Monday afternoon’s contest at the Subway Hub saw the Prince Albert Raiders host the Saskatoon Blades.
The underachieving Raiders (3-4-1-1) were trying to get back on the winning path. The first place Blades (8-0-1-0) on the other hand were looking to continue their franchise-best start.
With Max Paddock still out nursing an injury, the Raiders had no choice but to go with Carter Serhyenko and has played admirably in the 2020-21 season. The Blades went back to Nolan Maier who was perfect on the season coming into the contest.
Saskatoon had won the first meeting 3-1 on March 19th. Caiden Daley, Aidan De La Gorgendiere, and Rhett Rhinehart collected the Blade goals. Eric Pearce replied for the Raiders. Maier picked up the win for the Blades and Paddock got the loss for the Raiders.
The Blades managed to continue their franchise-best start with a 4-0 shutout of the Raiders. Colton Dach scored a pair of goals and Maier made 24 saves for the shutout. It was Maier’s 85th win which tied a Blades franchise record with Tim Cheveldae.
First period
The Blades opened the scoring four minutes into the game. Dach made it 1-0 when he fired home his fifth goal of the season after the Blades won an offensive zone face-off.
On the second half of a four-minute powerplay, Chase Wouters scored his fifth goal of the season to put the Blades up 2-0. He got enough of a pass from Tristen Robins and put a one-timer past the Raider goalie.
Even though the Blades carried much of the play in the first the tight-checking period saw just 11 shots between the two teams. The Blades led 8-3 on the shot clock and 2-0 in the game.
Second Period
With the Blades still carrying much of the play, they are rewarded. Dach scored his second goal of the game to give Saskatoon a commanding 3-0 lead. His long wrist shot beat a screened Serhyenko.
Robins got into the act when he sniped a powerplay goal at 17:59 of the second. His sixth goal of the season gave the Blades a 4-0 lead.
The Blades owned much of the play and had a 20-9 lead on the shot clock after two periods to go with that 4-0 lead.
Third Period
Logan Linklater received a five-minute major for butt-ending Dach about three minutes into the third period. The Blades failed to capitalize.
With less than ten minutes left Wouters took the games’ second five-minute major when he hit Ozzy Wiesblatt with a crosscheck. Wiesblatt hit the boards hard and left the game with what looked like a shoulder or arm injury.
The Raiders showed some life in the third, but it was too late. The Raiders led on the shot clock 15-12 but could not beat Maier. The final shots were 32-24 for the Blades.
Just notes: 15-year-old Terrell Goldsmith made his WHL debut with the Raiders in Monday’s game. The Blades’ Tanner Molendyk left the game midway through the first with what looked to be an apparent injury. Dach (2G, 1A), Robins (1G, 1A), and Maier (24 save SO) swept the three stars in the game.
