Rock bottom!
That’s where the Saskatoon Blades feel they’re at…and their fans hope that is the case…following an 8-0 loss to the Winterhawks in Portland Sunday night. The loss was the most lop-sided setback of the season for the Bridge City Bunch, now 12-12-2 for the season. The Blue and Gold are on a four-game losing streak, all setbacks coming to start their season-long seven-game road trip, during which they’ve been out-scored 22-4.
“Yeah,” agreed Blades assistant coach Ryan Keller when it was suggested the team hit rock bottom with the loss to the Hawks. “We’ll be stronger for it in the end. Each team, on a year-to-year basis, has to go through a certain level of adversity. You want it to be an 8-0 loss, obviously not. But, it is what it is and we’ve got to make sure we’re in this together and we’re not starting to branch away and guys getting on their own pages.”
Saskatoon was out-shot 39-22 as Joel Hofer recorded his second shutout of the season for Portland, now 15-5-3 for the season and tied for first place in the U.S. Division with Everett. The Bridge City Bunch play the fifth and final American contest of their seven-game swing on Wednesday in Kennewick, Wa., against the Tri-City Americans. Following is the official game story and summary from the W-H-L…
Saskatoon Blades 0 at Portland Winterhawks 8 – Status: Final
Sunday, November 24, 2019 – Veterans Memorial Coliseum – Portland, OR
Saskatoon 0 0 0 – 0
Portland 4 3 1 – 8
1st Period-1, Portland, Brndberg 3 (Kozak), 3:34. 2, Portland, Klassen 2 (Gervais, Perna), 4:55. 3, Portland, Mannek 4 (O’Brien, Gilliss), 15:28. 4, Portland, Klassen 3 (Gervais), 17:25. Penalties-Stefan Por (holding), 8:47; Mannek Por (slashing), 17:49.
2nd Period-5, Portland, Hanas 7 (Knak, Kozak), 7:16. 6, Portland, O’Brien 3 (Knak, Mannek), 13:53. 7, Portland, Hanas 8 (Mannek, O’Brien), 17:18 (PP). Penalties-McKay Sas (cross checking), 4:38; Schmidt Sas (high sticking), 11:52; Kneen Sas (roughing), 15:51; Huber Sas (delay of game), 19:03.
3rd Period-8, Portland, Brndberg 4 (Mannek, Hanus), 10:12. Penalties-Quigley Por (slashing), 6:45; McKay Sas (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 8:36; Cicek Por (roughing), 8:36; Toman Sas (slashing), 13:10; Stefan Por (delay of game), 16:59; Crnkovic Sas (major-fighting), 18:34; Wouters Sas (10-minute misconduct), 18:34; Hanus Por (major-fighting), 18:34; Klassen Por (boarding), 18:34; Cicek Por (10-minute misconduct), 19:03.
Shots on Goal-Saskatoon 9-4-9-22. Portland 14-14-11-39.
Power Play Opportunities-Saskatoon 0 / 5; Portland 1 / 5.
Goalies-Saskatoon, Maier 9-10-1-1 (14 shots-10 saves); MacInnes 3-2-0-0 (25 shots-21 saves). Portland, Hofer 15-3-1-1 (22 shots-22 saves).
A-3,009
Referees-Jeff Ingram (82), Mark Pearce (5).
Linesmen-Jarrod Boman (116), Erik Freeman (104).
