SATURDAY SPORTS PAGE: DIVISION FINAL SATURDAY!

WINNIPEG – The B.C. Lions’ message since May’s training camp in Kamloops has been clear: push beyond the Western final and win the Grey Cup.

Last season ended on a snowy day at I.G. Field with a 28-20 loss to the 2021 champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Now, the Lions (12-6) find themselves heading back to Manitoba, eager to put last year’s loss behind them and exact some revenge on the Bombers.

Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. didn’t start last year’s West Division final – he was backup to ex-Lions starter Nathan Rourke – but he said its memory and aftermath has hung heavy with the team.

“We remember the feeling from last year and trying not to feel that again,” Adams said. “It was tough. We remember that feeling when we lost by eight points – it came to the last drive. We don’t want to feel that again.”

The CFL has given the Lions a three per cent chance of winning the Grey Cup this season, noting that no second placed West Division team has won the Grey Cup since the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2013.

Environment Canada’s forecast for Winnipeg Saturday is mainly sunny with a high of minus-1 C and low of minus-3.

Cold weather usually spells more emphasis on the ground game, but that’s already a big feature of Winnipeg’s offence.

Bombers running back Brady Oliveira is the West Division nominee for the league’s most outstanding player and top Canadian. He churned out a league-best 1,524 rushing along with 13 touchdowns (nine rushing, four receiving) in 18 games.

He may be counted on more Saturday after Bombers leading receiver Dalton Schoen was officially ruled out of the game, and there are other question marks in the receiving corps.

Schoen injured an ankle in the Oct. 6 game against B.C. and hasn’t practised since. Brendan O’Leary-Orange will continue to take his place.

TORONTO – They’re only the second CFL team ever to register 16 wins in a season but head coach Ryan Dinwiddie and the Toronto Argonauts aren’t done yet.

And the Argos have a precedent of how a 16-win campaign can lead to naught.

Thirty-four years ago, Edmonton (16-2) finished atop the West Division. But its historic season ended with a stunning 32-21 conference final loss to the third-place Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-9), who went on to win the 1989 Grey Cup.

On Saturday, Toronto (16-2) hosts the Montreal Alouettes (11-7) in the East Division final needing a 17th victory to return to the Grey Cup. Toronto lifted the trophy last season with an upset 24-23 victory over the favoured Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I’ve let the guys know that yeah, we’re the favourite, but we have to beat this team for a fourth time in a row and they’re playing their best ball right now,” said Dinwiddie. “We know it’s going to be a very tough challenge.

“I just want these guys to not put too much pressure on themselves and make the moment bigger than it is. Just go out there and play football and let the 60 minutes play out.”

Toronto swept the season series 3-0 but the two teams haven’t met since Sept. 15 when the Argos clinched first in the East with a 23-20 road win. Montreal has since reeled off six straight wins, including a 27-12 semifinal decision over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as the Alouettes defence didn’t allow a touchdown.

The Toronto Maple Leafs scrapped to a 5-4 win over the Calgary Flames in overtime to rebound from a tough 6-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators earlier in the week. Winger William Nylander had two goals and an assist in the win for the Leafs. The Leafs had led 4-1 at one point only for the Flames to force overtime. The loss snapped Calgary’s two-game win streak.

Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft says his team is taking it one game at a time as they look to snap their four-game losing streak. The Oilers lost 3-2 to the lowly San Jose Sharks on Thursday and take on the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. Woodcroft says his team’s offence hasn’t been good enough but he has faith that star players like Connor McDavid can turn it around. McDavid has only scored two goals so far this season.

WHL

SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – Egor Sidorov knocked in the game-winning goal at 18:03 in the third period as the Blades edged the Broncos.

Brandon Lisowsky scored twice while Egor Sidorov, Easton Armstrong and Rowan Calvert scored once for Saskatoon.

Blades goaltender Austin Elliott stopped 16 of 20 shots.

Tyson Laventure, Rylan Gould, Brady Birnie and Luke Mistelbacher all scored for Swift Current.

Broncos goaltender Reid Dyck stopped 28 of 33 shots.

TIGERS 2 WARRIORS 1

MOOSE JAW – The Medicine Hat Tigers defeated the Moose Jaw Warriors during the shootout.

Andrew Basha scored once for Medicine Hat.

Tigers goaltender Evan May saved 34 of 35 shots.

Brayden Schuurman scored once for Moose Jaw.

Warriors netminder Jackson Unger stopped 27 of 28 shots.

HITMEN 6 OIL KINGS 1

CALGARY – Oliver Tulk scored twice as the Calgary Hitmen topped the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Carson Wetsch, Ben Kindel, Dax Williams and Carter Yakemchuk all scored once for Calgary.

Hitmen goaltender Ethan Buenaventura stopped 36 of 37 shots in the win.

Rilen Kovacevic scored once for Edmonton.

Oil Kings goaltender Logan Cunningham saved 42 of 48 shots.

RAIDERS 3 CHIEFS 2

SPOKANE – Harrison Lodewyk banged in the game-winning goal at 14:19 in the third period as the Raiders edged the Chiefs.

Harrison Lodewyk scored twice while Sloan Stanick scored once for Prince Albert.

Raiders netminder Max Hildebrand blocked 27 of 29 shots.

Will McIsaac and Conner Roulette had a goal each for Spokane.

Chiefs netminder Dawson Cowan stopped 29 of 32 shots.

WINTERHAWKS 5 GIANTS 1

VANCOUVER – Gabe Klassen scored twice as the Portland Winterhawks hammered the Vancouver Giants.

James Stefan scored twice while Josh Zakreski scored once for Portland.

Winterhawks netminder Jan Punar stopped 22 of 23 shots in the win.

Kyren Gronick had the lone goal for Vancouver.

Giants goaltender Brett Mirwald saved 42 of 47 shots.

HURRICANES 5 WILD 1

LETHBRIDGE – Kooper Gizowski scored twice as Lethbridge Hurricanes topped the Wenatchee Wild.

Miguel Marques scored twice while Blake Swetlikoff scored once for Lethbridge.

Hurricanes netminder Harrison Meneghin kicked out 41 of 42 shots.

Evan Friesen scored once for Wenatchee.

Wild netminder Brendan Gee stopped 17 of 21 shots.

SILVERTIPS 2 ROCKETS 1

EVERETT – Ben Hemmerling knocked in the game-winning goal at 7:57 in the third period as the Silvertips edged the Rockets.

Ben Hemmerling and Austin Roest had a goal each for Everett.

Silvertips netminder Tyler Palmer kept out 22 of 23 shots.

Hiroki Gojsic scored once for Kelowna.

Rockets netminder Jake Pilon saved 37 of 39 shots.

BLAZERS 3 AMERICANS 0

TRI-CITY – Dylan Ernst earned a shut out as Kamloops downed Tri-City 3-0.

Samuel Borschowa, Matteo Koci and Shea Van Olm all scored once for Kamloops.

Blazers goaltender Dylan Ernst stopped all 29 shots.

Americans netminder Lukas Matecha kicked out 33 of 36 shots.

COUGARS 4 REBELS 3

PRINCE GEORGE – The Prince George Cougars beat the Red Deer Rebels but needed a shootout to do so.

Ondrej Becher scored twice while Zac Funk scored once for Prince George.

Cougars goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen stopped 29 of 32 shots.

Hunter Mayo, Talon Brigley and Evan Smith all had a goal for Red Deer.

Rebels netminder Rhett Stoesser saved 18 of 21 shots in the loss.

ROYALS 3 THUNDERBIRDS 2

VICTORIA – Escalus Burlock knocked in the game-winning goal at 7:51 in the third period as the Royals edged the Thunderbirds.

Ben Riche scored twice while Escalus Burlock scored once for Victoria.

Royals goaltender Braden Holt stopped 24 of 26 shots.

Eric Alarie and Luca Hauf had a goal each for Seattle.

Thunderbirds goaltender Scott Ratzlaff saved 15 of 18 shots in the loss.

CURLING

It’s a tale of the undefeated for Canada at the Kioti National on the Grand Slam of Curling circuit. Rachel Homan and Jennifer Jones will compete in the quarterfinals later Saturday. On the men’s side, Italy’s Joel Retornaz beat Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller 7-4 yesterday.

The semifinals for the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship are set in Swift Current. Melissa Kurz and Team Manitoba will take on Team Ontario later today. Kurz dropped an 11 to 2 decision to Team Saskatchewan last night. Meanwhile, Team Saskatchewan will take on Team Nova Scotia after finishing top of Pool A.

(Canadian Press)