The lone Thursday night game in the Subway WHL Hub had the Saskatoon Blades (10-2-2-0) “hosting” the Prince Albert Raiders (4-8-1-1).
The Blades came in leading the season series 2-0. Three different Blades scored in a 3-1 win on March 19. In the second contest, Colton Dach scored twice to lead the Blades to a 4-0 win on March 29.
The Raiders entered the game having scored 32 goals in 13 games in the Hub which is just 2.46 per game. They had also allowed 45 goals in the 13 games which is a full goal more allowed. The Blades were almost completely the opposite way with 46 (3.54 average) for and 33 (2.54 average) against.
The Raiders turned to 20-year-old Max Paddock between the pipes, he entered the game with a 3-4-0-0 record. The Blades started Nolan Maier. He had a 7-1-1-0 record going into the game.
Five different players scored as the Blades beat the Raiders 5-3. The Blades made it three wins in three attempts against the Raiders in the Hub.
Here are how things went at the Brandt Centre.
First period
Early chances for both teams but the goalies kept the puck out of their nets.
Fists fly at the 4:16 mark of the period. Saskatoon’s Evan Patrician dropped the mitts with Prince Albert’s Adam McNutt.
The Raiders connected first when Nolan Allan scored on a one-timer feed from Ozzy Wiesblatt from down low. He ripped a shot that beat Maier for his first of the season and 1-0 Raider lead at 8:02 of the first frame. Dallyn Peekeekoot added the second helper on the opening goal.
Another batch of fisticuffs. Prince Albert’s and Saskatoon’s Wyatt McLeod threw some bombs at 17:58.
With 59.3 seconds left the Blades tied it. Tristen Robins fired a long wrist shot that may have been deflected past Paddock. His eighth goal made it 1-1 to close out the period. Brandon Lisowsky and Kyle Crnkovic picked up helpers.
In a good opening twenty minutes, the shots were 13-8 for the Blades.
Second period
Just over a minute in Maier flashed the leather. He robbed Wiesblatt who picked up his own rebound right in front of the Blade goalie.
Not ☝️ but ✌️ big stops for @NolanMaier1 ? pic.twitter.com/DHNjjV6WHF
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) April 9, 2021
Prince Albert got into some penalty trouble early in the second.
The Blades made the Raiders pay as Dach scored a backhand 5-on-3 powerplay goal at 3:32. His eighth of the season gave the Raiders a 2-1 lead. Chase Wouters and Robins assisted on the goal.
The Blades won a battle to the left of the Raider net. The puck came loose, and Kyle Crnkovic buried it upstairs past Paddock. The unassisted goal was his fifth goal of the season gave the Blades a 3-1 lead at 11:27 of the second.
The Raiders finally scored with a man advantage.
It took a 5-on-3 but Reece Vitelli’s fifth of the season got the Raiders back to within one. He pounced on a loose puck behind Paddock and buried the powerplay goal. Peekeekoot and Wiesblatt picked up the assists on the 3-2 goal at 14:23.
More penalty trouble for the Blades and the Raiders made them pay again.
Less than two minutes later Peekeekoot finished off the Gordie Howe Hat-trick. He deflected a Justin Nachbaur powerplay point shot past Paddock to tie the game at 16:01. His second career goal was also assisted by Matthew Culling making it 3-3.
In yet another even period the teams each had 11 shots on goal.
The score was all tied up at 3-3 heading into the second intermission.
Third period
The game continued to be physical, and the teams exchanged checking from behind minors early in the third.
More penalty trouble for the Raiders as the Blades headed to the 5-on-3 for the second time in the contest. The Blades had a two-man advantage for 57 seconds at 8:01.
The Raiders killed it successfully, but the Blades had taken control of the game. Halfway through the third, the Raiders had just one shot while the Blades had eight.
A mistake in the defensive zone by the Raiders led to a Raider goal. Robins grabbed the puck out of mid-air and got behind the Raider defender. He fed a pass to the front of the net where Brandon Lisowsky finished off the play with his fifth goal to give the Blades a 4-3 lead. Caiden Daley picked up the second assist on the goal.
With the goalie pulled the Raiders had a couple of amazing chances and Maier put up the plywood to keep it a one-goal lead.
With 53.2 seconds left Daley won the race to a loose puck and went in alone to score into the empty cage. His sixth of the season was assisted by Robins.
The Blades outshot the Raiders 14-4 in the third and 38-23 overall.
Just notes: The Raiders finished 2-for-5 on the powerplay while the Blades went 1-for-4. Robins (1G, 3A), Peekeekoot (1G, 2A) and Lisowsky (1G, 1A) were the stars of the game. Paddock finished with 33 saves while Maier made 20 in the win. The Raiders’ two powerplay goals were the first of the season series after going 0-for-10 in the previous two contests.
