GAME 39 PREVIEW | Blades kick off back-to-back vs Warriors

Tonight

It’s the first of four games in five nights for the Saskatoon Blades (27-8-2-1) as they travel south to square off against the Moose Jaw Warriors (26-14-0-2).

Tonight’s matchup is also the first of back-to-back matchups between the two clubs, the rematch coming tomorrow night at SaskTel Centre.

The Blades are coming off a massive 4-2 win Saturday against the Western Conference’s top Seattle Thunderbirds on home-ice. Alternate captain Trevor Wong opened the scoring and finished with his second straight three-point performance. The following three goals came courtesy of sniper Egor Sidorov who leads the team with 22 tucks in just 27 games.

Rookie netminder Austin Elliott was dynamite once again, only solved twice on 32 shots. The victory improves the 6-foot goalie’s record to 15-3-2-0.

The season-series is tied 1-1, each winning their respective game in their own barn. Moose Jaw struck first on Oct. 5th with as 3-1 victory, but the Blades got revenge only four days later. Dallas Stars prospect Conner Roulette led the way with a hat-trick, while Minnesota Wild prospect Josh Pillar and captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere dished two helpers.

Saturday’s victory vs Seattle was massive for the Blades who remain in the hunt for top of the Eastern Conference. The Bridge City Bunch sit third with 57 points, trailing only the second place Red Deer Rebels (62) and first place Winnipeg ICE (61). Saskatoon still has three games in-hand over Red Deer, and have played two more than the ICE.

Who to Watch

Blades forward Sidorov has dominated offensively lately. Sidorov’s Saturday hat-trick is his third of the season adding to his six goals in his last five games. Leading the team with 11 powerplay goals, Sidorov also sports 19 assists alongside his lethal shot. Sidorov ranked 86th in the latest NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings and is showing maybe he should’ve been higher.

Sid the Kid cashed in on Saturday!@BladesHockey | #NHLDraft | #WHLHatTricks pic.twitter.com/ljRMo5oyeF

— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 15, 2023

Vancouver, BC. product Wong is having a career year. The 5-foot-9 speedster has 15 goals and a team-leading 52 points in 38 games. The 19-year-old playmaker is tied for second in the WHL with 37 assists which is a new career-high along with his point totals. Wong has stepped up huge as the team deals with some key injuries upfront and always works his tail off to make magic happen.

Trevor Wong takes the feed from Chiasson and buries it 🤩 pic.twitter.com/fYZU77MCnA

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) January 15, 2023

Trade deadline acquisition Jake Chiasson is fitting in nicely with the Blue and Gold. Riding a six-game point streak, the Edmonton Oilers draft pick has recorded an assist in all three games since joining the Blades last Tuesday. Chiasson is a massive add for the Bridge City bringing size, speed, and skill to the club.