By Aaron Schulze

Trojans fight back but fall to Blazers 5-4 in a shootout

Jan 17, 2019 | 10:00 AM

The Tisdale Trojans’ 10-game win streak came to an end Wednesday, Jan. 16 at the RECplex, but not without a few comebacks.

A Saskatoon Blazers squad who battled with the Trojans for first place for nearly two months was suddenly feeling added pressure from the Regina Pat Canadians, who now have six games in hand.

Even a short bench of 15 players (two of them goaltenders) weren’t going to stop the Blazers who played desperate hockey in Tisdale.

The Blazers had an odd-man rush going the other way during a Trojans power play, where James Form got a pass by a sprawling Landon Kosior and on to the stick of Alec Saretzky for a shorthanded goal and a 1-0 lead after the first.

Less than a minute into the second, Liam Rutten answered back for the Trojans to tie it up 1-1. Although two power plays and two identical set ups and wrist shots later, James Form and standout Prince Albert Raiders prospect defenceman Nolan Allen gave the Blazers a 3-1 lead.

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Cue the Trojans’ second comeback. Winger MacKenzie Carson received a pass at the right circle and wristed the puck up high to cut the deficit by one. Leading scorer Cade Hayes added another goal on the power play to make it 3-3 by the end of the second.

The Trojans were shorthanded less than eight minutes to go in the third still tied 3-3. Just the previous two power plays, the Blazers converted on the man advantage again as a shot deflected off Trojans captain Luke Arndt in front of the net before Carter Stebbings put home the rebound.

With two comebacks already made, the Trojans received one for chance from the hockey gods: a high sticking penalty from Blazers defenceman Max Gudnason with under five minutes remaining.

Kalen Ukrainetz finished off a cross ice pass from Jayden Wiens and the Trojans tied the game again 4-4.

Both teams went into overtime and nothing was settled. Sixty-five minutes and all none of the Blazers’ goals were at even strength play (three power play, one shorthanded), while the Trojans scored three at evens.

Darrell Mann, Trojans head coach, told northeastNOW postgame he wasn’t sure why his squad’s power play and penalty kill wasn’t its typically consistent self.

“Usually our penalty kill is really good and today we really struggled for whatever reason,” Mann said. “I didn’t think we got into lanes to block shots and that might have been the difference. Saskatoon is a very skilled hockey team. It’s a team you’re going to need to stay out of the penalty box to beat.”

The Trojans found themselves in their third shootout this season, looking for their first win in the deciding skills competition.

Cade Hayes opened the scoring for the Trojans and goaltender Tanner Martin stopped the first Blazers attempt, although the puck luck wouldn’t stay the same. Josh Nagy and the redeeming Max Gudnason scored the next two attempts for the Blazers, while Davis Chorney and MacKenzie Carson were unable to continue or win the shootout.

In three games over five nights against top competition in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL), affiliate forwards Mario Fortier and Drayton Hvidston replaced injured Trenton Curtis and Skylar Olson, Mann will take five out of six points.

“Getting the game to overtime was a positive for our hockey club because I did think that Saskatoon had a few more chances than us,” he said. “When you’re playing in your own rink you want to make sure you’re taking care of business. If we could have got a win in our rink tonight that would have really put them on their heels, but unfortunately we’re going to be in a dog fight right until the end.”

Mann provided an update on Curtis and Olson, who suffered concussions during the Jan. 13 game against the Prince Albert Mintos.

No supplemental discipline was handed out. Mintos’ Ethan Ironside received an interference minor after a hit on Curtis and Gavin Ingram received a boarding penalty after a hit on Olson. Ingram was suspended this season for four games for head contact and one game for boarding, while Ironside was suspended six games for gross misconduct.

Mann said Curtis and Olson won’t be back until at least next weekend’s home stand against the Notre Dame Argos, and didn’t have public criticism of the incidents.

“It’s the game of hockey and I didn’t get a very good look at either of the hits,” he said. “I watched a little bit on video but it’s just another Tisdale-P.A. match-up, and unfortunately we had a couple injuries come out of it.

“We’ve been pretty lucky; we’ve played pretty much all year without having too many serious injuries, so we’ll just leave it at that.”

The Trojans will have a day to rest and perhaps a light skate before they travel to Gull Lake on Saturday, Jan. 19 to play the Swift Current Legionnaires for Hockey Day in Saskatchewan.

aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow