TIGERS CLAW BACK!
SASKATOON,SK- Flashes of last season started to show tonight, as inconsistent play, costed the Blades in the end.
After getting up 2-0 with goals courtesy of Nikita Soshnin and Ryan Graham. The Blades seemed to be playing on their heels and giving what looked to be only 20 minutes of effort. “Our team isn’t going to win in this league unless we have 20 guys going with everything they got.” Head Coach Bob Woods said on the effort the team gave after twenty minutes of play.
The Tigers would capitalize on some bad defensive play behind the net as Chad Butcher was left all alone in the slot to cut the lead in half.
Early in the third, on a neutral zone give away, the Tigers would break out on a 2-on-1 with Mason Shaw tipping it past Brock Hamm. Hamm finished the night with 35 saves and was the highlight for the Blades for the majority of the game.
“We just didn’t come out with a sixty minute effort. I thought that we played the ten minute at the end of the first and just decided to take it easy and it cost us.” Ryan Graham on the Blades effort after the first period.
A late penalty with seconds left in a tied game going into overtime, the Blades were unable to capitalize as they missed multiple opportunities to shoot the puck to try and put the game away.
The Tigers would start in their own end and Steven Owre would bust down the wing and throw a backhander that just squeaked past Brock Hamm for the game winner handing the Blades their second straight overtime loss of the season.
“Anytime you’re playing at home you expect two (points). Our goaltender stood on his head and gave us every opportunity to win and the power play in overtime was disappointing. You can’t have a power play if you’re putting passes in feet and off. They have to be dialled in and you got to shoot the puck in those instants and when you’re not getting good passes it’s tough to shoot the puck.” Bob Woods on the teams sloppy power play in overtime.
The Blades will practice tomorrow before facing former GM and Head Coach Lorne Molleken and the Vancouver Giants on the first Mosaic Sunday Funday game of the year at 2:00 PM.
