The “Magic Number” is “3” for the Saskatoon Blades…according to head coach Mitch Love.
On Saturday, the Bridge City Bunch doubled up on that Magic Number, but not in a good way as the Winnipeg ICE won their first home game of the 2019-20 W-H-L season by a 4-1 tally. Three is the number, a limit of opposition power play chances in a game that Love and the Blue and Gold will accept. Any more than three is too many. The ICE had six man-advantage opportunities Saturday…two of them in the first three-and-half minutes. And, they scored on both of them to send Winnipeg on their way to a 5-4-1 record.
“(Three-and-a-half minutes) in, we’re down two goals…we just weren’t ready to play,” said Blades’ assistant coach Ryan Keller. “We took two lazy penalties and, as you take more penalties in a game, certain players have got to play more than you’d like them to and you’re not able to use your whole bench. Being down two that early in a game, obviously, isn’t the way you want to start.”
Sixteen-year-old rookie ICE defenceman Carson Lambos paced the home side with two goals. Riley McKay had the lone goal for 7-5-1 Saskatoon…on a power play. The Bridge City Bunch were out-shot 24-15 and, for the first time this season, the Blue and Gold made an in-game goaltending change as Koen MacInnes played a flawless third period in place of starter Nolan Maier, who stopped 14 of 18 shots through 40 minutes. The same teams play Sunday at the Wayne Fleming Arena on the University of Manitoba campus in Winnipeg. Game time is 6:30 with the broadcast on 98-COOL beginning at 5:30 with the Sardinia Family Restaurant pre-game show. Following is the official game summary from the W-H-L…
Saskatoon Blades 1 at Winnipeg ICE 4 – Status: Final
Saturday, October 19, 2019 – Wayne Fleming Arena – Winnipeg, MB
Saskatoon 0 1 0 – 1
Winnipeg 2 2 0 – 4
1st Period-1, Winnipeg, McClennon 3 (Teply), 2:14 (PP). 2, Winnipeg, Lambos 3 (Ginnell), 3:06 (PP). Penalties-Kaddoura Sas (slashing), 1:14; Schmidt Sas (tripping), 3:00; Harsch Wpg (hooking), 4:32; Wright Sas (holding opp. stick), 17:24.
2nd Period-3, Winnipeg, Hartje 1 1:05. 4, Saskatoon, McKay 5 (De La Gorgendiere, Florchuk), 9:40 (PP). 5, Winnipeg, Lambos 4 (Kinder, Harsch), 16:17. Penalties-Lambos Wpg (slashing), 7:57; Florchuk Sas (slashing), 9:48; Harsch Wpg (cross checking), 12:29; De La Gorgendiere Sas (interference), 19:49.
3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Kneen Sas (charging), 3:55; Crnkovic Sas (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 15:49; Ginnell Wpg (slashing), 15:49; Muir Wpg (too many men), 18:17.
Shots on Goal-Saskatoon 6-5-4-15. Winnipeg 8-10-6-24.
Power Play Opportunities-Saskatoon 1 / 4; Winnipeg 2 / 6.
Goalies-Saskatoon, Maier 5-5-0-1 (18 shots-14 saves); MacInnes 2-0-0-0 (6 shots-6 saves). Winnipeg, Makaj 2-1-0-0 (15 shots-14 saves).
A-1,595
Referees-Karlin Krieger (27), Trevor Peluk (79).
Linesmen-Neal Prokop, Justin Verhaeghe (120).
