HOME GAME 25 RECAP: SAINTS TOP BOBCATS 4-0.
By: Adam Kulak
The Saints returned home after a successful two game road trip and picked up right where they left off. They put on a shooting clinic against the Lloydminster Bobcats and take it 4-0 to extend their win streak to 4 games. Logan Acheson would once again suit up for the Saints on the backend and Matt Davis would get his 31st start of the season.
It took the Saints a few minutes to really get into this one and find their footing. Lloydminster played well in the first period, they may have caught the Saints off guard a little bit. They were fast, and they created a lot of shots early in this game. They should that they wouldn’t be an easy two points, despite what their record says. The Saints were strong with their sticks and blocking shots, but they were spending a little too much time in their zone. They got better and better as the period went on and they started to generate more. When the Saints did have chances in the offensive zone, they were taking it directly to the net. There were multiple times where the Saints drove right to the crease from behind the net or off the rush to create loose second and third chances. Lloydminster had the only powerplay in the period, but the Saints were strong killing it off and would keep the game scoreless after 20 minutes, shots in the period were 10-9 for the Bobcats.
The second period was more what we expected as the Saints would take full control of this game. Lloydminster didn’t have anything going in this period. They were getting out of their zone cleanly in the first period, but they weren’t in this period, the Saints forecheck was much more effective in the 2nd. The Saints opened the scoring 7 minutes into the period as Seth Fyten buried one on the powerplay for his 11th of the season. Just 3 minutes later, Jordan Biro would put the Saints up by 2 with his 9th to open the game up. Things would get rough at 14:07 of the period, Cam Mitchell would take an open ice hit, and everyone would pile in after that. Three fights broke out at centre ice with lots of penalties to sort out. The refs took a while to sort everything out, but the Saints ended up having to kill off a 5v3 powerplay. Tall task but the Saints penalty killers were excellent all game blocking shots and passing lanes. Late in the period, Ryan Peckford would roof a backhand off a feed from Cameron Chin to make it 3-0 after 40 minutes, Saints outshooting the Bobcats 29-8 in the period.
The Saints strong play would continue in the final 20 minutes. They started the period on the powerplay, after strong puck movement and chances, Logan Ganie would get the puck in the slot and he would make no mistake to put the Saints up 4-0. Beside the first 10 minutes of the game, the Saints were the vastly superior team. The final shots in the game were 58-24 and Matt Davis would get his league leading 6th shutout of the season. Matt Rempe had a very good game in this one, getting an assist and almost a goal as it would trickle along the goal line. Cam Mitchell also had lots of jump in this game, he had several rushes and had a few plays driving to the net creating opportunities.
The Saints will look to continue the win streak this Friday as they host the Drayton Valley Thunder, puck drop at 7:00 PM.