RECAP: Blades round out Pre-Season with 6-2 win over ICE
Saskatoon, SK – The Saskatoon Blades (4-0-1-0) finished their 2019 Pre-Season Campaign on Saturday Night with a big 6-2 win over the Winnipeg ICE (1-3-0-0) at SaskTel Centre.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, the Blades were outshot by the ICE 24 to 38. Backup netminder Koen MacInnes played a large role in the team’s win by stopping 36 of Winnipeg’s shots, finishing his second start of the pre-season with a healthy .947 save percentage.
Cyle McNabb led from the front, scoring two of the Blades’ three power play goals of the evening. 20-year-old Riley McKay nabbed the other man-advantage goal for the Blades, tipping in a Parker Malchuk shot.
Malchuk, who joined the Blades in a deal with the Victoria Royals on August 14th, scored his first goal of the Pre-Season after sneaking into the slot and sniping truly into the top-left-corner of the net.
Lively forward Kyle Crnkovic continued his red-hot Pre-Season with two assists against the ICE on Saturday night, bringing his point total to 9 (3G-6A) in four games played. Crnkovic finished the Pre-Season on a four game point streak and had multi-point outings in every Pre-Season game he dressed for.
Brandon Lisowsky notched an assist on McNabb’s first power play tally, bringing the 15-year-old’s first Pre-Season point total to 5 points (1G-4A) in five games played. He also finished the Pre-Season riding a three game point streak.
Meanwhile 20-year-old blueliner Nolan Kneen made his return to Saskatoon known, dangling in a beautiful unassisted goal toward the end of the first period. Likewise, Randen Schmidt‘s return to the lineup saw him score a nifty short-handed goal. 16-year-old Colton Dach earned the lone assist on Schmidt’s short-handed snipe, bringing the forward’s point total to 6 (4G-2A) in five Pre-Season games played.
Next time the Blades’ take to the ice it will be for points in the 2019-20 Western Hockey League Regular Season. The Blades will face the Defending Champion Raiders in Prince Albert on Friday the 20th of September before hosting the Raiders at SaskTel Centre on Saturday the 21st for the Home Opener.