Blades Win in "Walk Off" Fashion

Walker Wintoneak (Flin Flon, MB) scored in the sixth round of the shootout to lift the Saskatoon Blades to a 5-4 victory over the Regina Pats on Friday night on the road.

Travis Toomey (Leduc, AB), Marek Viedensky (Handlova, Slovakia), Gaelan Patterson (Saskatoon, SK), and Josh Nicholls (Tsawwassen, BC) scored in regulation for the Blades before Wintoneak won it in the shootout.

Regina – 1^st – Cass Mappin (Brandon Davidson, Garrett Mitchell) 2:04
The Pats opened the scoring on Mappin’s 8^th of the season early in the hockey game. Davidson fed the puck to the 19-year-old at the top of the right circle with an open lane to the net. Mappin moved to the slot and beat goaltender Steven Stanford (Calgary, AB) high over the right shoulder and it was 1-0.

Saskatoon – 1^st – Toomey (Brent Benson, Randy McNaught) 4:46
Toomey tied things up a little over two minutes later after fighting out of the left wing corner and battling his way to the front of the net. The 19-year-old jammed at the puck at the top of the crease and put home his 10^th of the year.

Saskatoon – 1^st – Viedensky (Derek Hulak, Nicholls) 14:05
The Blades went up 2-1 before the opening frame was out. Hulak (Saskatoon, SK) carried the puck into the Pats’ zone, moved wide, and put a shot towards the net that hit a body in front. Viedensky moved in late and knifed in his 10^th on the campaign past goaltender Damien Ketlo to put the Blades in front.

Regina – 2^nd – Jordan Eberle (Brett Leffler, Colten Teubert) 10:57 pp
The Pats scored the lone goal of the second period to tie things at two. Leffler held the puck at the right point and sent a cross ice, back door feed to Eberle, who one-timed his first of two on the night.

Saskatoon – 3^rd – Patterson (Darian Dziurzynski, Wintoneak) 4:25
Patterson put the Blades in front early in the third on his 17^th of the season. Dziurzynski sent a pass from the corner to Wintoneak behind the net. The 20-year-old then sent a pass in front to Patterson, who beat Ketlo glove side.

Regina – 3^rd – Carter Ashton (Hampus Gustafsson, Davidson) 12:44 pp
Ashton made it 3-3 on the power play with his 21^st of the year. The Saskatoon product made a forehand-to-backhand move and slid the puck under Stanford to bring the home squad even.

Saskatoon – 3^rd – Nicholls (Viedensky, Stefan Elliott) 15:13
Nicholls continued the see saw scoring effort with his 11^th of the season. Elliott (North Vancouver, BC) took a wrist shot from the point that was stopped by Ketlo. The Pats netminder stopped a second attempt by Viedensky in tight but that rebound came to Nicholls at the bottom of the left circle and the 17-year-old made no mistake.

Regina – 3^rd – Eberle (Mappin, Matt Strueby) 17:24
Eberle tied the score at four with just over two minutes left in regulation on his second of the night and 38^th of the year. With a mad scramble in front, the 19-year-old found a loose puck and, from his knees, put a backhand past Stanford to force extra time.

Shootout
- Regina – Eberle – stopped
- Saskatoon – Boyer – stopped
- Regina – Weal – stopped
- Saskatoon – Acolatse – stopped
- Regina – Ashton – stopped
- Saskatoon – Hulak – stopped
- Regina – Strueby – stopped
- Saskatoon – Nicholls – stopped
- Regina – Leffler – stopped
- Saskatoon – Viedensky – stopped
- Regina – Gustafsson – stopped
- Saskatoon – Wintoneak - goal

Stanford made 31 saves in three periods and overtime and all five attempts in the shootout to earn the victory. Ketlo stopped 37 shots during the game and 5 of 6 in the shootout.

Final score Saskatoon Blades 5, Regina Pats 4 (SO).

With the win, the Blades improve to 35-12-3-3 for 76 points and remain one point back of the Brandon Wheat Kings for first place in the conference. The Pats fall to 23-25-3-4 for 53 points on the season.

The Blades get back to the ice tomorrow night at home as the Wheat Kings are in town for a battle for temporary conference supremacy. Game time is 7:05 pm at Credit Union Centre. Purchase your tickets online at Ticketmaster.ca, by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet, or charge by phone at 938-7800.

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