Justin Lies’ (pictured) first goal of the 2023 calendar year broke a 2-2 tie and stood up as the game winner as the Saskatoon Blades edged the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings 3-2 Saturday night.
The Bridge City Bunch’s 46th victory of the season insured they would finish with the second-best record in the W-H-L’s Eastern Conference and pushed the 26-32-8 Wheaties to the very brink of being eliminated from qualifying for the playoffs. Lies’ eighth goal of the season was his first since December 16. It came late in the second period, converting a pass from Rowan Calvert that came off a Brandon turnover behind the Wheat Kings’ net. Charlie Wright and Josh Pillar staked the Blue and Gold to a 2-0 lead, only to have the Wheaties erase the deficit before the first period was over. The game turned into a tight-checking affair after that with the Blades leaning on goaltender Ethan Chadwick for 20 saves over the final two periods. Saskatoon improved their record to 46-14-5 in front of 3,887 fans at SaskTel Centre – about 10-and-a-half thousand fewer than are expected to be on hand Sunday for a 4 o’clock visit by Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats. Following is the official game summary courtesy the W-H-L, plus audio highlights from the CJWW broadcast and Les Lazaruk’s Post-Game Show interviews with head coach Brennan Sonne, Lies and Chadwick…..
Brandon Wheat Kings 2 at Saskatoon Blades 3 – Status: Final
Saturday, March 18, 2023 – SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, SK
Brandon 2 0 0 – 2
Saskatoon 2 1 0 – 3
1st Period-1, Saskatoon, Wright 8 (Roulette, Chiasson), 9:13. 2, Saskatoon, Pillar 7 (Chiasson, Keller), 12:34 (PP). 3, Brandon, Flamand 12 (Polshakov, Groening), 17:48. 4, Brandon, Hadland 3 (Malyavin, Groening), 19:16. Penalties-De La Gorgendiere Sas (hooking), 2:51; Hadland Bdn (hooking), 10:36.
2nd Period-5, Saskatoon, Lies 8 (Calvert), 16:04. Penalties-Turner Bdn (hooking), 8:24; Pillar Sas (hooking), 17:45.
3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Lies Sas (high sticking), 5:08; Ritchie Bdn (cross checking), 10:59; Anderson Bdn (roughing, roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 20:00; Watterodt Sas (roughing, roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 20:00.
Shots on Goal-Brandon 5-9-11-25. Saskatoon 15-7-4-26.
Power Play Opportunities-Brandon 0 / 3; Saskatoon 1 / 3.
Goalies-Brandon, Jones 4-13-3-0 (26 shots-23 saves). Saskatoon, Chadwick 22-9-1-1 (25 shots-23 saves).
A-3,887
Referees-Bryce Sebastian (64), Ty Skene.
Linesmen-Ridge Brooks (161), Aiden Penner (109).
