ROUND 1 GAME 4 PREVIEW | Blades eye 3-1 series lead against Oil Kings
Key Players, Notable Stats, How to Watch and More
Halfway there.
Round 1 Game 4 presented by Discover Saskatoon between the Saskatoon Blades (2-1) and Edmonton Oil Kings (1-2) takes place inside SaskTel Centre at 7:00pm. The Blades earned a monumental 4-3 come-from-behind victory in Game 3 last night at home. Trailing 3-1 in the second period, Blades alternate captain Rowan Calvert scored his first of the postseason with 2:10 remaining in the frame to bring the club within one. 20-year-old captain Tyler Parr tied the game under halfway through the third, and 2006-born defenceman Tristen Doyle scored the game-winning goal on the powerplay with 7:27 left in regulation.
“How about that powerplay, you know?” remarked Calvert.
After going 1/11 on the man-advantage through games 1 and 2 on the road, Saskatoon’s powerplay went 2/5 in Game 3. Edmonton Oilers draft pick David Lewandowski brought the home crowd to their feet with a powerplay goal 13:16 into the opening frame. Three unanswered goals from the Oil Kings in the opening 6:26 of the second frame dampened the mood for a short period of time. Calvert’s late second period tally, followed by Parr’s second of the postseason, and Doyle’s game-winning goal sent 4,000+ Blade City fans inside SaskTel Centre into a frenzy.
“It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it,” said Blades Head Coach Dan DaSilva, “It’s (SaskTel Centre) such a special place to play when the crowd is behind you like that. It was a lot of fun tonight.”
Saskatoon’s penalty kill also got the job done going 2/2. The Blades are up 2-1 in the best-of-seven Round 1 series. Following Game 4 tonight, the Bridge City Bunch return to Edmonton on Friday for Game 5 at Rogers Place at 6:00pm. An Oil Kings win tonight would force a Game 6 at 2:00pm on Sunday at SaskTel Centre.
The good guys
The Blades have opened the scoring in the first period in all three games this series. Saskatoon’s also outshot the Oil Kings in every contest, leading the series 107-97 in the shot department. Saskatoon’s powerplay has three goals on 16 attempts, good for 18.8%. The penalty kill is operating at 69.2%, allowing four goals on 13 attempts. Lewandowski’s two-point (1G, 1A) performance in Game 3 gave him the team-lead in points with five (2G, 3A) in three games. 2007-born forward Hayden Harsanyi’s three goals in games 1 and 2 are the most on the team. Gardner’s postseason record is 2-1 with a .907 save percentage (SV%) and 2.75 goals against average (GAA). In 22 career postseason appearances, Gardner is 12-5-4 with a .904 SV%, 2.80 GAA, and one shutout.
The opposition
The Oil Kings were without several key pieces in their lineup in Game 3. Rookie netminder Parker Snell didn’t dress after going 1-1 through the first two games, stoping 68 of 74 shots. Snell’s 41 saves on 44 shots in Edmonton’s Game 2 victory bumped him to a .919SV% and 2.66GAA. Seattle Kraken draft pick Blake Fiddler and gritty forward Aaron Obobaifo also didn’t dress for Game 3. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka leads the Oil Kings in scoring with two goals and two assists in three games. The 20-year-old forward potted his second of the series last night.
Watch & Listen
Coverage for Game 4 of Round 1 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 6:45 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.
