GAME DAY PREVIEW: Blades welcome Tigers for Wing-It Wednesday
Medicine Hat Tigers (22-16-3-0) at Saskatoon Blades (21-18-2-1) |
Date | Time | Place | Wednesday, Jan. 10th | 7:00 p.m | SaskTel Centre |
Tickets | Click here |
Video Stream | WHL Live |
Radio | 92.9 The Bull FM | Pre-Game Show w/ Les Lazaruk @6:30pm |
Mobile App | Apple | Android |
Live Stats | Click Here |
Next Home Game | Saturday, January 20th, 7:00pm vs Regina Pats |
Social Media | @BladesHockey | Facebook | Instagram |
Tonight – The Saskatoon Blades look to get back into the win column after seeing their 7 game winning streak come to an end on Sunday evening in Brandon. It’s the 4th and final meeting between the Blades and Tigers this season; Medicine Hat has taken all three previous meetings.
The opponent – The Tigers come into tonight’s contest having gone 5-4-1-0 in their last 10 outings, sitting just 2 points ahead of the Blades in the overall standings. Medicine Hat will also have to make due without one of their leading scorers in Max Gerlach, who will ironically enough be on the other side of the ice after being traded to Saskatoon earlier today. For success, the Tigers will look to their power play that has gone 9/16 against the Blades this season.
For Saskatoon – The Blades are a different team today then they were when they faced the Tigers in previous meetings earlier this season. Saskatoon is above .500 and only two points behind the Tigers after a rough start to the season. The Blades need to bring their swagger into this contest, and especially shore up their penalty kill against the Tigers which has only stopped 7/16 attempts this season. Plus, one of the Tigers’ best power play snipers is now on the Blades and with the addition of Dawson Davidson on the backend, watch for the Blades to flip the script and rule the special teams matches tonight.
The lineup – The Blades will be without Cam Hebig, Ryan Kubic, and Libor Hájek who were all traded this week to the Regina Pats. However, the Blades will see three players make their debut in blue & gold including former Medicine Hat Tiger Max Gerlach, and former Regina Pats Tyler Brown and Dawson Davidson. Due to the timing of the trade involving Tyler Brown, it’s likely he will back up Nolan Maier today after travelling from Regina. Eric Florchuk will be arriving in Saskatoon but not in time for the game, so he is likely to make his debut on the road in Red Deer on Saturday.
Injury Report:
F Caleb Fantillo – lower body, 2-3 weeks
F Kirby Dach – upper body, week-to-week
F Michael Farren – upper body, 1-2 weeks
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