ROUND 3 GAME 6 RECAP | Blades drop Game 6 in overtime, return home for Game 7 Tuesday
Moose Jaw, SK – The Saskatoon Blades fell 4-3 in overtime Sunday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the Moose Jaw Events Centre against the Warriors.
For the fifth time this series, 60 minutes couldn’t settle who the winner would be. The Blades have one more shot to eliminate the Warriors on Tuesday at SaskTel Centre in a winner-take-all Game 7. The Blades went 2-0 in Game 7s during last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Final, hoping to replicate that magic in order to advance to the WHL Final for the first time since 1994.
Anaheim Ducks prospect Egor Sidorov scored a goal and recorded two assists in the loss, increasing his team-lead in points to 23. The Vitebsk, Belarus’ 15 goals is the most in the WHL playoffs, scoring goals in back-to-back games.
Alternate captain Charlie Wright found the back of the net giving him two goals and one assist in his last two games. The pending WHL graduate leads Saskatoon’s back end with five goals and eight assists in 15 games this postseason.
Forward Rowan Calvert scored in his hometown on the powerplay, giving him three goals and one assist in 15 games this postseason.
The Blades have yet to lose back-to-back games in the postseason this year, needing that trend to continue into Game 7 Tuesday night on home ice.
Unlike Game 4 in Moose Jaw when the Blades struck first within the opening minute of the game, the Warriors found the back of the net first in Game 6. Forward Brayden Schurrman scored his fifth of the postseason 38 seconds into contest to make it 1-0 Warriors.
Sidorov netted his league-leading 15th goal of the playoffs 3:45 into the first to tie the game 1-1. The 6-foot sniper has goals in back-to-back games and leads the team in points with 21 in 15 games.
Sidorov does his magic for the early Egor-lizer 🪄@AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/ctpmc5cXzi
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) May 5, 2024
Schurrman regained the Warriors lead before the end of the frame with his second of the night.
It appeared as if a penalty wasn’t going to be called on either side as none were called halfway through the game. Playing in one of the best games of his rookie season, Blades forward Willy James drew a tripping call against Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie with 6:05 remaining in thew second. Moose Jaw’s own Calvert capitalized on the Blue and Gold’s lone powerplay of the night to tie the game 2-2 after 40 minutes. It was the 5-foot-10 winger’s first goal since a short-handed tally in Game 4 of Round 2 against the Red Deer Rebels.
The hometown kid jams it in and ties up the game on the power play pic.twitter.com/S5f5Df3aRm
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) May 5, 2024
After a goal and an assist in the Blades’ Game 5 win on Friday, Wright potted his fifth of the postseason three minutes into the third to make it 3-2 Saskatoon. Wright leads all Saskatoon defenceman with 13 points in 15 games.
Charlie Wright sneaks to the front of the net and we have our first lead of the night 🎉 pic.twitter.com/hTtsPb6hIT
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) May 5, 2024
The Warriors didn’t go away as forward Rilen Kovacevic picked up his third point of the night with a goal just over halfway through the period. A fifth overtime was needed in this series, and 2006-born winger Lynden Lakovic was the overtime hero for Moose Jaw. It was the forward’s first point of the series, forcing Game 7 in Saskatoon.
What’s Next?
Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final takes place Tuesday, May 7th at SaskTel Centre. Tickets go on sale the day before at 10:00am. Puck drop is 7:00pm for the winner-take-all matchup, and we need all of Blade City there to be behind the boys!
