Blades Offense Takes Flight versus Broncos

The Saskatoon Blades moved back atop the WHL’s Eastern Conference on Saturday night with a 7-4 road victory over the Swift Current Broncos.

Derek Hulak (Saskatoon, SK) and Charles Inglis (Saskatoon, SK) each had two goals while Josh Nicholls (Tsawwassen, BC), Walker Wintoneak (Flin Flon, MB), and Darian Dziurzynski (Lloydminster, AB) potted singles as the Blades now have gone three straight games earning at least a point. The win also marks the highest scoring output by the team since a 7-2 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers on October 27^th.

Swift Current – 1^st – Cody Eakin (Stepan Novotny) 3:03
Eakin put home his 7^th goal against the Blades this season to opening the scoring for the Broncos. The 18-year-old let go a backhand from his off wing that beat goaltender Adam Morrison (White Rock, BC) for his 37^th marker on the campaign and it was 1-0.

Saskatoon – 1^st – Nicholls (Duncan Siemens, Hulak) 8:32
The Blades evened the score at one on the 10^th of the season from Nicholls. The puck came to Siemens (Sherwood Park, AB) at the line and the freshman let go a shot that was redirected in tight by the 18-year-old Nicholls.

Saskatoon – 1^st – Hulak (Nicholls, Tyler Kizuik) 14:01
Hulak put the Blades up on top with his first of two on the night before the first period was out. The captain was on the receiving end of a pass from Nicholls on a 2-on-1 and beat goaltender Mark Friesen for his 21^st goal of the season.

Saskatoon – 2^nd – Wintoneak 3:29
The overage Wintoneak gave the Blades a two-goal lead after stealing the puck in the Broncos’ end and putting a wrist shot high glove side for his 21^st of the year.

Swift Current – 2^nd – Matt Tassone (Novotny, Eakin) 3:36
The Broncos cut into the Blades’ lead just seven seconds later on the first of two from Tassone on the evening. The overage forward picked up the 9^th goal of an injury shortened season with a shot over the glove of Morrison.

Swift Current – 2^nd – Taylor Vause 5:25 pp
Vause pulled the Broncos even with his 12^th of the year less than two minutes after. The 18-year-old forced a turnover behind the net and jammed one just inside the post and it was 3-3.

Saskatoon – 3^rd – Hulak (Nicholls, Sam Klassen) 4:30
The Blades went back out in front on the second of the evening from Hulak. Nicholls held the puck in the corner and fed the overager in perfect position for a one-timer and a 4-3 Blades’ lead.

Swift Current – 3^rd – Tassone (Graeme Craig, Travis Bobbee)
The plucky home squad pulled once more after Craig’s point shot missed the net and took a fortuitous bounce off the back wall onto the stick of Tassone, who deposited his 10^th of the season.

Saskatoon – 3^rd – Dziurzynski 13:27
Dziurzynski, the Blades’ hottest player during the month of January, potted the eventual game winner with 6:33 left on the clock. The third-year forward knifed away at a loose puck at the foot of the Broncos’ crease that managed to sneak across the line for his 9^th goal of the season and 12^th point in the month of January.

Saskatoon – 3^rd – Inglis (Marek Viedensky, Siemens) 17:18
The Blades received the first of two insurance markers off the stick of Inglis on a fortunate break in the Broncos’ end. The puck took a lively bounce off the boards behind the Swift Current net and came to the 17-year-old forward, who deposited his 14^th of the year.

Saskatoon – 3^rd – Inglis 17:50 en-sh
Inglis closed out the scoring with just over two minutes on the clock with a shot from his own end that carried the length of the ice and found the empty cage for his 15^th on the campaign.

For the first time this season, a Blades goaltender came on in relief to earn the victory as Steven Stanford (Calgary, AB) made 15 saves in a period and a half of work. Morrison made 7 saves on 10 shots before getting pulled after the third Broncos’ goal. Friesen turned aside 25 of 31 shots in the Swift Current net to take the loss.

Final score Saskatoon Blades 7, Swift Current Broncos 4.

The Blades improve to a record of 34-11-3-3 for 74 points on the season. The Broncos fall to 26-24-0-3 record for 55 points on the season and sit ninth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

Looking ahead, the Blades travel to Prince Albert on Wednesday to take on the hometown Raiders. Game time at the Art Hauser Centre is 7:00 pm. Fans can tune in and watch the game on the WHL on Shaw. Les Lazaruk will also have the call live on the radio on 92.9 The Bull.

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