Blades put Pats on the brink of elimination with Game 5 victory

After the past three games went into overtime, the Saskatoon Blades made sure there was no free hockey on Friday night.

The Blades came away with a Game 5 victory downing the Regina Pats 4-2 to take a 3-2 series lead.

The stakes are a lot higher now being that Saskatoon is one win away from advancing to the second round of the WHL playoffs.

“I thought we started well, I think that they have some players that can just make things happen so you’re never relaxed, you’re always fairly tense,” Blades Head Coach Brennan Sonne said post game.

The Blades were able to build themselves a lead though as they opened the scoring three minutes into the game when Trevor Wong’s pass to the front of the net went off Pats defenceman Stanislav Svozil’s skate and Vaughn Watterodt put home his second goal of the playoffs.

Then less than two minutes after that Egor Sidorov fired home his fourth goal of series on the powerplay to make it 2-0 Saskatoon.

But Regina wasn’t going to get out of the first period without getting on the scoreboard when Connor Bedard scored his playoff-leading ninth goal of the playoffs past Ethan Chadwick to cut the Blades lead in half 2-1 just past the halfway mark.

“I thought we battled back from halfway through the second on maybe to give ourselves a chance,” Pats Head Coach John Paddock said.

Saskatoon thought they restored its two-goal lead when Tanner Molendyk’s shot beat Drew Sim, but that goal was disallowed after goaltender interference was called on Brandon Lisowsky in front of the net.

But Molendyk said they didn’t let that deter them from their game plan.

“It’s the right call, I mean he kind of bumped him. It’s whatever, you can’t really do anything about it, so it’s just go out and play your next shift,” Molendyk said.

And the Blades did just that to make sure the second period didn’t end without a goal and their two goal advantage after Connor Roulette tipped home his first of the playoffs on a delayed penalty call. Molendyk did get some redemption by picking up an assist on the goal making it 3-1 Blades.

Regina wasn’t going down without a fight though as Bedard scored his second of the game in the early stages of the third period on another delayed penalty call.

But after Sam Oremba missed a wide open net to tie it at 3 for the Pats, Saskatoon took advantage of Regina’s missed opportunity.

Sidorov completed a three-on-one opportunity with Wong and Brandon Lisowsky sealing a 4-2 victory.

“I think he’s found his confidence with the puck, his poise with the puck,” Sonne said about Sidorov.

Sidorov restores the two-goal lead for Saskatoon AGAIN.

4-2 Blades. #WHLPlayoffs

pic.twitter.com/j0s0S2x433

— steve seto (@steveseto) April 8, 2023

The forward from Belarus who only had one point in the first two games has exploded for five goals and six points in the past three games.

After winning three straight in the series, Sonne said anything can happen and there isn’t really a momentum shift in the series.

“I got asked this in Regina, I don’t think momentum carries like that. I mean I could go through the game tonight, which when we watch it on video, and I could name 15 momentum swings throughout the game throughout each period,” Sonne said.

He said momentum can change really quickly each game and they have to be ready for Saturday.

Even though the Pats now trail in the series, Paddock isn’t throwing in the towel yet.

“I liked our will to stay in the fight when you’re in front of a big crowd and you get put behind. So, there’s a lots of positives you can take out of it, but clearly they have the lead game here,” he said.

With Regina’s backs against the wall the Pats will try and push the series to a Game 7 on Saturday night in Game 6 at the Brandt Centre with puckdrop at 7 p.m. If Regina wins, Game 7 takes place on Monday back in Saskatoon.