Saskatoon Blades Need 3 Things For Playoff Success

After a bit of a rough stretch, the Saskatoon Blades are playing some of their best hockey this season. They’ve taken home a point in all but one of their last seven games, including a much-needed win over the Calgary Hitmen and a shootout loss to the East-leading Prince Albert Raiders. With a 5-3 win over the Penticton Vees, they became the sixth Eastern Conference team to secure a playoff spot.

“It always feels better when you can clinch a playoff berth with a victory, especially at home and especially in the style of fashion we did tonight, too,” said Blades head coach Dan DaSilva. “A close game. That’s a tough team we played over there.”

But, with nine games remaining, there’s still work to do. The Blades currently sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and eight points out of the last home-ice playoff spot. Without home ice, Saskatoon will have to take on one of the three Eastern powerhouses, further hurting their chances of seeing the second round. However, Saskatoon’s win over the Vees proved what they’ve been saying all season, that this team has the potential to be one of the best in the Conference, and offered the blueprint on what it will take to take down a tougher team.

Defence Needs to Get Healthy

After missing a month, top-pairing defender Jordan Martin finally returned to the lineup, and his impact was immediate. Players had more confidence on the ice, knowing he was back there, patrolling the blue line and ready to shut down any breakouts. With that added boost, the Blades jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, with fellow defenceman Jack Kachkowski getting Saskatoon on the board.