When is turning a 2-0 lead into a 3-2 overtime loss still considered a positive result? When you’re the Saskatoon Blades, playing a third game in four nights…with travel!
Defenceman Quinn Schmiemann whipped a shot past Nolan Maier 1:29 into the fourth period Friday night, giving the Kamloops Blazers a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Bridge City Bunch.
“Most certainly (it is a good result), we’ve got five out of (a possible) eight points on the road. That is an excellent trip,” firmly stated assistant coach Jerome Engele. “Anytime you get a point on the road, it’s a great hockey game. We had our opportunities to score, we just didn’t capitalize on the chances we did have and they were able to score the last one which was a heck of a good shot. We played a good, hard-fought game. They played well and they were better than us (Friday) night, that’s all to it.”
The Blades, now 16-9-3 for the season, got goals from Emil Malysjev (pictured) and Max Gerlach to open the scoring in the second period. Malysjev’s tally was his first in the W-H-L while Gerlach’s marker ended an 0-for-14 drought for Saskatoon on the power play. However, captain Jermaine Loewen got Kamloops on the board before the second period was done and Saskatoon product Connor Zary forced overtime with a third period goal on a breakaway. The 10-11-2 Blazers out-shot the Bridge City Bunch 29-25 in winning their sixth consecutive head-to-head meeting with the Blue and Gold.
The Blades finish off their biennial B-C Division road trip Saturday with a visit to Kelowna. Game time is 9:05, Saskatchewan Time, with the broadcast beginning at 8 on 98-COOL with the Sardinia Family Restaurant pre-game show. Following is the official game summary from the W-H-L…
Saskatoon Blades 2 at Kamloops Blazers 3 (OT) – Status: Final OT
Friday, November 30, 2018 – Sandman Centre – Kamloops, BC
Saskatoon 0 2 0 0 – 2
Kamloops 0 1 1 1 – 3
1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Huber Sas (tripping), 8:46; Schuldhaus Sas (unsportsmanlike cnd., major-fighting), 16:27; Faith Kam (major-fighting), 16:27.
2nd Period-1, Saskatoon, Malysjev 1 (Davidson, Roykas Marthinsen), 4:50. 2, Saskatoon, Gerlach 17 (Davidson, Kneen), 11:21 (PP). 3, Kamloops, Loewen 9 (Zazula, Zary), 15:45. Penalties-McKay Sas (major-fighting), 1:25; Loewen Kam (major-fighting), 1:25; Franklin Kam (kneeing), 5:56; Sopotyk Kam (slashing), 9:55.
3rd Period-4, Kamloops, Zary 6 (Onyebuchi), 9:15. Penalties-Centazzo Kam (tripping), 3:05; Bafaro Sas (hooking), 13:37.
OT Period-5, Kamloops, Schmiemann 2 (Centazzo), 1:29. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Saskatoon 6-13-6-0-25. Kamloops 11-9-7-2-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Saskatoon 1 / 3; Kamloops 0 / 3.
Goalies-Saskatoon, Maier 13-7-2-0 (29 shots-26 saves). Kamloops, Garand 3-1-0-1 (25 shots-23 saves).
A-3,751
Referees-Jeff Ingram (82), Ryan O’Keeffe (30).
Linesmen-Spencer Lockert (84), Bradley Parker (129).
