2021-22 WHL Season, DUBNetwork, East Division, Prospects, Trades, WHL

Power Pellets, Ghosts and Pac-Man

Written by Raymond Bourner on

 

Power Pellets

Pac-Man eating ghosts, remember the video game? Eat the little dots, get the ghosts chasing you, eat a power pellet and then chase the ghosts. Simple, right?

As we approach Halloween and little ghosts will be appearing out of nowhere, are the Blades chasing ghosts or are they being chased? Eight games into this young season and the Bridge City Kids are in second place in the WHL’s East Division. They are five points back of the powerhouse Winnipeg ICE with one game in hand. In correlation, they are five points up on third-place Brandon who has skated two more games than this Blades group.

The team boasts an impressive group of veterans as well as some surprising rookies who have led the charge. San Jose Shark draft pick Tristen Robins is tied for the league lead with 15 points. Shifty forward Kyle Crnkovic isn’t too far behind with an impressive 12 points, good enough for fourth in the league. Belarusian rookie import Egor Sidorov has been on fire of late, notching one goal in each of the past four contests. And newly-minted WHL goalie of the week Nolan Maier has been the brick wall the Blades were expecting, coming onto his final season.

Ghosts

When Pac-Man gets chased by ghosts, it’s a skillful combination of anticipation and clever moves. Such is the case as the Blades prepare to chew through teams over the next few weeks in preparation for an almost month-long absence from home ice. Over the next seven games, the Blades continue to play the majority of their games against weaker foes. In fact, only one of those games is against a team that currently holds a similar points total as the Blades in the Edmonton Oil Kings.

The trick will be to stay out of the trap of being cornered by some of these teams as they ramp up their effort level against a game opponent. Being smart, coming in with a clear game plan, keeping the play simple has been successful for this group. Keeping a forward high to eliminate odd-man rushes, collapsing down low to take away back door opportunities, and staying disciplined.

Pac-Man

Now the ghosts are blinking and those yellow chompers are at the ready to start building up huge points. The Blades are dangerous on the power-play, clicking at a 28.2% clip right now and even more dangerous on the road at an even 50%. That top power-play line of Crnkovic, Robins, and Sidorov being flanked by the smooth-skating Aiden De La Gorgendiere, teams are sometimes left to hope for a bad pass or bounce. This team is not afraid to shoot the puck, from any angle at any time. And it has proven a success as it takes teams off guard and deflates the effort to that point.

On the other side of the ice is a defense that’s banged up right now. Rhett Rhinehart has been dealing with an ongoing issue that has kept him out of the lineup for the last four games. His leadership, offensive upside, and grit are certainly missed, however this young group I staying focused on strong defensive play and smart d-zone exits. With this being Nolan Maier’s final season, fully expect to see him get the bulk of the work. Ethan Chadwick is likely to draw into two of the next seven games as they would be the front or back of back-to-backs.

Even though Pac-Man never really ends, it’s the chase and the small wins after you complete each level that is the reward. For the Saskatoon Blades, each game presents a level as they look to get to the faster and tougher rounds. The ones that separate the best players and ultimately, the champions.

Blade Bits: Brad Lambert’s name has been floating around the internet for a few weeks now. Lambert who has dual citizenship between Canada and Finland is currently in the second year of a two-year deal with JYP in the Finnish Liiga Men’s Division. Rumors have been circulating that Lambert is unhappy with his ice time and may prefer a move back to Canada, where the Blades hold his rights. Blades GM Colin Priestner has stated that no contact has been made with the club and the CEO of the JYP club has also stated that he is unaware of any such intention. Regardless, this will be something to monitor.