ROUND 1 GAME 6 PREVIEW | Blades face opportunity to advance to Round 2
Key Players, Notable Stats, How to Watch and More
Happy Easter, Blade City!
What better way to spend time with family than watching the Saskatoon Blades try to advance to Round 2 of the Western Hockey League (WHL) Playoffs presented by Nutrien. The Bridge City Bunch have the opportunity to do so in Round 1 Game 6 presented by Discover Saskatoon when the Edmonton Oil Kings visit SaskTel Centre at 2:00pm.
Saskatoon took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series after a 4-2 win at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Friday. Three games between the Eastern Conference combatants have been decided by one goal with 16 goals for each side in the series.
“I don’t expect it to be any different for Sunday honestly,” said Blades Head Coach Dan DaSilva, “I think they’ll come out ready to play and so will we.”
The Blades went down 1-0 in the first period of Game 5 after a breakaway goal from Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Miroslav Holinka. The 20-year-old forward leads the Oil Kings in scoring with six goals and two assists for eight points in five games. With 1:07 remaining in the opening frame, NHL Draft-eligible winger Zach Olsen tied the game for Saskatoon with his first goal of the series. The Calgary, AB native missed Game 4 due to illness and made an immediate impact in his return to the lineup.
Blades forward Hunter Laing and Oil Kings forward Kayden Stroeder exchanged blows on the scoresheet in the opening 3:15 of the second period to make it 2-2. 2007-born forward Hayden Harsanyi scored his fourth goal of the postseason for the Blades just over halfway through the contest to make it 3-2. Harsanyi’s goal stood as the game-winner, giving him two this series. The Oil Kings pressured the Blades in the third period, outshooting Saskatoon 14-10. Blades captain Tyler Parr iced the game with an empty-net goal with 11 seconds left on the clock thanks to a diving assist from defenceman Brayden Klimpke to clear the puck out of Saskatoon’s end.
Saskatoon outshot Edmonton 39-37 in Game 5 and have outshot the Oil Kings in every game this series. The Blue and Gold lead the shot department 179-162.
“Every single game (is) super physical,” said Blades forward Ben Bowtell, “It’s just some of the most fun hockey I’ve played to be honest. We’re just going out there, we’re putting everything on the line. Like, we’re shocking this team and that’s been super fun.”
Saskatoon’s penalty kill came through big in Game 5 denying all three Oil King opportunities. A win this afternoon would advance the Blades to Round 2, while a loss would force Game 7 in Edmonton on Monday at 7:00pm.
The good guys
Edmonton Oil Kings draft pick David Lewandowski leads the Blades in scoring with two goals and four assists for six points in five games. The German import notched a helper in Game 5. Parr, Laing, and defenceman Tristen Doyle enter tonight on respective point streaks. Parr has two goals and an assist on a three-game stretch. A Calgary Flames draft pick, Laing’s notched two goals and two assists on his three-game point streak. Doyle has recorded points (1G, 4A) in four straight. Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Evan Gardner stopped 35 of 37 shots in Game 5 to improve his record to 3-1-1 this postseason. The third-year netminder has a .907 save percentage (SV%) and 2.87 goals against average (2.87). The Bridge City Bunch’s powerplay sits at 14.3% but went 25% on home ice through games 3 and 4.
The opposition
Holinka has been on a tear through Round 1. The 6-foot-2 centre has six goals and two assists on a four-game point streak. Holinka scored a hat-trick in Game 4 at SaskTel Centre in a 5-2 win for the Oil Kings. Entering the series in Game 3 due to the absence of 2008-born goalie Parker Snell at the time, veteran Ethan Simcoe has gone 1-2 with .913 SV% and 3.06 GAA. Special teams has been a strong factor for Edmonton, entering tonight with a powerplay and penalty kill operating at 27.8% and 85.7% respectively.
Watch & Listen
Coverage for Game 6 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 1:45pm 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.
