.
“Even after the first period, it would’ve been easy for the guys in that room to look at the bus trip coming up (following the game Friday to Brandon) and feel sorry for themselves and kind of throw in the towel,” said Keller. “But, they didn’t do that. They competed for the next 40 minutes, right up to the end.”
Braylon Shmyr ended an eight-game goal-less drought for the other Bridge City Bunch tally. The Blue and Gold out-shot the Broncos 33-22.
The Blades visit the Wheat Kings Saturday.
By the way, Saskatoon is 4-1-1 on Saturdays and 5-3-1 on the road so far this season.
Pacman Points – The Blades finished the game with five defencemen after Seth Bafaro was given a checking from behind major and game misconduct for a shove on Swift Current blueliner Artyom Minulin that sent him crashing face first into the end boards in the Saskatoon end. Minulin didn’t return to the contest.
Wouters added two assists for a three-point night…which was equaled by sophomore Bridge City Bunch rearguard Jackson Caller who had three helpers. Caller has posted five assists in the last two Blue and Gold games.
Forwards Bradly Goethals and Brandon Machado returned to the Blades lineup Friday while defenceman Payton McIsaac was returned to Sherwood Park of the AJHL after suiting up for last Saturday’s victory in Edmonton. Saskatoon continues to be without forwards Caleb Fantillo and Logan Christensen, sidelined by upper body injuries, while Kirby Dach finishes up his time with Team Canada-Black at the World Under-17 Challenge in Northern B.C.
Swift Current is also awaiting the return of a player from the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in forward Logan Barlage. The rest of their scratches were “coaches decisions”…defenceman Jake Hobson plus forwards Quinton Waitzner and MacKenzie Wight.
The Broncos connected on their first two power play chances and ended up two-for-four on the night while the Blue and Gold were one-for-five…extending their streak to six straight games in which they have notched a man advantage score. The Blades are 7-for-21 with the extra man in that time.
Swift Current was the better team in the faceoff circle, winning 32 of 55 draws. Overage centre and captain Glenn Gawdin led the way, winning 12 of 18 trips to the dot. Machado was best for the Blades with four wins in six faceoff situations.
The busiest individual shooters were Saskatoon defenceman Libor Hajek and 20-year-old Broncos centre Connor Chaulk, each with six shots on net.
Joel Grzybowski came on in relief of Ryan Kubic for the fourth time this season. The 18-year-old Hafford, Sk. product stopped all six shots he faced in the third period while Kubic blocked 10 of 15 shots. Flodell stopped 29 shots on behalf of Speedy Creek.
Steenbergen’s goal was the 100th of his WHL career.
