Blades edge Warriors to take 3-0 stranglehold on series

While the Blades are up 3-0 in their best-of-seven series against the Warriors, head coach Mitch Love is not taking anything for granted.

In the first three games of the series, it has essentially been one goal separating the teams each time.

Tuesday night in Moose Jaw was no exception when the Blades got past the Warriors 3-2 to take a stranglehold on their first-round WHL playoff series.

It means that none of the wins have come easy and were it not for back-to-back delay of game penalties in the third period, Game 3 could have gone to overtime or even the other way.

“I thought that was (Moose Jaw’s) best game of the series,” said Love after the game. “And we’re going to expect their absolute best tomorrow (in Game 4).”

There was just one second left on the 5-on-3 chance for the Blades when Max Gerlach beat Adam Evanoff for the eventual game-winner. Up to the point where both Brayden Tracey and Josh Brook flipped the puck over the boards 30 seconds apart, the momentum seemed to be flowing in Moose Jaw’s direction.

But Warriors head coach Tim Hunter said his team needs to commit from the very start of the game if it wants to stay alive in the series.

“We chased the game right from the get-go,” he said. “We didn’t really start very well and it was from there we chased the game. We got back in it and they get a five-on-three goal … we didn’t have enough in the way we attempted to play the game to start with.”

The Blades got on the board first after defenceman Dawson Davidson set up Kyle Crnkovic for a nice shot over Evanoff’s left shoulder to make it 1-0.

The Blades held that lead into the first intermission.

It was a chippy second period between the two Saskatchewan rivals with four penalties called in a four-minute span.

The Warriors got their first power play of the game nine minutes into the second period after Eric Florchek was tagged for tripping but it was moments after that penalty ended that Carson Denomie set up a beauty for Keenan Taphorn, who punched his shot past goaltender Nolan Maier to tie things up midway through the period.

Next, it was Warriors captain Josh Brook and the Blades’ assistant captain, Davidson, who traded penalties but it was the Blades who found the edge after the Davidson penalty was over.

Kirby Dach tipped in a shot in front of the net to give Saskatoon a 2-1 lead with less than three minutes left in the middle frame.

Like the score, shots also jumped out in favour of the Blades, who peppered Evanoff throughout the game, but the Warriors were able to keep the game within one heading into the final period.

Cameron Sterling brought the crowd back into it when he dropped the gloves with Saskatoon’s Riley McKay early in the third.

It seemed to give the Warriors a boost too as Denomie went on to score his second goal of the playoffs and second point of the night to even things up at two.

Then as the pucks sailed over the glass off the sticks of Tracey and Brooks, Saskatoon was able to take command of the game and finish it off.

Gerlach, who had a knack for scoring on the Warriors all through the regular season, scored his fourth of the series and won it for his team.

He was modest about his talent after the game.

“I think I’ve just been fortunate enough to get a lot of good looks and some really nice plays from my teammates,” he said.

“It’s kind of tough for (the Warriors), they have to pick their poison and this series I’ve just had a couple of good chances … and was able to bury on them.”

The Blades and Warriors are back in action in Moose Jaw on Wednesday night, and while the Blades are aiming to stay even-keeled and focused to try to complete the sweep, the Warriors know they have to give it their all.

“The good thing about it is we’re that close. We just need to apply ourselves a little bit more here and we’ll win a game and that’ll change the series – because if we don’t, we’ll be done,” Hunter said simply. “We’re not going to go without a fight. We’ll be ready to play again tomorrow night a little bit harder from the get-go and see what happens.”

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.