nivek_wahs
03-05-2007, 05:10 AM
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=674d32e7-f9aa-48bb-8339-feab6570af14
Blades go one step forward, two back
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Monday, March 05, 2007
PATS 5, BLADES 0
BLADES 2, PATS 1 (SO)
REGINA -- Two months after trading places, Derek Hulak and Michael MacAngus traded turns in the spotlight.
Hulak netted the shootout winner Saturday as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Regina Pats 2-1 at Credit Union Centre. Not to be outdone, MacAngus delivered two goals and an assist Sunday as the Pats won 5-0 at Brandt Centre.
"Of course it feels good to score against anyone, but against your old team, it really feels good," MacAngus said as a smile smeared across his face.
The Blades were far less jovial. Just 24 hours earlier, they were spilling off the bench to mob Hulak. Their playoff chances seemed suddenly revived. However, the victory simply prevented Saskatoon from falling further behind. The fourth-place Prince Albert Raiders sealed a dramatic win of their own Saturday when Ryan McDonald scored with 41 seconds left to beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 4-3.
Sunday's loss in Regina proved to be another missed opportunity for the Blades (24-37-2-2). They remain six points behind the Raiders (26-33-3-3) with just seven games left. The Blades have scored only one non-shootout goal in their last 13 periods.
MacAngus broke Sunday's scoreless tie with a deflection at 7:34 of the first. He capped the scoring in the third with a nifty tip-in off the rush.
"My first one was one of my more common goals where it just goes off me and in," said MacAngus, who is playoff-bound with the Pats (32-27-2-5). "With the second one, I actually put it in, so I got a little more excited over that."
Regina also got goals from Kyle Ross, Myles Stoesz and Kaspars Saulietis. Pats goaltender Tommy Tartaglione collected the shutout with 22 saves, few of them difficult. Braden Holtby stopped 32 shots for Saskatoon.
"(Saturday) was a big win and after the game we put it behind us and started looking forward to (Sunday)," said Hulak, whom the Pats reluctantly traded to his hometown so he could be close to his mother, Alina, as she battles cancer. "Things didn't work out (Sunday), but we're going to have to do the same thing -- a couple of hours after this game, forget what happened and look forward to the next game."
The Blades begin a four-game road trip Wednesday in Cranbrook, B.C., against the Kootenay Ice. When they return, they'll have just three games left, including a home-and-home series with Prince Albert.
"Our goal now is to come back and hope that the final three games of the season mean something," said Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken.
Saturday's game began and ended with Hulak. He participated in the ceremonial face-off on a night when the Blades supported breast cancer awareness by using pink sticks. Fittingly, Hulak sealed victory some two hours later by scoring in the fourth round of the shootout.
Regina's Niko Snellman and Saskatoon's Ryan Menei scored for their respective teams in regulation. Menei's goal with 2:43 left in the second period ended a scoreless drought of 177 minutes, 47 seconds -- nearly nine periods -- for the Blades.
Saskatoon netminder Garrett Zemlak stopped 31 shots through 65 minutes, plus two of four shooters in the shootout. Linden Rowat made 23 saves during game action, but was beaten by Kenton Dulle, Colton Gillies and Hulak in the shootout.
BLADE BITS: Saskatoon C Justin McCrae is day-to-day with a pulled groin. He hit the showers part way throught Saturday's game and he did not play Sunday. RW Kenton Dulle and C Gaelan Patterson returned to the Blades' lineup Saturday. Dulle missed seven games with a concussion; Patterson missed six while representing Saskatchewan at the Canada Winter Games. Saskatchewan finished sixth in Whitehorse.
cwolfe@sp.canwest.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007
Blades go one step forward, two back
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Monday, March 05, 2007
PATS 5, BLADES 0
BLADES 2, PATS 1 (SO)
REGINA -- Two months after trading places, Derek Hulak and Michael MacAngus traded turns in the spotlight.
Hulak netted the shootout winner Saturday as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Regina Pats 2-1 at Credit Union Centre. Not to be outdone, MacAngus delivered two goals and an assist Sunday as the Pats won 5-0 at Brandt Centre.
"Of course it feels good to score against anyone, but against your old team, it really feels good," MacAngus said as a smile smeared across his face.
The Blades were far less jovial. Just 24 hours earlier, they were spilling off the bench to mob Hulak. Their playoff chances seemed suddenly revived. However, the victory simply prevented Saskatoon from falling further behind. The fourth-place Prince Albert Raiders sealed a dramatic win of their own Saturday when Ryan McDonald scored with 41 seconds left to beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 4-3.
Sunday's loss in Regina proved to be another missed opportunity for the Blades (24-37-2-2). They remain six points behind the Raiders (26-33-3-3) with just seven games left. The Blades have scored only one non-shootout goal in their last 13 periods.
MacAngus broke Sunday's scoreless tie with a deflection at 7:34 of the first. He capped the scoring in the third with a nifty tip-in off the rush.
"My first one was one of my more common goals where it just goes off me and in," said MacAngus, who is playoff-bound with the Pats (32-27-2-5). "With the second one, I actually put it in, so I got a little more excited over that."
Regina also got goals from Kyle Ross, Myles Stoesz and Kaspars Saulietis. Pats goaltender Tommy Tartaglione collected the shutout with 22 saves, few of them difficult. Braden Holtby stopped 32 shots for Saskatoon.
"(Saturday) was a big win and after the game we put it behind us and started looking forward to (Sunday)," said Hulak, whom the Pats reluctantly traded to his hometown so he could be close to his mother, Alina, as she battles cancer. "Things didn't work out (Sunday), but we're going to have to do the same thing -- a couple of hours after this game, forget what happened and look forward to the next game."
The Blades begin a four-game road trip Wednesday in Cranbrook, B.C., against the Kootenay Ice. When they return, they'll have just three games left, including a home-and-home series with Prince Albert.
"Our goal now is to come back and hope that the final three games of the season mean something," said Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken.
Saturday's game began and ended with Hulak. He participated in the ceremonial face-off on a night when the Blades supported breast cancer awareness by using pink sticks. Fittingly, Hulak sealed victory some two hours later by scoring in the fourth round of the shootout.
Regina's Niko Snellman and Saskatoon's Ryan Menei scored for their respective teams in regulation. Menei's goal with 2:43 left in the second period ended a scoreless drought of 177 minutes, 47 seconds -- nearly nine periods -- for the Blades.
Saskatoon netminder Garrett Zemlak stopped 31 shots through 65 minutes, plus two of four shooters in the shootout. Linden Rowat made 23 saves during game action, but was beaten by Kenton Dulle, Colton Gillies and Hulak in the shootout.
BLADE BITS: Saskatoon C Justin McCrae is day-to-day with a pulled groin. He hit the showers part way throught Saturday's game and he did not play Sunday. RW Kenton Dulle and C Gaelan Patterson returned to the Blades' lineup Saturday. Dulle missed seven games with a concussion; Patterson missed six while representing Saskatchewan at the Canada Winter Games. Saskatchewan finished sixth in Whitehorse.
cwolfe@sp.canwest.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007