Broncos’ top line overwhelms the Blades
Swift Current’s high-scoring trio combines for five goals, 11 points
The Saskatoon Blades got burnt Friday by one of the hottest lines in the Canadian major junior hockey.
Once again, the Blades had no answer for the Swift Current Broncos’ top line of Glenn Gawdin, Tyler Steenbergen and Aleksi Heponiemi, who combined for five of six goals in a 6-2 Western Hockey League victory before a crowd of 3,536 at SaskTel Centre.
Steenbergen led the way with four goals and an assist in the win. Gawdin added a goal and two assists. Heponiemi rounded out the attack with three assists.
All together, the line racked up 11 points and 10 shots on net. The trio also nabbed all three star selections.
With the loss, Saskatoon falls to 1-3-0 early in the WHL season. Swift Current is a perfect 4-0-0 with two wins over the Blades.
THE GRIZ GETS THE START
With goalie Ryan Kubic on the shelf due to injury, the Blades gave Joel Grzybowski the start in net. The former Battlefords North Stars goalie, who calls Hafford home, faced a barrage of shots from the Broncos.
At the other end, former Blades goalie Logan Flodell got his first start against his former team. Flodell made 19 saves for the win.
The Broncos outshot the Blades 24-20.
THE GOAL SCORERS
Steenbergen, with a natural hattrick in the second period in a fourgoal game, Gawdin and Kaden Elder scored for Swift Current, who led 2-0 and 5-0 by periods.
Braylon Shmyr and Brad Goethals replied for Saskatoon in the third period. Shmyr deflected a blue line shot by D-man Jackson Caller, while Goethals finished off a pretty tick-tack-toe play initiated by linemate Kirby Dach.
Swift Current went 1-for-5 on the power play. Saskatoon was 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
STILL SEARCHING FOR WINS
Next up for the Blades are backto-back road games in Regina against the 2018 Memorial Cup host Regina Pats.
Those two teams meet Saturday night and again Wednesday night at the Brandt Centre in Regina.
“It’s a good measuring stick for us against Regina,” said Blades head coach Dean Brockman prior to Friday’s contest against the Broncos.
“It’s always important (to get wins). You don’t want to look back at the end of the season and say how we could have or should have, or how we needed to win this one or that one. Now’s your time to get wins.”
NHL WATCH LIST
Blade forwards Michael Farren and Chase Wouters are both on NHL Central Scouting’s watch list as 2018 NHL Entry Draft prospects.
Farren and Wouters have been identified with a ‘C’ rating as potential fourth-, fifth-, or sixthround candidates.
Fellow Blades 2000-born forwards Brandon Machado, Matt Mosher and late 1999 birthday Arjun Atwal are also entering their first year of NHL Draft eligibility, as is 2000-born D-man Seth Bafaro.