Saints Rout Grizzlys 9-1 to Sweep Road Trip
By: Adam Kulak
What Fatigue? It was a quick turnaround for the Saints in Canmore last night, but the Saints offense looked pretty good if you ask me. It was a big offensive night for several different players as the Saints finish off their road trip in style with a dominating 9-1 victory. Brett Trentham would draw back into the lineup after serving a suspension and Matt Davis would be back between the pipes after getting the win in Canmore last night.
First Period
The Saints came out in this game and didn?t give Olds any high danger chances through 20 minutes. It was a very strong defensive performance by the Saints in this period, they held the Grizzlys to just 4 shots in the period despite the powerplays being 3-1 for Olds.
They were winning puck battles and forechecking well in the offensive zone. Their first goal of the game came off a nice forecheck from Nick Leyer who would find Seth Fyten for the one timer out front as he opens the scoring for the second time over these three games.
Later in the period, another strong forecheck, as Tanner Klassen creates a turnover and beats Ty Marcinkowski glove side to put the Saints up by two. After killing off the first two Olds powerplays, the Saints would get their chance on the man advantage shortly after. The powerplay picked up where they left off last night as they would capitalize on their first chance of the game.
After some good puck movement and a shot through traffic, Seth Fyten would bang in the rebound for his 2nd of the afternoon as the Saints start to take complete control of this game. The Saints would kill off one more powerplay late in the period to go 3/3 inn the opening frame and to get out of the period without a late goal.
The Saints outshot the Grizzlys 15-4 in the opening 20 minutes and hold a 3-0 lead heading into period #2.
Second Period
It was the same story in the second period, the Saints shut down Olds defensively, their powerplay took advantage and they add three more in the middle frame. Lots of penalty minutes handed out in this period as there were three checking to the head penalties given out. The Saints were given 4 more chances on the powerplay in the period and they capitalized twice, stretching the lead even greater.
Ryan Peckford would get the first of the period halfway through as he circled the top of the zone and beat Ty Marcinkowski with a quick wrister to make it 4-0. At the 15-minute mark of the period on the man advantage, Peckford would send it cross ice to Jordan Biro would then slide it back door for Cole Basnett for a beauty of a play. Basnett has yet another powerplay goal as the Saints work the cross-ice tic tac toe to perfection.
The Saints could have had 3 or 4 powerplay goals in the period as there first powerplay of the period they had several Grade A scoring chances but Marcinkowski some how kept them all out. He wouldn?t be able to keep everything out though, as the Saints swarmed the net yet again and Ryan Peckford would get his 2nd of the period on a rebound out front.
That was his third point of the afternoon as the Saints develop a commanding 6-0 lead before the end of the period. Shots in the period were 22-7 for the Saints and 37-11 overall as they head into the final frame with complete control over this game.
Third Period
Since the Saints scored 3 goals in each of the first two periods, they might as well keep it consistent with three more in the third. Just like the first two periods, all the scoring was done in the second half of the final frame. Seth Fyten breaking into the zone would cut to the middle and fire a wrister from the top of the slot for his 3rd goal of the afternoon.
The Grizzlys did manage to spoil the shutout and get on the board as Payton McDonald-Corea would let a shot go from the circle that found its way through everyone, making it 7-1. The Saints responded after that goal with two quick ones of their own to really put an exclamation mark on this game.
Nick Leyer would turn and fire a shot from the top of the slot and Adam Hall would get a stick on it for the second goal of the period. Just 20 seconds after, Cole Basnett would cut to the net and go backhand forehand on Marcinkowski as the Saints cap off a dominating afternoon with a 9-1 rout.
For a team playing their third straight game and while playing the night before, the Saints had a solid performance considering the fatigue levels most likely being high. Once again, the Saints special teams were outstanding as they went 3/8 on the powerplay and 6/6 on the penalty kill. Matt Davis wasn?t super busy in the first two periods, but he made several big saves in the third period, stopping 22 of 23 shots.
The Saints will head home for some rest as they are back in action this coming Friday. The Saints will get ready for two home games next weekend as they host the Fort McMurray Oil Barons Friday night and the Grande Prairie Storm on Sunday afternoon.