If the regular-season were over now, the Saskatoon Blades would play the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round of the playoffs. The two teams engaged in a Friday night contest at SaskTel Centre that had a post-season feel to it!
In the end, the Bridge City Bunch prevailed 2-1 in a shootout…something that doesn’t happen in the playoffs. Colton Dach scored in the fifth round and Koen MacInnes (pictured) stopped Carter Souch as the Blue and Gold took the shootout by a 2-1 margin as well, improving their overall record to 20-17-3. Edmonton came within 31.3 seconds of winning their fifth straight game and having 20-year-old Beck Warm record a shutout in his third game with the Oil Kings since being acquired from Tri-Cities. But, with MacInnes on the Saskatoon bench for an extra attacker, captain Chase Wouters deflected in Scott Walford’s point shot to force the extra time. Riley McKay matched Dylan Guenther’s shootout tally in the first three rounds, setting the stage for Dach and MacInnes to play hero in front of 4,417 fans. The Blades are back in action Saturday, hosting the Prince George Cougars at 7 o’clock. The Sardinia Family Restaurant pre-game show on 98-COOL begins at 6. Following is the official game summary from the W-H-L…
Edmonton Oil Kings 1 at Saskatoon Blades 2 (SO) – Status: Final SO
Friday, January 10, 2020 – SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, SK
Edmonton 0 1 0 0 – 1
Saskatoon 0 0 1 0 – 2
1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Patrician Sas (boarding), 8:18; Robins Sas (high sticking), 8:53; Wouters Sas (hooking), 16:43.
2nd Period-1, Edmonton, Dylan Guenther 16 (Vladimir Alistrov, Scott Atkinson), 13:41. Penalties-Matthew Robertson Edm (tripping), 19:00.
3rd Period-2, Saskatoon, Wouters 17 (Walford, Kneen), 19:28. Penalties-No Penalties
OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties
Shootout – Edmonton 1 (Guenther G, Atkinson NG, Williams NG, Alistrov NG, Souch NG), Saskatoon 2 (Crnkovic NG, Robins NG, McKay G, Wouters NG, Dach G).
Shots on Goal-Edmonton 15-11-9-2-0-37. Saskatoon 6-5-10-2-1-24.
Power Play Opportunities-Edmonton 0 / 3; Saskatoon 0 / 1.
Goalies-Edmonton, Warm 11-14-3-2 (23 shots-22 saves). Saskatoon, MacInnes 5-3-0-0 (37 shots-36 saves).
A-4,417
Referees-Troy Paterson (60), Allan Scott (38).
Linesmen-Tanner McGregor (55), Levi Schutz (110).
