WHL Playoffs Top Performer: April 12, 2024
It’s almost like it was ‘mint’ to be.
Blades alternate captain Fraser Minten scored twice and added an assist as Saskatoon cruised to a 4-1 win in Game 1 of their Eastern Semifinal series against the Red Deer Rebels.
Minten snagged the first goal of the series by parking himself on the doorstep of the Rebels’ net, forcing the puck past Chase Wutzke.
Shortly after Red Deer tied the game in the second frame, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect made a slick move around a Rebels defenceman and centered the puck for Vaughn Watterodt, who neatly tucked in his first goal of the postseason. It would also stand as the game-winner.
Minten would add his second goal of the night with a second-period powerplay blast to give the regular season champions a commanding 3-1 lead.
BOW TO MINTEN!!!!@MapleLeafs | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/W36l1SfGFI
— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) April 13, 2024
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound centre also went 18/24 in the faceoff circle.
Minten now has three goals and four assists for seven points in six postseason matches and leads his team with a +10 rating.
This marks the 19-year-old’s second straight multipoint game in the playoffs after recording a goal and an assist in Game 5 against Prince Albert to close out the first round.
Saskatoon will look to continue its home ice dominance when the puck drops on Game 2 on Sunday, April 14 at 4:00 p.m. ST.