NHL draft-eligible forward David Lewandowski scored the overtime winner for the Saskatoon Blades on Friday at the Peavey Mart Centrium to secure a 3-2 win against the Red Deer Rebels.
The Dusseldorf, GER native reached double-digit goals on the season with 19 seconds remaining in the extra frame. In his rookie season, Lewandowski has ten goals, three of which are game-winners, and 19 assists in 39 games. The 18-year-old forward is also tied for the team lead in +/- alongside fellow rookie Cooper Williams at +16.
Blades captain Ben Saunderson picked up a goal and two helpers to give him five points (1G, 4A) in his last two games. The performance tied the 20-year-old blueliner’s career-high in points at 31 (4G, 27) in 54 games, 13 less than when he reached 31 points last year.
18-year-old netminder Ethan McCallum was solid en route to his ninth win of the season, stopping 40 of 42 Red Deer shots. The former Medicine Hat Tiger has started eight straight games for the Bridge City Bunch, picking up five wins in that span. In 19 games with Saskatoon this year, McCallum has an 8-6-0-3 record, a .907 save percentage, and a 3.16 goals-against average.
The Blades move to within seven points of clinching a postseason berth for a fifth consecutive season. Sitting 30-18-3-4 with 67 points, the Blades trail the Prince Albert Raiders by one point for first place in the East Divison.
Blades 20-year-old winger Tanner Scott scored the game's opening goal with under five minutes remaining in the first period.
Saskatoon’s next tally didn’t come until 12:43 through the third period as Saunderson made it 2-0 with his fourth goal of the year. Scott assisted on the goal, giving him six goals and 11 assists in a Blades uniform this season.
The Rebels scored a pair in the final two minutes of regulation to force overtime at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Forward Ollie Josephson cut the Blades’ lead in half with 1:46 left on the clock, followed by forward Beckett Hamilton’s 13th goal of the season with 27 seconds remaining. As the overtime winded down, Lewandowski called game.
What’s Next?
The Blades return home Tuesday to take on the Lethbridge Hurricanes for the fourth and final time this season.
Puck drop is 7:00 pm CST.
