WHL Roundup: Blades welcome new Canadians, score fifth straight win

 

What may have been a normal Sunday with five games in the Western Hockey League was anything but in Saskatoon as the Blades rolled out the second “Welcome the World” event, introducing the game of hockey to hundreds of people new to Canada, while also hosting a citizenship ceremony for 20 other new citizens. Putting a cherry on top, the Blades doubled up their East Division rivals from Swift Current to earn a fifth straight win.

In Edmonton, the Moose Jaw Warriors shutout the Edmonton Oil Kings courtesy a perfect performance from Zach Sawchenko. Down the highway in Calgary, the Prince Albert Raiders used overtime to secure a third straight triumph, downing the Hitmen in extra time.

In Regina, the Pats defeated the Brandon Wheat Kings, while south of the border, it was the Spokane Chiefs getting past the Everett Silvertips in a shootout.

Here’s how it all happened…

Prince Albert Raiders (3) at Calgary Hitmen (2) – OT
Prince Albert (11-34-3-2) // Calgary (17-21-6-2)

Brayden Pachal scored his second of the season 1:52 into overtime as the Prince Albert Raiders edged the Calgary Hitmen 3-2 on Sunday, winning their third consecutive game.

Former Hitmen forward Jordy Stallard gave the Raiders a 1-0 advantage in the first period before veteran Kolten Olynek registered his 10th of the campaign on a power play to put the visitors ahead 2-0 in the second period.

Jakob Stukel got Calgary within striking distance by notching his 14th goal of the season, also on a power play, late in the second period.

Matteo Gennaro continued to stoke his hot hand, collecting his 29th goal of the year with 46 seconds remaining in regulation, forcing overtime and ensuring the hosts grabbed at least a point in the Eastern Conference wild card race.

Nicholas Sanders made 30 saves for his fifth win of the season, while Trevor Martin blocked 23 pucks.

Following Sunday’s outing, the Hitmen trailing the Saskatoon Blades by four points for the second and final wild card position in the Eastern Conference. Calgary holds two games in hand on Saskatoon.

The Raiders earned their third straight win on Sunday, downing the Hitmen in overtime.

RECAP: https://t.co/VZGOnnufVA pic.twitter.com/yjLx9ofwNx

— PrinceAlbert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) January 23, 2017

Moose Jaw Warriors (2) at Edmonton Oil Kings (0)
Moose Jaw (29-12-6-1) // Edmonton (18-25-3-1)

Zach Sawchenko steered aside all 32 shots sent his way, backstopping the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 2-0 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings on Sunday afternoon.

Brayden Burke’s 15th of the season – a power-play marker 8:09 into the first period – went on to stand as the eventual game-winning goal. Import Yan Khomenko scored his 11th of the season to provide some insurance midway through the third period.

For Sawchenko, the win represented his 19th of the season as he also earned his first shutout of the campaign.

The win gave the Warriors some breathing room in the East Division, as they now hold a seven-point edge on the third-place Swift Current Broncos, with an additional game in hand. Moose Jaw still trails the first-place Regina Pats by four points, though the Pats hold four games in hand.

Beautiful pass by Branden Klatt on Khomenko’s 11th on the season.
?: @brandenklatt12 pic.twitter.com/ON98wxD33X

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) January 23, 2017

Spokane Chiefs (4) at Everett Silvertips (3) – SO
Spokane (20-20-5-2) // Everett (30-6-7-2)

With a 4-3 shootout victory over the Everett Silvertips on Sunday, the Spokane Chiefs moved into a tie with the Portland Winterhawks for the second wild card seed in the Western Conference.

Riley Woods scored the lone goal in the skills competition to give the Chiefs a much-needed two points in the wild card race. It should be noted the Winterhawks hold one game in hand on Spokane.

With the Silvertips leading 3-2 heading into the final regulation period, Kailer Yamamoto scored his 30th of the season to knot the game only 31 seconds into the third. Yamamoto finished the day with a goal and an assist for the Chiefs.

Patrick Bajkov did the same for the Silvertips, notching his 20th of the season 6:57 into the first period, giving Everett a 2-0 advantage. Hudson Elynuik and Woods replied for the Chiefs in the second period before Lucas Skrumeda restored the lead for the Silvertips.

Matt Fonteyne’s 15th of the season opened the scoring 51 seconds into the first period, rounding out the scoring for Everett.

Jayden Sittler made 24 saves, plus another three in the shootout, to earn his 12th win of the season.

For the second year in the row the Chiefs take down the Everett Silvertips on Star Wars nights, as they win 4-3 in a shootout. pic.twitter.com/Lb5ntEj8xD

— Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) January 23, 2017

Brandon Wheat Kings (2) at Regina Pats (5)
Brandon (23-18-4-1) // Regina (31-6-6-1)

The Regina Pats scored four times in the second period, including a pair from Dawson Leedahl, en route to a 5-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings on Sunday.

Tyler Coulter opened the scoring with 40 seconds remaining in the first period, hitting the 20-goal plateau for the second straight season.

The Pats took over in the second period. First, Josh Mahura scored a power-play tally 2:02 in to tie the game. Then it was Leedahl and Austin Wagner scoring 36 seconds apart midway through to give Regina a 3-1 edge. Leedahl’s second of the game and 24th of the season came on a power play as the Pats took a 4-1 lead into the third period.

Filip Ahl collected his 21st goal of the season with 59 seconds to play in regulation before Schael Higson added one more 15 seconds later for the Wheat Kings, finishing off the scoring.

Rookie Max Paddock made 29 saves for his fourth win of the season, while Logan Thompson faced 47 shots in the Wheat Kings’ cage, turning away 42.

Nick Henry earned two helpers on the day for Regina.

VIDEO: Post Game Comments from John Paddock, Adam Brooks and Dawson Leedahl. Watch here: https://t.co/O0woBaJF3L#JoinTheRegiment pic.twitter.com/ZKhiyhQPSH

— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) January 23, 2017

Swift Current Broncos (3) at Saskatoon Blades (6)
Swift Current (25-16-3-5) // Saskatoon (20-22-5-1)

Jesse Shynkaruk and Josh Paterson each scored twice, helping boost the Saskatoon Blades to a key 6-3 divisional win over the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday afternoon.

Shykaruk opened the scoring with back-to-back power-play jacks in the first period as Saskatoon led 2-0 after 20 minutes of play.

Dom Schmiemann’s first of the season got Speedy Creek on the scoresheet 2:44 into the second period, but Evan Fiala responded less than three minutes later to restore the two-goal advantage for the hosts. Chase Wouters struck for the third Blades power-play marker of the day midway through the second period. His fifth of the season went on to stand as the eventual game-winner.

Tyler Steenbergen scorede his 35th of the season and Aleksi Heponiemi grabbed his 19th goal of the campaign to get the Broncos back within one before the second period expired.

Paterson took care of things in the final period, scoring his 10th and 11th of the season to secure two points for Saskatoon.

The win goes into the books as the fifth in a row for the Blades, who hold down the second wild card seed in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen, though the Hitmen carry two games in hand.

Brock Hamm made 28 saves for his sixth win of the season.

Today we gave 20 new Canadians their citizenship and welcomed hundreds of others to the land we call home! Video: https://t.co/sXSF3ehrgt pic.twitter.com/uK8Joe9tcv

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) January 23, 2017