GAME 34 PREVIEW | Blades, Raiders meet for anticipated first matchup of the season
WHL REGULAR SEASON | GAME 34 | Saskatoon Blades (19-10-2-2) @ Prince Albert Raiders (17-11-3-0)
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Tonight
The Saskatoon Blades (19-10-2-2) visit the Art Hauser Centre Monday for their first game of the season against the Prince Albert Raiders (17-11-3-0). The Highway 11 rivals met ten times last regular season, Saskatoon going 8-0-0-2. It’s a Round 1 rematch from last season’s postseason when the Blades eliminated the Raiders in five games in the best-of-seven series.
The Blades won both games since returning from the Christmas break. Five unanswered goals in the third period Friday earned Saskatoon a 5-2 victory against the Moose Jaw Warriors at SaskTel Centre. The Bridge City Bunch followed it up with three unanswered goals in the third the next night at the Brandt Centre in a 5-2 victory against the Regina Pats. The Blades are one point back of the Eastern Conference’s top Medicine Hat Tigers with three games in-hand.
Who to Watch
20-year-old sniper Brandon Lisowsky scored his team-leading 21st goal of the season in Saturday’s win against the Pats. The Port Coquitlam, BC product scored the opening goal of the game in the first period. Lisowsky’s goal put him fifth on the Blades’ all-time goal scoring list with 142 in 254 career WHL games passing Perry Ganchar. Lisowsky is second on the team in points with 39 (21G, 18A) and is on an 11-game point streak with 11 goals and eight assists in that span.
Sophomore forward Hudson Kibblewhite registered a goal and two assists in Saturday’s win. It marked the first three-point game of the Vernon, BC product native’s 63-game career. Kibblewhite has five goals and six assists in 25 games this season.
