WHL Tonight: Blades head into holiday break with Teddy Bear Toss win over Raiders

 

A five-game schedule of action in the Western Hockey League brought several teams in the holiday break and others closer to the finish line for the first half. In Saskatchewan, the Saskatoon Blades celebrated a Teddy Bear Toss victory over the Prince Albert Raiders while the Winnipeg ICE claimed another well-earned victory in the shootout against the Regina Pats. Alberta’s lone matchup of the day saw the Hitmen start strong to split a home-and-home set against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. In the U.S. Division, rookie Conner Roulette and the Seattle Thunderbirds took down the Portland Winterhawks, who suffered a rare home loss. Up in Washington, a highlight-reel goal by Gage Goncalves in the shootout lifted them over the Spokane Chiefs.

Winnipeg ICE at Regina Pats – Scoring & Highlights

2020 NHL Draft prospect Connor McClennon tallied a goal and an assist in regulation, then scored the only goal of the shootout as the Winnipeg ICE topped the Regina Pats 5-4 Sunday afternoon in Saskatchewan’s provincial capital.

McClennon opened the scoring to put the ICE ahead while late goals by Robbie Holmes and Owen Pederson kept the game at a one-goal difference in favour of Winnipeg through 20 minutes.

Regina responded in the second as goals by Carson Denomie and Ty Kolle bookended a strike by Brad Ginnell to tie the score at 3-3 through 40 minutes. In the third, Holmes’ second of the game and a goal by Jackson Leppard featured to force extra time before the ICE pressed ahead in the shootout.

After stopping 27 of 31 shots through 65 minutes of action, Liam Hughes continued his strong play by turning aside all three shootout attempts to earn his team the extra point.

ICE defenceman Reece Harsch and Pats’ captain Austin Pratt each tallied a pair of assists for their respective teams.

Prince Albert Raiders at Saskatoon Blades – Scoring & Highlights

Tristen Robins scored his second-straight Teddy Bear Toss goal and the Saskatoon Blades headed into the holiday break with a 4-1 win over the Prince Albert Raiders.

Captain Chase Wouters added the lone goal of the second period to double Saskatoon’s lead through 40 minutes. 2020 NHL Draft prospect Ozzy Wiesblatt put the Raiders back in the game early in the third, but goals from Zach Huber and Eric Florchuk (Washington Capitals) helped stave off any comeback attempt.

Nolan Maier stopped 24 of 25 shots to earn the victory.

Lethbridge Hurricanes at Calgary Hitmen – Scoring & Highlights

The Calgary Hitmen split a home-and-home set against the Lethbridge Hurricanes with a 5-2 victory on home ice Sunday afternoon.

Riley Fiddler-Schultz opened the scoring, finishing with a pair of goals in the contest. The Hitmen struck three times in the first period as Fiddler-Schultz, Carson Focht (Vancouver Canucks), and Riley Stotts (Toronto Maple Leafs) scored.

After D-Jay Jerome cut the deficit to two after 40 minutes, the Hitmen answered back in the third with goals by Fiddler-Schultz and Josh Prokop’s sixth of the season. Justin Hall closed out the scoring with a short-handed goal.

2020 NHL Draft prospect Jack McNaughton stopped 15 of 17 shots to earn the win.

Spokane Chiefs at Everett Silvertips – Scoring & Highlights

2020 NHL Draft prospect Gage Goncalves sent highlight reels into a tizzy as his magnificent shootout goal helped result in a 4-3 win over the Spokane Chiefs Sunday.

Goncalves also scored in regulation while captain Bryce Kindopp took over sole possession of the WHL’s lead in goals with his strike in the first period. Goals by Adam Beckman (Minnesota Wild) and Michael King had the visitors up 2-1 through 20 minutes, but the Silvertips responded.

Jackson Berezowski scored his ninth of the season to tie up the game through 40 minutes and Goncalves scored his goal early in the third, placing the pressure on the Chiefs to find a goal. They’d get it with 3:28 to go as Luke Toporowski put in his seventh of the season to send the game off to extra time.

Shooting in the first half of the third round, Goncalves used his incredible move to score. Combined with a goal from Kindopp in the first round and two stops on three chances by Keegan Karki, the Silvertips prevailed.

In addition to being sharp in the shootout, Karki stopped 28 of 31 shots through 65 minutes of action.

Seattle Thunderbirds at Portland Winterhawks  – Scoring & Highlights

Conner Roulette impressed with a pair of goals in regulation and the only goal of the shootout as his quasi-hat trick pushed the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-3 win over the Portland Winterhawks.

The only goal of the first belong to the rookie forward, who scored his seventh of the season 6:34 into the contest. James Stefan and 2020 NHL Draft prospect Seth Jarvis responded for the Winterhawks in the second, but a Matthew Rempe goal kept things tied through 40 minutes.

Jake Gricius pushed the Winterhawks ahead early in the third, but the T-Birds had a response from the stick of Roulette who notched his eighth of the season before ending things in the shootout.

Roddy Ross (Philadelphia Flyers) made 30 saves through 65 minutes before turning aside all three chances by Portland in the shootout.