BY Jonathan Huntington
SASKATOON – Opening night of the SMAAAHL playoffs belonged to the Saskatoon Blazers and Swift Current Legionnaires.
The Blazers set the tone from the opening shift in a near-capacity Rod Hamm Arena with energy and speed against the visiting Warman Wildcats – and didn’t let up. It was 3-0 Saskatoon on seven shots after the first frame with the floodgates opening in the second period. After 40 minutes it was 6-0 on 20 shots – and it was 8-0 just two minutes into the third period. In a stunning opening night, the final scoreboard read 10-0 for the Blazers against a depleted Wildcats crew.
“We set the tone early and got after their injured D-core,” said Saskatoon’s Tyson Medernach – who netted a hat-trick. “I expect (Warman) to come out way harder (in Game 2).”
Wildcats goalie Seth Gutenberg – considered one of the top netminders in the province – faced several Grade A scoring chances in every period while facing a total of 37 shots. In an evening when Warman didn’t get any bounces, the Blazers ninth goal summarized the game for both teams.
Saskatoon’s Rafael Ramazanov hustled for a clean breakaway from near centre ice. Gutenberg stopped the initial shot, but Ramazanov batted his own rebound out of the air for his first goal of the series and third point of the night.
“This is not a true perspective of how the series will go,” added Blazers head coach Troy Walkington. “Sometimes teams have off-nights. For us, we can’t get too high or too low.”
Warman has an opportunity to flush Game 1 and even the best-of-five quarter-final series with Game 2 on home ice Tuesday night.
In Swift Current, the Legionnaries scored three second-period goals to lift them to a 6-2 victory against the visiting Estevan Innovex Bears.
In an anticipated match-up between Estevan’s high-scoring forwards (Gunner Moore, Boston Schmidt, Dylan Brass) and Swift Current’s team defence, the Legionnaires kept the league’s top scorer (Moore) off the scoresheet.
Game 2 is in Estevan on Tuesday night.
FINISH LINES: The Blazers had seven different goal scorers: Jeremy Wehrens (two), Cooper Perrin, Ramazanov, Medernach (three), Brock Kolibab, Miller Robson and Kash Ringdal… Saskatoon’s Madex Kabrud made 23 saves for the shut-out.
