With three goals on the first five shots on net during the first seven minutes of the game, the Blades were well on their way to a 6-2 victory and 4-1 series win over the Raiders.
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Blades 6, Raiders 2
The Saskatoon Blades couldn’t ask for a better start Friday in Game 5.
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With three goals on the first five shots on net in the first seven minutes of the game, the Blades were well on their way to a 6-2 victory and 4-1 series win in their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference best-of-seven quarter-final series against the rival Prince Albert Raiders.
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“It was definitely a hard series,” admitted Blades forward Brandon Lisowsky. “We’re glad to come out of it in five and we get almost a week off before we play our next opponent in the second round.”
Saskatoon now advances to the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Red Deer Rebels in a rematch of last year. That series is set to start Friday in Saskatoon.
“Our start tonight,” said Blades head coach Brennan Sonne, “was exceptional.”
Lisowsky, Ben Saunderson and Alexander Suzdalev each scored for the hometown Blades during the opening seven minutes, followed by a goal from Fraser Minten at the 12:36 mark, as the Blades built up a quick 4-0 lead and never looked back.
“It’s a nice way to start the game, that’s for sure, instead of chasing it or anything like that,” said Sonne. “Having a big start like that makes it a lot easier.”
Niall Crocker answered for the Raiders, at 14:13 of the first, during a delayed penalty call and that’s the way the score remained until the third period.
After Harrison Lodewyk cut Saskatoon’s lead to 4-2 with 4:54 remaining on the clock, the Blades got empty-net goals from Trevor Wong and Charlie Wright with Raiders goalie Max Hildebrand pulled for an extra attacker.
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Wright’s goal was a short-handed marker.
Saskatoon out-shot Prince Albert 41-25 in the game as Evan Gardner and Austin Elliott made 23 saves, combined, for the win.
“If you take a look at the series, we were up against a tremendously talented team,” said Raiders head coach Jeff Truitt. “You always go into every playoff series believing you can win because the slate’s clean. As the games go on, you have to tweak and see what they’re doing and what you’re doing, but we played to our capabilities. We win one game, then we lose one in overtime. A couple of them were a little more distant but I won’t fault our guys for anything on their effort — they played hard.
“The belief was still there, but we knew it was going to be a challenge. But, again, our guys worked and competed right until the end.”
The Blades lost both forward Easton Armstrong and goalie Gardner during the game due to injury.
Raiders forward Krzysztof Macias got ejected in the second period for a five-minute major for a blind-side check-to-the-head on Blades forward Lukas Hansen.
It proved to be a physical series and Friday’s game was no different.
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“P.A. plays a hard game,” said Lisowsky. “They made it tough for us. It was definitely a physical series; there are definitely a lot of guys feeling it, bumps and bruises, including myself.
“Credit to us. The last four games, we played 60 minutes and Blades hockey.”
Just under 10,000 fans — a crowd announced at 9,869 — attended the series finale, leaving Sonne, for one, impressed by the series overall.
“The game on the ice itself was very gritty,” said Sonne. “But I really enjoyed the fandom. I loved the crowds we got. I enjoyed even the crowds they had. It felt like a real, true playoff series. I really enjoyed it; I hoped the fans enjoyed it too because their support was phenomenal. Both rinks were great.
“What I do know is this was a war — it came as advertised. It’s a heck of a rivalry and a very gritty series.”
The Blades will take the weekend off before preparing for upcoming series against the Rebels.
“I think rest in the playoffs is crucial,” said Sonne. “I mean, I think we learned that last year come two Game 7s (against the Regina Pats and Red Deer Rebels) in a row and then just being banged up and injured going into Winnipeg and fatigued mentally. It’s going to be nice to get a re-set for the guys.”
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BREAKAWAYS: The Raiders say good-bye to 20-year-old overage graduates Jacob Hoffrogge, Sloan Stanick and Turner McMillen. All three players were on the ice for the final minute of Friday’s game. Hoffrogge, a Saskatoon product, joined the Raiders after WHL stints with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Everett Silvertips and Edmonton Oil Kings. The Raiders added McMillen after he was let go by the Kelowna Rockets … Blades scratches Friday included forwards Tyler Parr, Hudson Kibblewhite, and affiliate Zach Olsen, plus D-men Carter Herman, Morgan Tastad, Brayden Klimpke (AP) and Isaac Poll (AP).
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