Blades home in on 40 wins this season
A playoff berth already clinched, the Saskatoon Blades are closing in on a 40-win season.
Two power-play goals in the second period proved to be the difference as the Blades downed the Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-4 Tuesday at Sasktel Centre.
With the win, the Blades improve their Western Hockey League record this season to 39-14-8-0. The Hurricanes slip to 32-18-5-5. Lethbridge struck first Tuesday, just 2:20 in, with a power-play goal by Nick Henry.
The Blades answered a short time later, at 3:31, on a goal by Nick Crnkovic.
In the second period, Saskatoon built up a 3-1 lead thanks to a pair of power-play goals by Gary Haden, at 1:14, and Chase Wouters, at 12:19.
Jake Elmer cut the Blades’ lead to 3-2, with his 32nd goal of the season, at 8:26 of the third, and Logan Barlage knotted the score at 3-3 at 11:23.
But Saskatoon regained its lead only 19 seconds later, thanks to a goal by Ryan Hughes.
Kirby Dach then added some insurance, finishing off a two-on-one break with Riley Mckay at 13:52.
The Hurricanes weren’t quite finished, as Taylor Ross scored with 3:57 left in regulation.
Hughes, with his second of the game, fired a shot from inside his own blue-line into an empty net with 1:31 remaining after Lethbridge pulled its goalie for an extra attacker.
Saskatoon out-shot Lethbridge 39-29 as Nolan Maier made 25 saves for the win.
Announced paid attendance Tuesday was 3,083.
SASKATCHEWAN CONTENT
Lethbridge’s lineup Tuesday featured some local content. Saskatoon products Ty Prefontaine and Jake Leschyshyn returned to their hometown to play against the Blades, along with Humboldt’s Logan Barlage.
Leschyshyn, who was taken in the second round, 62nd overall, by the Vegas Golden Knights, already has signed with Vegas.
DACH VERSUS COZENS
Tuesday’s contest was another showdown between top NHL prospects Kirby Dach from the Blades and Dylan Cozens from the Hurricanes.
Dach is ranked No. 2 among North American skaters, behind only the consensus No. 1 pick Jack Hughes for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Dach is the top-ranked CHL player. Cozens sits at No. 3.