What started out looking like a potentially serious problem, turned into a positive “laugher” result as the Saskatoon Blades bounced the Medicine Hat Tigers 9-2 Friday night.
The Eastern Conference cellar-dwelling Bengals got goals from Logan Barlage and Oasiz Wiesblatt in the first five-and-a-half minutes for a 2-0 lead in front of 2,713 fans at SaskTel Centre. But, it was all Bridge City Bunch after that as eight players posted multi-point games and the Blue and Gold scored nine goals for the first time since a 9-3 victory in Calgary on October 14, 2019. It was also the first time the Blades had scored nine goals in a game on home ice since a 9-0 whitewashing of Regina on December 8, 2012. Rhett Rhinehart (pictured), Tristen Robins, Jayden Wiens and Kyren Gronick all had two goals and an assist while former Medicine Hat defenceman Ryan Nolan notched his first career W-H-L goal to close out the scoring. Forwards Noah Boyko and Trevor Wong each had three helpers while Kyle Crnkovic and blueliner Charlie Wright chipped in two assists each for the Blades who are on their first three-game winning streak since October. Saskatoon improved to 20-14-2 for the season, the eighth W-H-L team to register 20 wins for the season. The lop-sided win came with head coach Brennan Sonne in isolation at home while four defencemen were sidelined in the W-H-L’s COVID-19 protocol…captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere, Tanner Molendyk, Ben Saunderson and Marek Schneider. Rookie 16-year-old centre Misha Volotovskii dropped back to take shifts on defence as the Blades dressed four other defencemen and 13 forwards, including affiliate call-up Jordan Keller. The Bridge City Bunch dominated on special teams in handing the 7-25-4 Tigers their fourth straight loss and fifth consecutive setback on the road. The Blue and Gold were four-for-six on the power play, the sixth straight game in which the Blades have scored at least one man advantage goal, while adding two short-handed tallies. Rookie Ethan Chadwick stopped 28 shots as the Bengals out-shot Saskatoon 30-24. It was the 17-year-old Saskatoon product’s first career win at SaskTel Centre and first win since a 4-3 October 30 victory in Medicine Hat. Between a leg injury and sidelined by a case of COVID-19, Chadwick hadn’t started a game since November 14 and hadn’t made an appearance in goal for the Bridge City Bunch since November 27. The Blue and Gold don’t get long to savour the win as they host the C-H-L’s Number 1 ranked team, the Winnipeg ICE, Saturday at 7 o’clock at SaskTel Centre. The broadcast on CJWW begins at 6:30. Following is the official game summary courtesy the W-H-L as well as Les Lazaruk’s post-game show interviews with associate coach Ryan Marsh, Rhinehart and Chadwick…..
Medicine Hat Tigers 2 at Saskatoon Blades 9 – Status: Final
Friday, January 21, 2022 – SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, SK
Medicine Hat 2 0 0 – 2
Saskatoon 3 3 3 – 9
1st Period-1, Medicine Hat, Barlage 8 (Chorney, mick-NEEL), 3:24. 2, Medicine Hat, Wiesblatt 5 (Patton, MacKenzie), 5:26 (PP). 3, Saskatoon, Robins 19 (Boyko, Crnkovic), 10:31. 4, Saskatoon, Wiens 10 (Gronick, Wright), 10:49. 5, Saskatoon, Gronick 4 (Wong, Rhinehart), 19:35 (PP). Penalties-Shugrue Sas (interference), 4:09; Baker Mh (hooking), 18:13.
2nd Period-6, Saskatoon, Rhinehart 3 (Boyko, Wong), 9:56 (PP). 7, Saskatoon, Robins 20 (Crnkovic), 16:38 (SH). 8, Saskatoon, Rhinehart 4 (Wiens, Wong), 17:09 (SH). Penalties-MacKenzie Mh (tripping), 9:10; Nolan Sas (tripping), 10:10; Ferster Mh (hooking), 12:55; Nolan Sas (hooking), 16:14.
3rd Period-9, Saskatoon, Wiens 11 (Wright, Robins), 0:54 (PP). 10, Saskatoon, Gronick 5 (Sidorov, Boyko), 12:16 (PP). 11, Saskatoon, Nolan 1 12:36. Penalties-Ivanov Mh (hooking), 0:45; Boehm Mh (charging), 10:25; Parsons Mh (cross checking), 12:54; Shugrue Sas (high sticking), 19:37.
Shots on Goal-Medicine Hat 10-10-10-30. Saskatoon 11-5-8-24.
Power Play Opportunities-Medicine Hat 1 / 4; Saskatoon 4 / 6.
Goalies-Medicine Hat, Bjorklund 5-17-2-0 (16 shots-10 saves); Langkow 2-8-1-1 (8 shots-5 saves). Saskatoon, Chadwick 3-2-0-0 (30 shots-28 saves).
A-2,713
Referees-Troy Murray (34), Tyler Schlichemeyer (90).
Linesmen-Aiden Penner (109), Devan Thiessen (94).
