nivek_wahs
09-27-2007, 08:22 AM
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=5c29edf1-c654-4bfb-9ae7-9141b5fcbc73
Blades get first win
Blades 5, Warriors 4
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, September 27, 2007
Saskatoon Blades defenceman Jyri Niemi did his best to finish what he started Wednesday.
The Finnish rookie scored Saskatoon's first and fourth goals in a 5-4 triumph over the Moose Jaw Warriors before 3,596 spectators at Credit Union Centre. Niemi's second tally, 1:15 into the third period, looked like it would hold as the game-winner. However, the Blades had to dip into Chris Durand's insurance goal to secure victory.
"In Finland, we say: 'The monkey is off of my back,' " Niemi said with a smile. "Now it's done."
The monkey is off the Blades' back, too. They improved to 1-2-0-0 after being outscored 11-3 in their first two games against Brandon.
Blades captain Justin McCrae led the way with a four-point night. He was also a physical presence.
"I play my best when I'm playing physical," said the Carolina Hurricanes' draft pick. "I definitely didn't want to go down 0-3. I just tried to do my part to get the win."
Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken praised his captain's all-around efforts.
"There's always an adjustment when players come back from NHL camps," said Molleken. "Certainly Justin takes things to heart and he did a tremendous job for us in a lot of areas -- especially face-offs."
The Blades did just about everything right through the first 22 minutes Wednesday. They took a 3-0 lead thanks to three special-teams tallies: one shorthanded and two on the power play.
When Moose Jaw's power-play unit turned the puck over, Niemi wired a slapper past Joey Perricone at 5:13 of the opening frame.
Less than three minutes later, Derek Hulak's power-play goal put the hosts ahead 2-0.
McCrae, who assisted on the first two goals, got one of his own to start the second period. He won a battle in the crease and buried a loose puck at the tail-end of a Saskatoon power play.
The rest of the period belonged to Moose Jaw, though. Saskatoon product Jordan Knackstedt put the Warriors on the board before the three-minute mark. He dove to get his stick on a centring pass from Giffen Nyren and Knackstedt's redirection found a hole between goaltender Braden Holtby's pads.
The Warriors pulled even thanks to late-period goals by Riley Holzapfel, on the power play, and Jordan Bast.
"For the first half of the game, we competed extremely hard," said Molleken. "Momentum changed when we had a bit of a hard time on our power play in the second period, but the battle was there tonight and that's the main thing."
After Niemi's go-ahead goal in the third, Durand gave Saskatoon a two-goal lead. As Durand stepped out of the penalty box, McCrae fed him the puck to set up a 2-on-1 with Hulak. Durand opted to shoot and he beat Perricone low.
Brady Calla's shorthanded marker cut Saskatoon's lead to 5-4 with 2:30 remaining, but the Blades held on.
"After they came off a tough weekend against Brandon, we knew they'd come out hard and they did," said Knackstedt. "We were on our heels at the start of the game and got down a couple. We battled back, but then struggled again."
Two heavyweights, Blades RW Garrett Klotz and Warriors LW Ryley Grantham, engaged in a first-period scrap. Klotz landed the better blows before both combatants tired and were separated.
Saskatoon outshot Moose Jaw 30-24.
The Blades hit the road for three games in three nights, starting Friday in Medicine Hat.
BLADE BITS: Blades D Sam Klassen brought the crowd alive by dumping Warriors LW Martin Filo into the Saskatoon bench with about a minute remaining . . . Prior to the game, the Blades reassigned D Mitch Berg, 16, to the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. He played last season with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers.
cwolfe@sp.canwest.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007
Blades get first win
Blades 5, Warriors 4
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, September 27, 2007
Saskatoon Blades defenceman Jyri Niemi did his best to finish what he started Wednesday.
The Finnish rookie scored Saskatoon's first and fourth goals in a 5-4 triumph over the Moose Jaw Warriors before 3,596 spectators at Credit Union Centre. Niemi's second tally, 1:15 into the third period, looked like it would hold as the game-winner. However, the Blades had to dip into Chris Durand's insurance goal to secure victory.
"In Finland, we say: 'The monkey is off of my back,' " Niemi said with a smile. "Now it's done."
The monkey is off the Blades' back, too. They improved to 1-2-0-0 after being outscored 11-3 in their first two games against Brandon.
Blades captain Justin McCrae led the way with a four-point night. He was also a physical presence.
"I play my best when I'm playing physical," said the Carolina Hurricanes' draft pick. "I definitely didn't want to go down 0-3. I just tried to do my part to get the win."
Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken praised his captain's all-around efforts.
"There's always an adjustment when players come back from NHL camps," said Molleken. "Certainly Justin takes things to heart and he did a tremendous job for us in a lot of areas -- especially face-offs."
The Blades did just about everything right through the first 22 minutes Wednesday. They took a 3-0 lead thanks to three special-teams tallies: one shorthanded and two on the power play.
When Moose Jaw's power-play unit turned the puck over, Niemi wired a slapper past Joey Perricone at 5:13 of the opening frame.
Less than three minutes later, Derek Hulak's power-play goal put the hosts ahead 2-0.
McCrae, who assisted on the first two goals, got one of his own to start the second period. He won a battle in the crease and buried a loose puck at the tail-end of a Saskatoon power play.
The rest of the period belonged to Moose Jaw, though. Saskatoon product Jordan Knackstedt put the Warriors on the board before the three-minute mark. He dove to get his stick on a centring pass from Giffen Nyren and Knackstedt's redirection found a hole between goaltender Braden Holtby's pads.
The Warriors pulled even thanks to late-period goals by Riley Holzapfel, on the power play, and Jordan Bast.
"For the first half of the game, we competed extremely hard," said Molleken. "Momentum changed when we had a bit of a hard time on our power play in the second period, but the battle was there tonight and that's the main thing."
After Niemi's go-ahead goal in the third, Durand gave Saskatoon a two-goal lead. As Durand stepped out of the penalty box, McCrae fed him the puck to set up a 2-on-1 with Hulak. Durand opted to shoot and he beat Perricone low.
Brady Calla's shorthanded marker cut Saskatoon's lead to 5-4 with 2:30 remaining, but the Blades held on.
"After they came off a tough weekend against Brandon, we knew they'd come out hard and they did," said Knackstedt. "We were on our heels at the start of the game and got down a couple. We battled back, but then struggled again."
Two heavyweights, Blades RW Garrett Klotz and Warriors LW Ryley Grantham, engaged in a first-period scrap. Klotz landed the better blows before both combatants tired and were separated.
Saskatoon outshot Moose Jaw 30-24.
The Blades hit the road for three games in three nights, starting Friday in Medicine Hat.
BLADE BITS: Blades D Sam Klassen brought the crowd alive by dumping Warriors LW Martin Filo into the Saskatoon bench with about a minute remaining . . . Prior to the game, the Blades reassigned D Mitch Berg, 16, to the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. He played last season with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers.
cwolfe@sp.canwest.com
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007