ROUND 2 GAME 4 PREVIEW | Blades face elimination in Game 4 against Prince Albert
Key Players, Notable Stats, How to Watch and More
It’s do-or-die tonight for the Bridge City Bunch.
The Saskatoon Blades hope to avoid elimination from the 2026 Western Hockey League (WHL) Playoffs against the Prince Albert Raiders. The Blue and Gold host their Highway 11 rival for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Final at SaskTel Centre at 7:00pm.
“They’re not going to quit in that room,” said Blades Head Coach Dan DaSilva, “This is not a team that is going to roll over and die.”
The Blades trail 3-0 in the best-of-seven series. A win for the Blades would force Game 5 on the road at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday at 7:00pm.
“I think there’s a ton of belief in that room,” said Blades alternate captain Brayden Klimpke, “(We’ve got to) just trust the work we’ve done all year. We’ve worked all year for this moment right now. Trust the work we’ve put in and just go out there and play.”
The good guys
NHL Draft-eligible winger Zach Olsen has the lone goal for the Bridge City Bunch this series. The 2008-born forward scored a powerplay goal in the third period of Game 1 to give him two goals and four assists in nine games this postseason. The Blades have killed five straight Prince Albert powerplays after going 3/3 in Game 3. Edmonton Oilers draft pick David Lewandowski and Calgary Flames draft pick Hunter Laing are tied for the team lead in scoring with three goals and five assists for eight points each. Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Evan Gardner is 4-4-2 this postseason with a .913 save percentage (SV%) and 2.85 goals against average (GAA).
The opposition
The Raiders have opened the scoring in all eight of their postseason games. NHL Draft-eligible netminder Michal Orsulak earned his second shutout in as many games and third shutout of the playoffs with a 23-save performance in Game 3. The 6-foot-4 goalie is 7-1 in the postseason with a .925 SV% and 1.37 GAA. Sophomore defenceman Daxon Rudolph leads the team in scoring this postseason with four goals and seven assists for 11 points in eight games. The first overall pick of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft also has the most points this series with a goal and three assists across two games. Prince Albert’s penalty kill went 4/4 in Game 4, improving to 78.3% in the playoffs.
Watch & Listen
Coverage for Game 4 of Round 2 presented by Discover Saskatoon is FREE on Victory+ TV. Blades Communications Manager Tanner Chubey and 650 CKOM’s Scott Roblin get you ready for the action at 6:45pm with the Pre-Game Show. Stick around for in-depth analysis from Chubey and Roblin during intermissions, and watch all the action for FREE on Victory+ TV. Head to victoryplus.com to watch or sign up and make your free account today.
