Forward Tanner Scott scored in his first game as a Saskatoon Blades, but it wasn’t enough as the team fell 6-2 Friday at SaskTel Centre against the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The Sherwood Park, AB product has had a whirlwind 24 hours. Scott was acquired by the Blades Thursday from the Victoria Royals along with two second-round picks in exchange for veteran winger Brandon Lisowsky and a 2028 fifth-round selection. The 5-foot-8 speedster picked up his first goal as a Blade with under seven minutes remaining in the second period on the powerplay. Scott’s got seven goals and ten assists in 26 games this season, bringing skill and speed to a young Blades lineup.
The Blades’ record falls to 20-12-2-2, but they remain in a three-way tie for first place in the Eastern Conference with the Medicine Hat Tigers and Calgary Hitmen, with 44 points.
Rookie Wheat Kings defenceman Dylan Ronald made it 1-0 Brandon 5:13 into the game. The Ponoka, AB product has two goals and 13 points in 32 games this season. The Blades went into the first intermission down one, trailing in shots 10-9 with no penalties on either side in the frame.
The Wheat Kings scored back-to-back goals within the first half of the second period to make it 3-0. 20-year-old winger Marcus Nguyen needed 34 seconds to pot his 19th of the season. The Wheat Kings’ leading scorer added an assist on Nolan Flamand’s following goal.
The first two powerplays of the game went toward Saskatoon, and they cashed in on the second one to bring the crowd back into the game. Scott scored his first goal as a member of the Blades to bring the Blue and Gold within two.
After assisting on Scott’s goal, defenceman Grayden Siepmann brought the Blades within one with his fourth goal. It’s the Langley, BC product’s second powerplay tally of the year. 19-year-old forward Ben Riche collected his second assist on the evening on the goal, giving him six goals and seven assists in his seven-game point streak. The Blades headed to the final 20 minutes trailing by one, a period they’ve outscored opponents 13-3 in the last four games.
History didn’t repeat for Saskatoon as the Wheat Kings added three more on the board in the third. Flamand scored his second of the game 2:13 into the frame and added an assist on Ronald’s second of the game just over ten minutes later. Flamand finished the night with two goals and two assists.
Forward Joby Baumuller made it 6-2 Brandon with his sixth goal of the year with 2:31 left in regulation
What’s Next?
The Blades hit the road tomorrow to the Moose Jaw Events Centre for their fourth meeting of the season against the Warriors.
Puck drop is 7:00 p.m.
