BLADES AVENGE LOSS IN DRAMATIC FASHION
SASKATOON – Oh what a night in Swift Current.
In one of the wildest junior hockey games you’ll see this season, the Blades stormed back in the 3rd period to earn a dramatic 6-5 victory.
It didn’t all start great for the Blades however. A Higson boarding penalty early in the game, would lead to the first Broncos goal. Calvin Spencer would hop on a loose puck to the side of net minder Brock Hamm to give the Broncos the 1-0 lead.
Jon Martin would score his 8th of the year later on in the first period to double the Broncos lead. Despite being down 2-0 on the scoreboard, the Blades outshot Swift Current 14-10 in the period and Head Coach & GM Bob Woods was not upset with their play. “I thought we came out of the gates, down 2-0 after the first, but I thought we actually played a very good period.”
The comeback began early in the 2nd period when 16-year old Logan Christensen netted his first career WHL goal. A point shot from Nolan Reid rebounded off of goaltender Landon Bow and Christensen found the loose puck, spun and tucked it neatly into the net. Mason McCarty leapt into Christensen’s arms as the Bronco lead was cut down to one. Despite the nice play, Christensen was quick to credit his line-mates. “They’re really good at opening up space for me and getting me a lot of chances,” Christensen said on playing with veterans Nick Zajac, and Josh Uhrich.
Zajac would tie the game up later in the frame before Jon Martin added to his WHL leading goal total by sniping his 9th of the year from the top of the circle. The Broncos held a 3-2 lead going into the 3rd.
Blades leading scorer Cameron Hebig would tie the game back up, just shy of the 10-minute mark of the third period on a tremendous effort to earn a breakaway. The Broncos, however, would come right back on the PP. With McCarty in the box for cross-checking, Scott Feser ripped one down the off wing past Hamm to once again regain the lead for the Broncos.
It seems as though when one rookie scores his first career WHL goal, another rookie steps up to do the same. After Logan Christensen scored his first goal in the second, one can assume Cameron Hausinger was itching to get his. That is exactly what the Anchorage, Alaska native did, hitting the ice with less than 5 minutes play and burying a loose puck for his first of his young career. “Seeing Logan get one I knew it was the time. Just to contribute to the team and the win, feels great.”
With 90 seconds left before overtime, the game seemed poised to head to the extra frame, but the hockey gods had something much more entertaining in store for the fans at the iPlex. Nick Zajac gave the Blades the lead with 1:28 left in the third, before Max LaJoie tied it right back up on the PP just 30 seconds later. Just 17 seconds after that goal however, LaJoie would flip the puck over the glass from his end. As he looked down in disbelief, he headed to the penalty box with just 43 seconds remaining in the game.
The top line of Cameron Hebig, Ryan Graham, and Connor Gay had been on fire all year, and with one chance to secure the victory before overtime, Gay got the point shot just past the screened Bow to send the Blades back home in good spirits.
The Blades have lots to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Sunday, one thing in particular though, is that they were able to finish off the game before heading to 3-on-3 overtime. A happy bus will head back to Saskatoon tonight and have a full week of practice before their next game, a Saturday night matchup against the division leading Brandon Wheat Kings. It’s a special game, asl the Blades welcome Sportsnet anchor Evanka Osmak to Saskatoon for Girls Rock Night. For more information, contact the Blades at 306.975.8844.
