On Wednesday, the Blades rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit for the club’s fourth straight victory as five different Blades netted a goal.
The Saskatoon Blades are still unbeaten in the new season.
On Wednesday, the Blades edged the Calgary Hitmen 5-3 in Calgary to improve their Western Hockey League record to 4-0 this season.
Here are five things to know about the Blades as they head into the weekend with games in Swift Current and Saskatoon.
1. LONE UNDEFEATED TEAM
The Blades remain the only undefeated team in the WHL this season.
On Wednesday, they rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit for the club’s fourth straight victory as five different Blades netted a goal.
Forward Rowan Calvert scored his second consecutive game-winning goal for the Blades, with under seven minutes remaining in the third period. The Moose Jaw product has four goals and six points in four games this season.
Sophomore forward Hudson Kibblewhite, rookie forward Cooper Williams, 20-year-old defenceman Grayden Siepmann and 2006-born winger William James also scored for Saskatoon, which outshout Calgary 27-21 and scored three unanswered goals for the win.
The Blades went 1-for-4 on the man advantage, while the Hitmen were 0-for-4.
Austin Elliott made 18 saves in the victory.
2. LEADERSHIP GROUP UNVEILED
The Blades have announced their leadership group for the season.
Overage defenceman Ben Saunderson, who is into his fifth season with the Blades, is the new captain; he takes over from the graduated Trevor Wong, who is now with the cross-town University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
Alternate/assistant captains are Calvert, Tyler Parr, Brandon Lisowsky and Tanner Molendyk.
Lisowsky (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Molendyk (Nashville Predators) have yet to make their WHL debut this season as they have been attending their respective NHL camps.
Veteran forward Lukas Hansen has yet to play this season; he remains away for personal reasons.
3. OVERAGE SITUATION
Once Lisowsky returns, the Blades will find themselves with four overage 20-year-olds on their roster and will need to cut down to three later this month.
Their roster currently includes over-agers Saunderson, Lisowsky, Siepmann and goalie Elliott. That’s one goalie, two defencemen and one forward.
The Blades continue to carry three goalies as well as eight D-men (including Molendyk) and 14 forwards (including Lisowsky and rookie 2008-born call-up Kohen Lodge.
4. STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Parr leads the Blades offensively with eight points (one goal, seven assists) through four games. He is tied for second among point leaders in the WHL.
Ben Riche, who has four goals and three assists for seven points, is tied for fourth in the league.
Rookie Cooper Williams also has seven points thanks to two goals and five assists.
In goal, Elliott boasts a 2.33 goals-against average to go along with a .897 save-percentage. Evan Gardner has a 3.00 goals-against average and .917 save-percentage.
5. A BREAK BEFORE THANKSGIVING
After a pair of games this weekend, the Blades won’t play again until the Thanksgiving long weekend when they’ll host the Spokane Chiefs on the Friday and Moose Jaw Warriors on the Saturday.
It’ll be the first meeting of the season between the two WHL Eastern Conference finalists.
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