By Les Lazaruk
There was good news for the Saskatoon Blades Friday night…just not enough of it, and it came far too late to be of any consequence!
Medicine Hat scored the first six goals…then coasted in the third period to a 6-2 victory over the Bridge City Bunch at SaskTel Centre. Max Gerlach scored the first two Tigers tallies…both in the first period…then assisted on both of captain Mark Rassell’s markers in the second period…for a four-point night for the native of Flower Mound, Texas.
Freshman defenceman Cole Clayton, notched his first career WHL goal, and Ryan Jevne also tallied for the Tigers, now 2-1-0 on the season. Michael Bullion had his bid for a second-consecutive shutout denied by goals 49 seconds apart midway through the third period by Saskatoon’s Chase Wouters and Gage Ramsay. For the 0-2-0 Blades, the third period goals should help with some confidence going into a Saturday evening date with the visiting Calgary Hitmen.
“We’re still really early in the year. We’re still trying to figure out the (forward) lines…see who plays best with each other,” said sophomore right winger Michael Farren. “Everybody has their struggles in the year. Just happens to be that ours are at the start. It’s a new leaf now and we’re going to bring it (Saturday).”
The first five goals by Medicine Hat chased Bridge City Bunch starting goalie Ryan Kubic…replaced by Joel Grzybowski. The Hafford, Sk. product stopped 15 of 16 shots in 29:51 of action in his WHL debut. Grzybowski became the 992nd player in the Blades’ 54-year franchise history to play in at least one game…and the 117th goaltender to do so.
Pacman Points – The Tigers out-shot Saskatoon 32-23 and held the slimmest of margins in the face-off circle, winning 35 and losing 34. Rassell led all players with seven shots-on-goal while rookie Blades centre Kirby Dach had five shots. James Hamblin won 17 of 25 face-offs for Medicine Hat while Wouters led the way for the Bridge City Bunch…winning 10 of 14 draws.
The Tigers were 2-for-4 on the power play with seven shots on goal…upping their season log to 3-for-13. The Blades were 0-for-3 with five shots on goal for the man advantage. They’ve yet to score on the power play in five chances over two games.
The Blue and Gold will have 20-year-old centre Cam Hebig in the lineup for the first time since March, 2016 Saturday night against the Hitmen. The Saskatoon product sat out all of last season due to an Upper Body Injury…and missed the first two games of the new season because of a two-game, league-imposed suspension.
Calgary will come into SaskTel Centre Saturday off of a 6-5 overtime loss in Prince Albert Friday.
Hebig was one of seven scratches for Saskatoon Friday. The others being rookie wingers Matt Mosher and Tyler Lees…both sidelined with “Upper Body” injuries…while healthy scratches were defencemen Jantzen Leslie and Payton McIsaac along with forwards Dryden Michaud and Logan Doust.
For Medicine Hat, who visit the Raiders Saturday, they were without Latvian defenceman Kristians Rubins (Upper Body), fellow blue-liner Joel Craven (Upper Body), centre Mason Shaw (Lower Body), goaltender Jordan Hollett (illness) plus five players were healthy scratches…defencemen Daniel Baker and Trevor Longo along with forwards Baxter Anderson, Dawson Heathcote and Jaxon Steele. Duncan McGovern is with the Tigers and served as the back-up goalie to Bullion Friday.
