The Saskatoon Blades moved closer to the century mark Saturday.
Saskatoon beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 3-2 at SaskTel Centre to improve to 46-14-4-1 on the WHL season.
With three games remaining in their regular season, the Blades have a chance to record the fifth 100-point season in franchise history and the first since the 2010-11 campaign. That season, Saskatoon went 56-13-1-2 for a franchise-record 115 points.
The loss dropped the Wheat Kings’ record to 26-32-8-0. They’re two points out of a playoff spot with just two games remaining in their regular-season schedule.
On Saturday, Charlie Wright and Josh Pillar scored to give the Blades a 2-0 first-period lead, but Nolan Flamand and Caleb Hadland replied for Brandon before the opening frame was done.
Justin Lies’ goal at 16:04 of the second period put Saskatoon ahead and Ethan Chadwick and the Blades’ defence made the lead stand up the rest of the way.
Chadwick finished with 23 saves, including 11 in the third period alone. Brandon’s Nicholas Jones stopped 23 shots.
The Blades are to play host to Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats on Sunday at 4 p.m.
Saskatoon is expecting to set a single-game franchise attendance record; the current mark of 12,588 was set Feb. 9, 2013 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.