From defensive, tight-checking to wide-open, goals galore!
Those extremes have been seen in the first two Saskatoon Blades’ home games in the 2019-20 W-H-L season. Unfortunately for the Bridge City Bunch, they’ve been on the losing end of both games…the latest being Friday night’s 7-6 setback to the Winnipeg ICE.
After being shutout 1-0 by the Prince Albert Raiders last Saturday at SaskTel Centre, the Blue and Gold found their scoring eye in the first period, in front of 3,187 fans, scoring four times. But, a 4-1 lead evaporated as Winnipeg scored six consecutive goals for a 7-4 lead, then held on for the victory.
Each team had a hat-trick scorer. German import Nino Kinder scored his first three W-H-L goals for the ICE while sophomore Blades’ winger Kyle Crnkovic tallied his first three goals of the season…two of them on the power play. Defenceman Scott Walford scored twice for Saskatoon and Riley McKay added the other goal. Walford added an assist for a three-point game while captain Chase Wouters had a pair of helpers and won 23 of 30 face-offs. On the Winnipeg side, Czech import Michal Teply had a goal and two assists, Isaac Johnson had three helpers and defenceman Mike Ladyman chipped in with two assists.
Winnipeg out-shot the Bridge City Bunch 39-29 in improving to 2-1-0 on the season. The 1-2-0 Blue and Gold open three road games in four nights in Red Deer on Tuesday. Following is the official game summary from the W-H-L…
Winnipeg ICE 7 at Saskatoon Blades 6 – Status: Final
Friday, September 27, 2019 – SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, SK
Winnipeg 2 4 1 – 7
Saskatoon 4 0 2 – 6
1st Period-1, Saskatoon, Walford 2 (Wouters, McNabb), 7:05. 2, Saskatoon, McKay 1 8:19. 3, Winnipeg, Orzeck 1 (Pederson), 8:51. 4, Saskatoon, Crnkovic 1 (Wouters, Robins), 13:47 (PP). 5, Saskatoon, Crnkovic 2 (Kneen, Walford), 15:10 (PP). 6, Winnipeg, Ginnell 2 (McClennon, Lambos), 19:07 (PP). Penalties-Kinder Wpg (tripping), 12:41; Schellenberg Wpg (hooking), 14:22; De La Gorgendiere Sas (holding), 18:47.
2nd Period-7, Winnipeg, Kinder 1 (Orzeck, Teply), 1:00. 8, Winnipeg, Kinder 2 (Teply, Johnson), 5:48. 9, Winnipeg, Form 1 (Ladyman), 12:56. 10, Winnipeg, Kinder 3 (Ladyman, Johnson), 18:26 (PP). Penalties-Kjemhus Sas (slashing), 6:31; McMaster Wpg (hooking), 8:54; Huber Sas (boarding), 10:47; Ginnell Wpg (hooking), 14:11; Robins Sas (holding), 17:44.
3rd Period-11, Winnipeg, Teply 3 (Johnson, Schellenberg), 10:07. 12, Saskatoon, Walford 3 (Zabransky), 13:34. 13, Saskatoon, Crnkovic 3 19:38. Penalties-Milne Wpg (high sticking), 16:05.
Shots on Goal-Winnipeg 14-17-8-39. Saskatoon 9-7-13-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Winnipeg 2 / 4; Saskatoon 2 / 5.
Goalies-Winnipeg, McNabb 2-1-0-0 (29 shots-23 saves). Saskatoon, Maier 1-2-0-0 (39 shots-32 saves).
A-3,187
Referees-Brayden Arcand, Aydon Brown.
Linesmen-Riley Carriere (72), Devan Thiessen (94).
