By Les Lazaruk
It took seven games for it to happen, but the Saskatoon Blades were finally able to use the, “it’s only preseason” line when explaining a loss.
The Prince Albert Raiders finally got the better of the Bridge City Bunch, upending the visitors 5-2 Saturday.
The result means the Blue and Gold finish the WHL pre-season schedule with a 6-1-0 record while the Raiders wound up 2-2-1…1-2-1 against Saskatoon in exhibition play.
“We, obviously, made some strides throughout the preseason, implementing some adjustments and stuff like that that we want to make,” explained Blades assistant coach Ryan Keller. “But, the last couple of games, our competitiveness just hasn’t been there. When you get into these smaller buildings, especially, that gets magnified. Every game usually boils down to which team wants it more and who’s going to compete harder. In these buildings, it just shows that much more.”
P.A. got two goals each from Brett Leason and Spencer Moe with defenceman Max Martin also beat Blue and Gold netminder Nolan Maier. Leason scored short-handed and on the power play in the first period for the Raiders – sandwiching a man-advantage tally from Blades’ blueliner Emil Malysjev.
The “you know it’s not going to be your night” moment for Saskatoon came just 50 seconds after 16-year-old defenceman Aidan De La Gorgendiere scored to cut Prince Albert’s lead to 3-2. Martin’s shot from the right wing boards was deflected into the Bridge City Bunch net by Maier’s stick when the 17-year-old Yorkton product was trying to steer the puck into the corner.
The Raiders out-shot the Blue and Gold 35-23. The Blades, who lost 18-year-old forward Brandon Machado to a left shoulder injury in the second period, will open the 2018-19 WHL regular season with a home-and-home series against the defending league champions. Saskatoon visits Swift Current Friday before hosting the Broncos Saturday. P.A.’s home-and-home series with the Pats begins Friday at the Art Hauser Centre before continuing Saturday in Regina.
Pacman Points – Recent Raiders’ newcomer Donovan Buskey stopped 21 shots in goal for P.A.
Saskatoon welcomed back 20-year-old right winger Max Gerlach to the line-up after the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes returned the Flower Mound, Texas product following completion of their rookie camp. The Bridge City Bunch also had centre 19-year-old Logan Christensen back in action after missing one game due to injury. But, for the second straight preseason game, the Blue and Gold used defencemen Randen Schmidt and Zachary Ashton as forwards. Chase Wouters (Tampa Bay Lightning) plus Eric Florchuk and Kristian Roykas-Marthinsen (both with the Washington Capitals) are attending NHL main training camps while 19-year-old right winger Josh Paterson joined rookie Kyle Crnkovic on the sidelines. Paterson suffered an “upper body” injury in the third period of Thursday’s 3-2 Blades victory over visiting Regina when Pats’ defenceman Parker Gavlas was assessed a checking to the head major penalty and game misconduct. Gavlas was, subsequently, handed a six-game suspension by the WHL. Goaltender Koen MacInnes, defenceman Jake Kustra and centre Braden Plaschewsky were all “coaches decision” scratches for Saskatoon.
The Raiders still have three regulars away attending N-H-L main training camps…goaltender Ian Scott (Toronto), captain and defenceman Brayden Pachal (Calgary) and forward Parker Kelly (Ottawa). Prince Albert also scratched goaltender Curtis Meger, defenceman Jeremy Masella and left winger Mackenzie Belinski.
Leason and fellow P.A. forward Sean Montgomery led all players in the game with six shots on goal while Brad Goethals paced Saskatoon with four shots.
In the faceoff circle, the Bridge City Bunch won 29 of 57 draws, led by Christensen. who captured possession for the Blue and Gold on 13 of 23 faceoffs. Overage forward Montgomery topped the Raiders, winning 11 of 14 trips to the dot.
