Blades usher in new year with hard loss to Oil Kings
Short-staffed team missing six regulars from lineup due to sickness or injury
After ending 2021 with a win, the Saskatoon Blades began 2022 with a loss.
A short-staffed Blades squad, missing six regulars from the lineup due to sickness or injury, fell 4-1 to the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings in Western Hockey League action on New Year's Day.
The game was played Saturday night instead of the usual matinee.
After the Oil Kings took the first penalty, the Blades were assessed five consecutive penalties — including a double minor and a major — and found themselves down 3-1 early in the second period as Edmonton capitalized with a pair of power play goals. One of them was scored during the double-minor and the other during the five-minute major.
“Tonight, I was proud to stand behind the bench,” said Blades head coach Brennan Sonne, whose team slipped to 17-14-1-1 before an announced crowd of 2,827 spectators at Sasktel Centre.
“Our guys didn't quit. They had all sorts of things thrown at them. We're missing a ton of guys and there was zero quit. They stayed in the war the entire time. I was proud to be behind the bench.”
Saskatoon was missing five forwards — Tristen Robins, Noah Boyko, Trevor Wong, Misha Volotovskii and Tyler Parr — along with defenceman Marek Schneider due to illness or injury.
Edmonton, which welcomed back three players from Canada's world junior squad, outshot Saskatoon 40-16.
The Blades welcomed back Belarus import Egor Sidorov, who scored the lone goal for Saskatoon but lost Robins and Boyko, who had both played two nights earlier.
Edmonton, which went 2-for-6 on the power play, led 2-1 and 3-1 by periods.
“When you lose the game and complain about reffing, you just sound like spilled milk, sour grapes, blaming, blaming, blaming,” said Sonne in a post-game interview with Blades play-by-play man and CJWW Radio broadcaster Les Lazaruk. “As much as I'd like to get into all that, I don't think it means a lot … I definitely saw a lot of things differently than the officials but that's the way it is.
“Again, the sour grapes thing is just not a good look. If I'm just speaking about how the team played, yeah, I thought the penalty kill — we're missing a lot of our penalty-kill regulars — but I thought they did a heck of a job. I thought Marshy (associate coach Ryan Marsh) had those guys dialed in and they did a heck of a job doing nine straight minutes, including a 5-on-3 — good on them.”
Saskatoon was 1-for-4 with the man-advantage.
Simon Kubicek, Luke Prokop, Jalen Luypen and Jaxsen Wiebe scored for the Oil Kings, who improved their WHL record this season to 24-8-2-1.
“These guys had all these things that are atypical, unusual thrown at them against a really good hockey team and they stood tall, gritted their teeth and stayed in it — that's why I was proud,” added Sonne.
“The work was there. They did everything they could.”
Nolan Maier made 36 saves in the loss. He also did everything he could to keep the Blades in the game.
“He was spectacular, absolutely fantastic,” said Sonne, whose Blades are set to return to action next weekend with a home-andhome series with the rival Regina Pats with Friday's game at Sasktel Centre and Saturday's in Regina.
When you lose the game and complain about reffing, you just sound like spilled milk, sour grapes, blaming, blaming, blaming.
BLADE BITS
Zach Moore, who was the Blades' first pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, made his WHL debut on Saturday … The Blades called up both Moore and affiliate Rowan Calvert, who played his fifth game since Dec. 4.