Blades, Warriors playing host to each other
Saskatoon has first place in the east wrapped up as regular season nears end
Five games to go.
First place and home-ice advantage clinched.
The Saskatoon Blades will play three of their remaining five games in the Western Hockey League regular season at home, starting with a game Friday night against divisional rival Moose Jaw Warriors. It's been billed as the Battle of East Beasts.
Game time is 7 p.m.
“They're dynamic,” Blades head coach Brennan Sonne said of the Warriors, who'll host the Saskatoon squad Saturday as part of a home-and-home weekend matchup.
“They have the leading points scorer (Jagger Firkus, with 50 goals and 61 assists) in the Western league. They have players that are elite, so it's going to be a great game, a great test back to back with those guys. I'm excited to see them. It's been a while.”
Saskatoon has a 46-12-2-3 record for 97 points, 12 points better than Moose Jaw in the East Division.
The Blades have clinched first place in the WHL'S Eastern Conference. They are 19 points ahead of the Central Division-leading Swift Current Broncos (36-20-42, 78 points).
“It feels really good,” Sonne said of clinching first in the Eastern Conference.
“It's the longest of all the goals in a 68-game season. That's a long time. That's a lot of months since the start of September until now. That's a slog, so I'm just proud of the guys for accomplishing that. It's something they'll remember years and years from now when they return, like Frank Banham the other night and all those guys.
“Now our goals shift a little bit. They turn to much shorter timeframe goals, so the next is the Scotty Munro (trophy for firstplace overall in the WHL regular season) and there are only five games left in that and, from there, it's playoffs.
“As these goals become quicker and quicker, we have to take them day by day, but, right now, I'm super proud of those guys — they've earned it.”
BLADES WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT
On Tuesday, the Blades recorded a fourth-straight win thanks to a 4-0 shutout win over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings.
Egor Sidorov notched a hat trick for Saskatoon, giving him 49 goals for the season and just one short of the 50-goal benchmark.
Defenceman John Babcock, who was acquired at the trade deadline, scored his first goal as a Blade to round out the scoring.
Austin Elliott made 18 saves for the shutout as Saskatoon outshot Brandon 37-18 and led 1-0 and 3-0 by periods.
“They're jelling,” Sonne said of the Blades.
“Our team has gone through so many stages with (player) movements, with deadline stuff, guys away at world juniors. Our team dynamic has shifted drastically over the course of the year. This group is coming together and they're learning each other more and more and what we need to know at crunch time.”
BANHAM JERSEY RETIRED
Last weekend, the Blades officially retired the jersey of all-time scoring leader Frank Banham.
The No. 39 banner was raised to the rafters at Sasktel Centre prior to Saturday's game between the Blades and Edmonton Oil Kings.
Banham played 278 WHL games, collecting 190 goals and 370 points along the way — both the most in all-time franchise history. He also holds the single-season record for goals in franchise history (83) and most power-play goals in a season (32).
Banham (No. 39) joins Gerry Pinder (7), Brent Ashton (7), Brian Skrudland (10), Bob Bourne (12), Bernie Federko (15) and Wendel Clark (22) in the rafters at Sasktel Centre.
BLADE BITS: Overage defenceman Charlie Wright recently reached the 250-game mark with the Blades ... Saskatoon has two games with Moose Jaw, a game next Wednesday against the Calgary Hitmen, and two games against the Prince Albert Raiders next weekend to wrap up the regular season.