Regina Pats forward Connor Bedard (98) skates with the puck during the second period of WHL playoff hockey action against the Saskatoon Blades in Saskatoon, Sask., on Friday, March 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu
SASKATOON – The Saskatoon Blades compiled an impressive 101 points this season to finish third in the Western Hockey League’s competitive Eastern Conference.
That point total, which included 48 wins in 68 games, assured the Blades of home-ice advantage for their first-round, best-of-seven playoff series against the sixth-place Regina Pats, who finished 14 wins and 29 points behind them.
So much for stats.
Stanislav Svozil’s second goal of the game, scored at 2:58 of overtime, gave the visiting Pats a 6-5 victory Sunday night, and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Pats won Game 1 on Friday 6-1 in Saskatoon.
WHL scoring leader Connor Bedard scored three times and added two assists for the Pats, while Alexander Suzdalev chipped in with four assists.
Zack Stringer also scored for the Pats, who were outshot 47-19, but went 2-for-4 on the power play.
Justin Lies, Lukas Hansen, Josh Pillar, Jayden Wiens and Vaughn Watterodt scored for the Blades, who trailed 2-1 after the first period and 4-3 heading into the third.
Game 3 is Tuesday in Regina, Sask.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2023.
