nivek_wahs
03-08-2007, 04:09 AM
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=214f1ee2-c700-429b-a7a5-0c0a9b344dec
Blades lose ground in playoff race
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, March 08, 2007
ICE 7, BLADES 2
The Saskatoon Blades keep flirting, but that darned playoff berth is playing hard to get.
Even though the fourth-place Prince Albert Raiders are in a freefall, having lost 11 of their past 13 games, the Blades have whiffed on the opportunity. Saskatoon (24-38-2-2) remains six points behind Prince Albert (26-35-3-3)
Both teams were pasted Wednesday. The Raiders fell 5-1 in Brandon, while the Blades dropped a 7-2 decision to the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, B.C.
Saskatoon product Steven DaSilva netted the game winner and added an assist for the Ice.
With centre Justin McCrae sidelined by a groin injury, Colton Gillies jumped up to the Blades' top line between Derek Hulak and Ryan Menei. The combination clicked early as Hulak set up Gillies just 2:38 into the match.
That lead evaporated just 28 seconds later, though. Clayton Bauer evened the score 1-1 and Trent Fussi tacked on another for the Ice just before the intermission.
DaSilva pushed the Ice lead to 3-1 eight minutes into the second. After leading a 2-on-1, he used a teammate as a decoy and fired a shot past Garrett Zemlak.
The Blades delivered a swift response. Just seven seconds later, Blair Macaulay got his stick on Kenton Dulle's feed and cut Kootenay's lead to 3-2.
That was the end of the suspense, though, as Kootenay unleashed four unanswered goals. Ryan Russell and Chad Greenan scored 31 seconds apart late in the second. Tylan Stephens and Kevin King added power-play goals in the third.
Zemlak blocked 41 shots for the Blades, while Taylor Dakers stopped 13 for the Ice.
The Blades continue their road trip Friday in Lethbridge, Alta.
BLADE BITS: Play-by-play man Les Lazaruk called his 1,000th Blade game Wednesday. Lazaruk has been the voice of the Blades since the start of the 1994-95 season . . . Rookie D Teigan Zahn returned to Saskatoon's lineup Wednesday after missing 25 games with a broken jaw. C Justin McCrae (groin) and C Chris Cloud (team-imposed discipline) did not play . . . Wednesday's game was, in all likelihood, overage D Brad Cole's last game in Cranbrook. Cole played parts of three seasons with Kootenay before being acquired by the Blades in 2005. Because of a concussion, he missed the Blades' December visit to Cranbrook.
cwolfe@sp.canwest.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007
Blades lose ground in playoff race
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, March 08, 2007
ICE 7, BLADES 2
The Saskatoon Blades keep flirting, but that darned playoff berth is playing hard to get.
Even though the fourth-place Prince Albert Raiders are in a freefall, having lost 11 of their past 13 games, the Blades have whiffed on the opportunity. Saskatoon (24-38-2-2) remains six points behind Prince Albert (26-35-3-3)
Both teams were pasted Wednesday. The Raiders fell 5-1 in Brandon, while the Blades dropped a 7-2 decision to the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, B.C.
Saskatoon product Steven DaSilva netted the game winner and added an assist for the Ice.
With centre Justin McCrae sidelined by a groin injury, Colton Gillies jumped up to the Blades' top line between Derek Hulak and Ryan Menei. The combination clicked early as Hulak set up Gillies just 2:38 into the match.
That lead evaporated just 28 seconds later, though. Clayton Bauer evened the score 1-1 and Trent Fussi tacked on another for the Ice just before the intermission.
DaSilva pushed the Ice lead to 3-1 eight minutes into the second. After leading a 2-on-1, he used a teammate as a decoy and fired a shot past Garrett Zemlak.
The Blades delivered a swift response. Just seven seconds later, Blair Macaulay got his stick on Kenton Dulle's feed and cut Kootenay's lead to 3-2.
That was the end of the suspense, though, as Kootenay unleashed four unanswered goals. Ryan Russell and Chad Greenan scored 31 seconds apart late in the second. Tylan Stephens and Kevin King added power-play goals in the third.
Zemlak blocked 41 shots for the Blades, while Taylor Dakers stopped 13 for the Ice.
The Blades continue their road trip Friday in Lethbridge, Alta.
BLADE BITS: Play-by-play man Les Lazaruk called his 1,000th Blade game Wednesday. Lazaruk has been the voice of the Blades since the start of the 1994-95 season . . . Rookie D Teigan Zahn returned to Saskatoon's lineup Wednesday after missing 25 games with a broken jaw. C Justin McCrae (groin) and C Chris Cloud (team-imposed discipline) did not play . . . Wednesday's game was, in all likelihood, overage D Brad Cole's last game in Cranbrook. Cole played parts of three seasons with Kootenay before being acquired by the Blades in 2005. Because of a concussion, he missed the Blades' December visit to Cranbrook.
cwolfe@sp.canwest.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007