SATURDAY SPORTS PAGE: BLADES BLANK BEDARD
Photo: Saskatoon Blades
WHL
SASKATOON, Sask. – Trevor Wong scored at 11:10 of the third period to snap a 2-2 tie and give the Saskatoon Blades a 3-2 victory over the visiting Regina Pats.
Brandon Lisowsky scored twice for the Blades (47-15-4-1), who outshot the Pats 31-24.
Sam Oremba and Tanner Howe scored for the Pats (34-29-3-1).
ICE CLINCH SCOTTY MUNRO
BRANDON, Man. – Connor McClennon and Zack Ostapchuk each scored in the shootout as the Winnipeg ICE defeated the host Brandon Wheat Kings 3-2 in Western Hockey League action on Friday.
With the victory, the ICE clinched the Scott Munro Memorial Trophy for the second consecutive time for being WHL regular season champions.
Evan Friesen and Briley Wood scored once for the ICE in regulation, to improve their record to a franchise-record 113 points – 56 victories, 10 losses and one overtime loss.
Dawson Pasternak and Nolan Flamand scored for the Wheat Kings (26-32-8-1), who outshot the ICE 39-33.
Elsewhere in the WHL:
GIANTS 3 ROCKETS 2
LANGLEY, B.C. – Samuel Honzek’s second goal of the game, scored with three seconds left in the third period, gave the Vancouver Giants a 3-2 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets.
Skyler Bruce also scored for the Giants (28-31-5-3), with the goal assisted by Honzek and Colton Alain.
Andrew Cristall and Kayden Longley scored for the Rockets (26-37-4-0), who outshot the Giants 26-20.
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WARRIORS 5 RAIDERS 3
PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Jagger Firkus scored twice as the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors defeated the Prince Albert Raiders 5-3.
Ben Riche, Logan Dowhaniuk and Ryder Korczak also scored for the Warriors (41-23-0-3).
Sloan Stanick scored twice for the Raiders (27-37-3-0), while Niall Crocker netted a single.
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BRONCOS 3 TIGERS 1
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – Caleb Wyrostok scored twice as the Swift Current Broncos beat the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers 3-1.
Josh Filmon scored once for the Broncos (31-32-1-3), who were outshot 31-29.
Gavin McKenna scored for the Tigers (29-29-8-1).
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HURRICANES 6 REBELS 4
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – Hayden Smith had a goal and an assist as the Lethbridge Hurricanes defeated the visiting Red Deer Rebels 6-4.
Dustin Renas, Chase Pauls, Tyson Zimmer. Tristen Doyle and Joe Arntsen also scored for the Hurricanes (36-25-3-3), who were outshot 34-27.
Kai Uchacz, Talon Brigley, Craig Armstrong and Jace Isley scored for the Rebels (42-19-3-3), who trailed 3-1 after the first period and 5-1 heading into the third.
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COUGARS 7 BLAZERS 2
KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Arjun Bawa and Koehn Ziemmer each had a goal and assist as the visiting Prince George Cougars crunched the Kamloops Blazers 7-2.
Cayden Glover, Carlin Dezainde, Caden Brown, Blake Eastman and Zac Funk also scored for the Cougars (36-24-6-1), who led 3-1 after the first period and 5-1 heading into the third.
Connor Levis and Caedan Bankier scored for the Blazers (48-13-4-2), who were outshot 37-35.
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ROYALS 6 SILVERTIPS 4
EVERETT, Wash. – Teague Patton scored twice and added an assist as the visiting Victoria Royals beat the Everett Silvertips 6-4.
Nate Misskey, Teydon Trembecky, Tanner Scott and Alex Thacker also scored for the Royals (17-43-6-1), who outshot the Silvertips 26-20.
Jackson Berezowski scored three goals and added an assist for the Silvertips (32-32-2-1), while Raphael Pelletier netted a single and had three assists.
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THUNDERBIRDS 7 WINTERHAWKS 3
PORTLAND, Ore. – Kevin Korchinski scored twice as the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Portland Winterhawks 7-3.
Coster Dunn, Reid Schaefer, Lucas Ciona, Colton Dach and Brad Lambert also scored for the Western Conference-leading Thunderbirds (54-10-1-2).
Gabe Klassen, Marek Alscher and Josh Zakreski scored for the Winterhawks (39-20-5-3).
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AMERICANS 7 CHIEFS 4
KENNEWICK, Wash. – Reese Belton and Jalen Luypen each scored three goals as the Tri-City Americans defeated the visiting Spokane Chiefs 7-4.
Camerin Cardona also scored for the Americans (33-26-5-3), who were outshot 46-32. Belton also chipped in with two assists.
Carter Streek scored twice for the Chiefs (15-43-4-5), with singles netted by Mac Gross and Berkly Catton.
NHL
There were only three games in the NHL on Friday night, but all of them were close. Boone Jenner scored 40 seconds into overtime as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the visiting New York Islanders 5-4. Alex Tuch scored twice, including a power-play goal late in the second period as the Buffalo Sabres tripped the visiting New Jersey Devils 5-4. And in Colorado, Cale Makar and J-T Compher scored midway through the third period to snap a 1-1 tie and give the Avalanche a 3-1 win over the visiting Arizona Coyotes.
The chase for the worst mark in the NHL is up for grabs with three weeks left in the season. The team with the lowest spot has higher odds of winning the NHL’s draft lottery and a chance to draft generational talent Connor Bedard. Columbus currently has the lowest amount of points with 51, followed by San Jose with 53, Chicago with 54 and Anaheim with 56.
Arizona Coyotes minority owner Andrew Barroway has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL following his arrest for domestic violence in Colorado. Barroway spent Thursday night in Pitkin County Jail after police arrested him at an Aspen hotel on a felony strangulation charge, according to a police report obtained by the Aspen Daily News. The 57-year-old Barroway was arrested after a verbal altercation with his wife turned physical, according to the police report. Barroway owns five per cent of the Coyotes.
MARCH MADNESS
March has gone from madness to unprecedented. With Miami’s win over Houston and San Diego State’s takedown of Alabama, the NCAA men’s tournament will not have a Number 1 seed in the Elite Eight for the first time since seeding began in 1979. Purdue, Kansas, Houston and Alabama are all gone, ensuring the Final Four will not have a Number 1 team for the first time since 2011 and the third overall. The four teams deemed by the NCAA to be the best in the country combined to win only five tournament games this year.
SJHL PLAYOFFS ROUND 1
Battlefords 7 Weyburn 4 (Stars win series in 5)
Humboldt 6 Nipawin 2 (Broncos win series in 5)
Melfort 2 La Ronge 1 (Mustangs lead series 3-2)
Estevan 2 Flin Flon 1 OT (Bruins lead series 3-2)
NBA
The Toronto Raptors snapped their two-game NBA losing streak by defeating the visiting Detroit Pistons 118-97 tonight. Pascal Siakam had a game-high 32 points and nine assists for the Raptors. Chris Boucher added 19 and Fred VanVleet poured in 18 points. Toronto moved within half a game of Atlanta for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with eight games remaining in the NBA’s regular season.
MLB
The Toronto Blue Jays got a solid performance from pitcher Alex Manoah tonight as they beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 in spring training action in Dunedin, Florida. Manoah pitched six innings, only gave up three hits and had six strikeouts. The Jays outhit the Phillies 10-8, but committed three errors. Daulton Varsho had two hits and a walk for the Jays, including a triple.
DUNEDIN, Fla. – The Toronto Blue Jays have named ace right-hander Alek Manoah as their opening-day starting pitcher for the upcoming Major League Baseball season.
The 25-year-old Manoah was a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award last season after posting a 16-7 record with a 2.24 earned-run average and 180 strikeouts over 31 starts.
The six-foot-six, 285-pound native of Homestead, Fla., pitched six innings of three-hit ball Friday night as the Blue Jays defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3. He had six strikeouts, two walks, allowed a run and was in full control against the Phillies.
Manoah has a pre-season 2-2 record, 3.10 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings over five starts.
CURLING
Canada plays Japan in one of two early qualification games today at the world women’s curling championship in Sweden. The Canadian team, skipped by Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Manitoba, finished round-robin play with a 7-and-5 record. The winner of the Canada-Japan game will face unbeaten Switzerland in the semifinals. Norway awaits the winner of the Italy-Sweden qualification game on the other side of the playoff draw. The gold and bronze medal games are set for Sunday.
