The Saskatoon Blades will face elimination from the W-H-L Playoffs for a sixth time Wednesday night after falling 5-1 Tuesday to the visiting Winnipeg ICE.

The result gives Winnipeg a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final. The visitors built a 3-0 lead before the game was 11 minutes old, and 4-0 early in the second period, thanks to their special teams and top forward line. The ICE scored on their first two power play chances and ended up three-for-six on the man advantage while the line of Matthew Savoie, Zach Benson and Connor McClennon followed up their 10-point output in Game 2 back on Saturday with seven more points on Tuesday in front of 6,058 fans at SaskTel Centre. Savoie had a goal and two assists while Benson and McClennon each had a marker and a helper. Justin Lies had the lone goal for the Bridge City Bunch, who have won previous five win-or-else contests in the 2023 W-H-L Playoffs. The sixth game will be Wednesday with the Blue and Gold likely to play without 20-year-old Blake Gustafson, fellow defenceman Ben Saunderson and leading goal-scorer in both the regular-season and post-season, Egor Sidorov – all sidelined due to injury on Tuesday. Game time Wednesday is 7 o’clock with CJWW’s broadcast beginning at 6:45. Following is the official game summary courtesy the W-H-L plus audio highlights from CJWW’s broadcast and Post-Game Show interviews with head coach Brennan Sonne and Lies…..

Winnipeg ICE 5 at Saskatoon Blades 1 – Status: Final
Tuesday, May 2, 2023 – SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, SK

Winnipeg 3 1 1 – 5
Saskatoon 0 1 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Winnipeg, Savoie 11 (McClennon, Zloty), 2:46 (PP). 2, Winnipeg, Benson 4 (Savoie, Zloty), 9:48. 3, Winnipeg, Friesen 4 (Ostapchuk, Pederson), 10:33. Penalties-Hansen Sas (interference), 2:36.

2nd Period-4, Winnipeg, McClennon 11 (Benson, Savoie), 1:13 (PP). 5, Saskatoon, Lies 3 (Lisowsky, De La Gorgendiere), 5:40. Penalties-Lies Sas (high sticking), 0:31; Geekie Wpg (roughing), 2:29; Savoie Wpg (cross checking), 8:50; De La Gorgendiere Sas (slashing), 17:37.

3rd Period-6, Winnipeg, Pederson 4 (Zloty), 19:26 (PP). Penalties-served by Pillar Sas (too many men), 1:26; Roulette Sas (boarding), 15:10; Wiens Sas (roughing), 17:54.

Shots on Goal-Winnipeg 12-12-10-34. Saskatoon 5-9-4-18.
Power Play Opportunities-Winnipeg 3 / 6; Saskatoon 0 / 2.
Goalies-Winnipeg, Hauser (18 shots-17 saves). Saskatoon, Chadwick (24 shots-20 saves); Elliott (10 shots-9 saves).
A-6,058
Referees-Steve Papp (17), Mike Langin (67).
Linesmen-Tarrington Wyonzek (137), Tanner McGregor (55).