nivek_wahs
03-12-2007, 03:31 AM
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=9dc860f1-9ad7-438d-93da-8970d5d70587
Blades' playoff hopes still alive
Doug McConachie, The StarPhoenix
Published: Monday, March 12, 2007
HITMEN 5, BLADES 1
The Saskatoon Blades limped home late Sunday, battered and bruised after a pair of losses in Alberta during the weekend.
However, the Blades are still in the running for a playoff spot -- although their life is hanging by a thread.
After falling 5-1 to the Calgary Hitmen Sunday and 4-2 to the Red Deer Rebels Saturday, the Blades are still last in the WHL East Division. Saskatoon remains within hailing distance of both the Prince Albert Raiders and Moose Jaw Warriors -- who are also battling for the fourth and last playoff berth in the six-team division.
"Barely" alive is the way it shapes up for Blades' said coach-GM Lorne Molleken, who thought his club competed very hard in Saturday's loss, but not very hard Sunday. Still, where there's a breath, there's hope, although "there's a lot of if's, but's and maybes" that have to come into play, Molleken said.
Saskatoon caught another break when Swift Current downed Prince Albert 2-1 Sunday to give the Broncos a sweep of all eight games against the Raiders this season. As a result, P.A. stills sits in fourth place, one point up on Moose Jaw and four up on the Blades. All three teams have three games remaining.
But in terms of scripting the final week of the schedule, the Blades couldn't have done it better.
They face Moose Jaw Wednesday at Credit Union Centre, then travel to Prince Albert Friday and wrap up their regular season Saturday at home against the Raiders. To stay alive, the Blades must beat Moose Jaw, a team they're 5-2 against, including three wins on home ice.
If the Blades get that victory, then it's a showdown with the Raiders who have won seven of eight against the Saskatoon this season. But the Raiders have been in free-fall since February, losing 13 of their last 16 games. Saskatoon's 3-2 victory Friday over the Lethbridge Hurricanes proved critical, as it kept them on playoff life support.
Against both the Hitmen and the Rebels, the Blades fell behind 2-0 in the opening period and couldn't dig themselves out of that hole.
Derek LeBlanc scored 13 minutes into the first and Ryan White four minutes later on the power play to give the Hitmen their first-period lead. With the victory, Calgary clinched third spot in the Central Division and a playoff series with the Kootenay Ice. The Hitmen's Brodie Dupont got the pack past Blades' netminder Garrett Zemlak in the second while Calgary's Steve Covington shorthanded a goal four minutes into the third to put Calgary up 4-0.
The Blades, who were outshot 32-13, finally got on the board when Colton Gillies jammed one past Hitmen netminder Dan Spence seven minutes into the third, but that was as close as they got as Devon Kalinski beat Zemlak at 12:12 to wrap up scoring.
Calgary won three of four against Saskatoon during the season.
REBELS 4, BLADES 2 (SAT.)
Kirill Starkov scored just 67 seconds into Saturday's game while Brett Sutter's 25th goal of the year, two minutes later, staked Red Deer to the early lead.
Defenceman Brett Ward blew down the right wing 16 minutes into the period with the teams playing four-on-four and his backhander, over rookie Red Deer goalie Morgan Clark, got Saskatoon on the scoreboard.
Early in the second period, Dustin Cameron tipped a blue-line blast from Sam Klassen past Clark to put Saskatoon into a tie, but Karey Pieper's third goal of the year, banging home a rebound midway through the third period, ended Saskatoon's hopes of getting at least one point. Sutter then wrapped the game up with Red Deer on a two-man power play with just a minute remaining. Red Deer, which won all four games against Saskatoon this year, clinched the last Central playoff spot -- and a playoff series against the Medicine Hat Tigers -- with a win over Lethbridge 6-4 Sunday.
BLADE BITS: Saskatoon left 18-year-old Chris Cloud at home for disciplinary reasons and he's not expected to rejoin the team this year. Rookie defenceman Mike Clements, who went home before Christmas with a shoulder injury, played on the weekend but is now back home. Sunday's game drew a Calgary Hitmen franchise record crowd of 19,017, the second largest gathering in league history.
dmcconachie@sp.canwest.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007
Blades' playoff hopes still alive
Doug McConachie, The StarPhoenix
Published: Monday, March 12, 2007
HITMEN 5, BLADES 1
The Saskatoon Blades limped home late Sunday, battered and bruised after a pair of losses in Alberta during the weekend.
However, the Blades are still in the running for a playoff spot -- although their life is hanging by a thread.
After falling 5-1 to the Calgary Hitmen Sunday and 4-2 to the Red Deer Rebels Saturday, the Blades are still last in the WHL East Division. Saskatoon remains within hailing distance of both the Prince Albert Raiders and Moose Jaw Warriors -- who are also battling for the fourth and last playoff berth in the six-team division.
"Barely" alive is the way it shapes up for Blades' said coach-GM Lorne Molleken, who thought his club competed very hard in Saturday's loss, but not very hard Sunday. Still, where there's a breath, there's hope, although "there's a lot of if's, but's and maybes" that have to come into play, Molleken said.
Saskatoon caught another break when Swift Current downed Prince Albert 2-1 Sunday to give the Broncos a sweep of all eight games against the Raiders this season. As a result, P.A. stills sits in fourth place, one point up on Moose Jaw and four up on the Blades. All three teams have three games remaining.
But in terms of scripting the final week of the schedule, the Blades couldn't have done it better.
They face Moose Jaw Wednesday at Credit Union Centre, then travel to Prince Albert Friday and wrap up their regular season Saturday at home against the Raiders. To stay alive, the Blades must beat Moose Jaw, a team they're 5-2 against, including three wins on home ice.
If the Blades get that victory, then it's a showdown with the Raiders who have won seven of eight against the Saskatoon this season. But the Raiders have been in free-fall since February, losing 13 of their last 16 games. Saskatoon's 3-2 victory Friday over the Lethbridge Hurricanes proved critical, as it kept them on playoff life support.
Against both the Hitmen and the Rebels, the Blades fell behind 2-0 in the opening period and couldn't dig themselves out of that hole.
Derek LeBlanc scored 13 minutes into the first and Ryan White four minutes later on the power play to give the Hitmen their first-period lead. With the victory, Calgary clinched third spot in the Central Division and a playoff series with the Kootenay Ice. The Hitmen's Brodie Dupont got the pack past Blades' netminder Garrett Zemlak in the second while Calgary's Steve Covington shorthanded a goal four minutes into the third to put Calgary up 4-0.
The Blades, who were outshot 32-13, finally got on the board when Colton Gillies jammed one past Hitmen netminder Dan Spence seven minutes into the third, but that was as close as they got as Devon Kalinski beat Zemlak at 12:12 to wrap up scoring.
Calgary won three of four against Saskatoon during the season.
REBELS 4, BLADES 2 (SAT.)
Kirill Starkov scored just 67 seconds into Saturday's game while Brett Sutter's 25th goal of the year, two minutes later, staked Red Deer to the early lead.
Defenceman Brett Ward blew down the right wing 16 minutes into the period with the teams playing four-on-four and his backhander, over rookie Red Deer goalie Morgan Clark, got Saskatoon on the scoreboard.
Early in the second period, Dustin Cameron tipped a blue-line blast from Sam Klassen past Clark to put Saskatoon into a tie, but Karey Pieper's third goal of the year, banging home a rebound midway through the third period, ended Saskatoon's hopes of getting at least one point. Sutter then wrapped the game up with Red Deer on a two-man power play with just a minute remaining. Red Deer, which won all four games against Saskatoon this year, clinched the last Central playoff spot -- and a playoff series against the Medicine Hat Tigers -- with a win over Lethbridge 6-4 Sunday.
BLADE BITS: Saskatoon left 18-year-old Chris Cloud at home for disciplinary reasons and he's not expected to rejoin the team this year. Rookie defenceman Mike Clements, who went home before Christmas with a shoulder injury, played on the weekend but is now back home. Sunday's game drew a Calgary Hitmen franchise record crowd of 19,017, the second largest gathering in league history.
dmcconachie@sp.canwest.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007