Blades drop overtime decision to Wheat Kings

The Saskatoon Blades didn’t benefit from any home ice advantage in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Wednesday.

Wheat Kings forward Chad Nychuk scored his second goal of the WHL game 2:22 into overtime for the game-winner, but it was a goal in the second period that had the 2,298 fans inside SaskTel Centre puzzled.

Ben Thornton put the Wheat Kings up 2-1 with a power-play goal 5:55 into the second period, but as Brandon players celebrated, Blades head coach Brennan Sonne got the referees’ attention to challenge offside at the blue line.

A roughly 10-minute delay followed as the replay was shown on the video screen repeatedly, but the call stood.

Saskatoon’s Brandon Lisowsky scored 35 seconds later for a shortlived 2-2 tie before Rylen Roersma gave the Wheat Kings the lead once again.

Tyler Parr scored his first WHL goal on a rebound in front of Wheaties goaltender Carson Bjarnason to keep the game knotted at 3-3 heading into the third period.

Brandon took a 4-3 lead more than halfway through the period and looked poised to win in regulation, but Lisowsky’s second goal of the game with 49 seconds remaining in the third ensured the Blades would get at least one point.

Saskatoon struggled on the power play, scoring on one of its seven power-play opportunities, while the Wheat Kings converted one of their four chances with the extra attacker.

Tristen Robins picked up a goal and two assists and Lisowsky added an assist to also finish with three points on the night.

Bjarnason, a 16-year-old rookie, stopped 30 of 34 shots in the winning effort.

Saskatoon has a day off before hosting the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday.