Saskatoon Blades forward Tyler Parr scored the overtime winner Saturday at Co-op Place to beat the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-3.
The La Salle, MB product’s tenth goal of the season, complimented two assists, earning him the game’s first star. The fourth-year Blade has 24 points (10G, 14A) in 21 games.
Alternate captain Rowan Calvert also tallied a goal and two assists in the Blue and Gold’s victory, giving him a third-star nod. The 19-year-old winger set a new career-high in goals after he opened the scoring with his team-leading eighth powerplay goal. Calvert scored ten goals in 68 games last season and picked up his 11th of the year in just 23 games.
Sophomore netminder Evan Gardner improved to 11-5-1-0 on the year with an 18-save performance between the pipes for Saskatoon.
The Blades never trailed in the contest and successfully fended off the Tigers each time they attempted to gain control. It’s the 15th straight victory for the Blades over Medicine Hat, having yet to lose at SaskTel Centre since December 10, 2019. The Blades improved to 15-6-1-1, giving them a five-point lead on first place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference ahead of the second-place Tigers.
Calvert’s goal broke the ice 4:26 into the second period. The Moose Jaw, SK product, tapped Parr’s pass along the ice into the Tigers net from the lip of the crease to make it 1-0 Saskatoon.
Tigers defenceman Bryce Pickford answered back 55 seconds later to make it 1-1. The right-handed shot leads all WHL defencemen in goals with ten, adding 15 helpers in 22 games along with them.
20-year-old sniper Brandon Lisowsky potted his third powerplay goal of the season to put the Blades back in front with 6:24 remaining in the middle frame. The tally moved Lisowsky into sole possession of ninth on the Blades’ all-time goal-scoring list with 132 in his career. Time was dwindling down on the Blue and Gold’s 5-on-3 opportunity, but the 20-year-old sniper buried his 11th goal of the year off of a rebound. Lisowsky has 11 goals and 11 assists in 17 games.
It took all of 1:19 for Tigers winger Ryder Ritchie to tie the game 2-2. The former Prince Albert Raider has three goals and three assists in ten games this season after missing the first chunk of the year due to injury.
2005-born forward Ben Riche gave the Blades their third lead of the game 4:55 into the third period with his 15th goal of the year. The Bethune, SK product scored a career-high 15 goals total in 67 games last year, split between the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Victoria Royals. Riche has 33 points (15G, 18A) in 22 games this season, two shy of his career-high set last season.
Medicine Hat tied the game with under ten minutes remaining in the game courtesy of forward Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll’s third goal of the season. Overtime was needed to settle the week's second meeting between two of the Eastern Conference’s best.
Parr’s winner came 1:24 into the extra frame after Calvert put the puck on his tape during a 2-on-1. The right-handed shot picked the far-side corner perfectly to secure the Blades fourth win in five games.
What’s Next?
The Blades begin a four-game home-stand Friday, November 29 when they welcome the Lethbridge Hurricanes to SaskTel Centre.
Puck drop is 7:00 p.m.
