Saskatoon Blades Conclude Regular Season with Loss to Prince Albert Raiders
The Saskatoon Blades, having already secured a playoff berth in the Western Hockey League weeks prior, wrapped up their regular season on Saturday night in front of a hometown crowd. Their efforts to improve their standing in the Eastern Conference came to an end as they suffered a 4-0 defeat to the conference-leading Prince Albert Raiders, marking their second consecutive shutout loss to the same opponent.
Game Details and Playoff Preparation
In Saturday's matchup, the Blades managed 30 shots on net but were unable to get past Raiders goaltender Steele Bass, who recorded the shutout. The Raiders established control early, scoring 8:33 into the first period and adding another goal about six minutes later to lead 2-0 at the first intermission. Brayden Dube contributed two goals in the second period, extending the lead to 4-0, a score that held until the final whistle.
The previous night in Prince Albert saw a similar outcome, with the Raiders scoring twice in the opening period and adding goals in the second and third periods to secure another victory. Earlier in the week, the Blades captured their final win of the regular season with a 6-2 triumph over the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The Blades conclude the season with a record of 34 wins, 27 losses, 5 overtime losses, and 2 shootout losses, accumulating 75 points and placing sixth in the Eastern Conference. This sets up a best-of-seven opening round playoff series against the Edmonton Oil Kings, who finished third with 93 points. The series begins on March 27, with the first two games in Edmonton before shifting to Saskatoon for games three and four on March 31 and April 1.
Saskatchewan Rush Fall to Toronto Rock in NLL Action
In other sports news, the Saskatchewan Rush faced a tough loss against the Toronto Rock in National Lacrosse League action on Friday night. After ending the first quarter with a 3-2 lead, the Rush saw Toronto tie the game 28 seconds into the second quarter and were never able to regain the advantage, ultimately falling 13-9.
Entering the third quarter trailing 6-4, the Rush briefly tied the game at six apiece with goals from Brock Haley and Robert Church within the first five minutes. However, Toronto responded with three consecutive goals to widen the gap to 9-6. Church cut the deficit to two with his fourth goal, but in the fourth period, the Rock outscored the Rush 4-2 to seal the victory.
Ryan Keenan and Church led the Rush with six points each; Keenan scored twice and added four assists, while Church contributed four goals and two assists. Despite their efforts, the Rush were unable to overcome Toronto's offensive surge, highlighting areas for improvement as they continue their season.
