SERIES PREVIEW: (3) Red Deer Rebels vs. (2) Saskatoon Blades
The 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien continue Friday, April 14, and WHL.ca is previewing each of the four Second Round matchups. We begin by examining the series between the Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels.
The Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels have drawn one another in the Second Round of the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien beginning Friday.
The best-of-seven Second Round series begins April 14 in Saskatoon (7:00 p.m. MT, SaskTel Centre).
The Blades reached the Second Round thanks to a seven-game thriller versus the Regina Pats, a matchup that saw Saskatoon battle back from a 2-0 series deficit and win two road games in overtime on back-to-back nights. The Blades, on the strength of their 48 regular season wins, retain home-ice advantage into the Second Round thanks to re-seeding, and enter the series with Red Deer having posted an emphatic 4-1 win over Regina in Game 7 of the First Round Monday night.
The Rebels dispatched the Calgary Hitmen in round one in five games, including a trio of victories to close out the series in Games 3 through 5. Red Deer outscored Calgary 20-10 over the five-game set, and received a franchise playoff record five-assist performance from captain Jayden Grubbe in the closing chapter of the series, a 5-4 Rebels overtime win April 7.
2023 NHL Draft prospect Egor Sidorov was terrific for the Blades in round one, scoring five times and sharing the team points lead (10) with Trevor Wong through the opening round. Saskatoon received offensive contributions from up and down the lineup in their seven-game victory over Regina, including a seven-assist effort from captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere, who enters the Second Round of the WHL Playoffs tied for fourth in League defenceman scoring leaders with Red Deer’s Mats Lindgren.
The Rebels got plenty of offence from snipers Ben King and Kai Uchacz in their First Round victory versus the Calgary Hitmen, but Grubbe was tenacious, and terrific in that five-game series. The New York Rangers prospect won 61.7 per cent of his face-offs against Calgary and led Red Deer’s offence with 10 points.
The Blades feature a quartet of NHL prospects, two of whom have their NHL rights held by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Forward Brandon Lisowsky scored 38 goals during the regular season while veteran Josh Pillar adds grit and tenacity to Saskatoon’s forward corps. Forward Jake Chiasson, a signed prospect of the Edmonton Oilers, scored a pair of game-winning goals in the opening round, while Conner Roulette (Dallas Stars) reached the WHL Championship series a year ago with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Red Deer boasts four NHL prospects including Grubbe and King (Anaheim Ducks). Defenceman Mats Lindgren posted seven points from the blueline in round one; he was a fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2022 NHL Draft. Fellow blueliner Christoffer Sedoff signed a free-agent deal with the Vegas Golden Knights in March. The Finnish blueliner is the Central Division nominee for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy, awarded to the WHL Defenceman of the Year.
Saskatoon won three of the four regular season meetings, most recently a 5-2 decision on home ice March 1. Three of the four encounters were decided by three or more goals, the lone exception a 4-3 Blades overtime win at Red Deer in December.
Trevor Wong of Saskatoon led all scorers during the season series with eight points, while Sidorov’s four goals led both Clubs. Uchacz and fellow Red Deer forward Frantisek Formanek led the Rebels in the season series with four points apiece.
In goal, Ethan Chadwick was the dominant performer in the season series, collecting a 2-1-0-0 record from his three outings, though only one of the five goaltenders who took part in the season series posted a save percentage over .900.
This series marks the first playoff meeting between Saskatoon and Red Deer since the Blades swept a four-game First Round series 13 years ago. Saskatoon has come away victorious in each of the two all-time WHL Playoffs meetings between the two sides.
STAT PACK
Saskatoon Blades | Red Deer Rebels | |
Record | 48-15-4-1 (2nd, East) | 43-19-3-3 (1st, Central) |
Playoff Leaders | Egor Sidorov (5-5-10) Trevor Wong (3-7-10) Vaughn Watterodt (3-4-7) Ethan Chadwick (3-2, 3.23, .847) |
Jayden Grubbe (1-9-10) Kai Uchacz (4-3-7) Ben King (3-4-7) Kyle Kelsey (4-1, 1.87, .938) |
Season Leaders | Trevor Wong (27-59-86) Egor Sidorov (40-36-76) Brandon Lisowsky (38-32-70) |
Kai Uchacz (50-35-85) Jayden Grubbe (18-49-67) Jace Isley (30-26-56) |
Leading Goaltender | Austin Elliott (25-6-3-0, 2.20, .911) | Kyle Kelsey (21-11-2-3, 2.64, .907) |
Power Play | 27.6% (T-3rd) | 27.1% (6th) |
Penalty Kill | 82.5% (3rd) | 81.0% (5th) |
First Round | def. Regina (4-3) | def. Calgary (4-1) |
Last WHL Championship | -none- | 2001 |
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON SERIES
Red Deer (2) at Saskatoon (5) – March 1, 2023
Saskatoon (1) at Red Deer (5) – January 27, 2023
Red Deer (2) at Saskatoon (6) – January 7, 2023
Saskatoon (4) at Red Deer (3) OT – December 2, 2022
GAME BREAKERS
Saskatoon Blades: Edmonton Oilers prospect Jake Chiasson proved a worthy trade deadline acquisition in the First Round of the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien. Chiasson, who started the season with the Brandon Wheat Kings before being acquired in Saskatoon in January, scored an overtime winner in Game 4 versus the Pats, then had the deciding goal in Saskatoon’s series-clinching win in Game 7. An honourable mention to 2023 NHL Draft prospect Egor Sidorov, who was electric in the opening round with five goals and 10 points against Regina.
JAKE CHIASSON WINS IT IN WHOA-VERTIME FOR THE BLADES!@BladesHockey | @EdmontonOilers#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/4o6K33LdxW
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 6, 2023
Red Deer Rebels: Ben King and Kai Uchacz both have 50-goal seasons on their WHL resumes and the pair combined for seven goals in the opening round versus Calgary. King, an Anaheim Ducks prospect, has proven to be deadly on the power-play over his time in Red Deer and chipped in with a pair of man-advantage markers and an overtime winner during the five-game series with the Hitmen.
BEN KING CALLS SERIES#RDREBELS #WHLPlayoffs #RDvsCGY pic.twitter.com/REbqRdLCZn
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) April 8, 2023
GOALTENDING
Saskatoon Blades: Head coach Brennan Sonne has adopted a tandem approach to the Blades crease all season long and did the same in the First Round versus Regina. Ethan Chadwick steadied the ship for Saskatoon after the Club fell behind 2-0 in the series, posting a 3-2 record before running mate Austin Elliott stopped 25 of 26 shots in the deciding Game 7 Monday night.
Ethan Chadwick is absolutely FEARLESS 😤 pic.twitter.com/Fywmmje064
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) April 8, 2023
Red Deer Rebels: Rookie Kyle Kelsey has taken the reins in goal into the post-season, finishing the First Round with a 4-1 record that included a shutout in his WHL Playoffs debut. The product of Maple Ridge, B.C. owned a .938 save percentage over his five outings versus the Hitmen in the opening round.
📽️ SAVE OF THE NIGHT 📽
Right Pad Robbery from Kyle Kelsey.@RealCdnSS | @Rebelshockey#WHLPlayoffs | #SaveoftheNight pic.twitter.com/VgXx4YwYZf
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 4, 2023
X-FACTORS
Saskatoon Blades: When he was acquired by Saskatoon from the Kamloops Blazers, Vaughn Watterodt’s potential drew praise from Blades management. That potential realized itself in the First Round, as the product of Rosetown, Sask. finished third in team scoring with seven points versus the Pats, a total that included a massive insurance marker in Game 7. The 19-year-old fired home 18 goals during the regular season and brings size and skill to Saskatoon’s forward corps.
Thirsty for goals? Just WATTERODT.@BladesHockey | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/3pfq0nnsY5
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 11, 2023
Red Deer Rebels: Jace Isley scored 30 goals during the regular season, but really proved his worth as a penalty-kill specialist. The 20-year-old led the League with seven short-handed markers and has earned the opportunity to excel in all situations within Red Deer’s system. The product of Grande Prairie, Alta. was held off the scoresheet in the First Round, but still averaged over two and a half shots on goal per game versus the Hitmen.
🎶 It's your thing,
Do what you wanna do 🎶
Jace Isley of the @Rebelshockey has the first WHL goal of 2023! pic.twitter.com/ECG7KR83cp
— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 1, 2023
SERIES SCHEDULE
Game | Date | Away | Home | Time | |
1 | April 14, 2023 | Red Deer | Saskatoon | 7:00 p.m. MT | |
2 | April 16, 2023 | Red Deer | Saskatoon | 4:00 p.m. MT | |
3 | April 18, 2023 | Saskatoon | Red Deer | 7:00 p.m. MT | |
4 | April 19, 2023 | Saskatoon | Red Deer | 7:00 p.m. MT | |
5 | April 21, 2023 | Red Deer | Saskatoon | 7:00 p.m. MT | * |
6 | April 23, 2023 | Saskatoon | Red Deer | 2:00 p.m. MT | * |
7 | April 25, 2023 | Red Deer | Saskatoon | 7:00 p.m. MT | * |
* – if necessary
Through WHL Live on CHL TV, fans can enjoy every single scheduled game throughout the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien with the purchase of a WHL All-Access Pass at the low price of $59.99 plus applicable taxes and fees.
WHL Live – 2023 WHL Playoffs Packages
All-Access: $59.99
Round-by-Round: $19.99 per round
24-Hour Access: $9.99
* all prices in Canadian dollars
+ does not include applicable taxes and fees
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