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The Saskatoon Blades threw the first punch Friday night to open Western Hockey League playoffs against the Edmonton Oil Kings.
On the road, the Blades controlled the puck at Rogers Place in Edmonton to earn a 3-2 victory in Game 1 of their first round playoff series.
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Friday’s game marked the first post-season meeting between the Blades and Oil Kings since the latter’s reintroduction to the WHL in 2007 and the first meeting between Saskatoon and Edmonton WHL squads since 1971.
It’s a statement start to the series for the sixth-seeded Blades, who trailed the Oil Kings by 13 points in the standings at the end of the regular season.
The physicality was on display early with Saskatoon’s Gavin Clark and Edmonton’s Matt Williams dropping the gloves for a short, but spirited tilt late in the first period.
Shortly after, Blades forward Hunter Laing was hooked after receiving a pass in tight with the officials calling a penalty shot for Saskatoon with 4:18 left in the first.
Laing made no mistake on the penalty shot, putting the shot past Edmonton’s Parker Snell for the game’s opening goal.
Edmonton hit back a little over five minutes in the second period with Blades forward Triston Mitchell-McElhone in the penalty box for tripping.
On the power play, Saskatoon product Kayden Stroeder ripped a wrist shot from the point to tie the game at 1-1.
The Blades needed a little over three minutes to net their own power play goal in the second period, with captain Tyler Parr ripping a wrist shot for the 2-1 lead.
Blades forward Hayden Harsanyi added a bit of insurance 6:17 into the third period shortly after a Saskatoon man advantage, curling the puck and firing the 3-1 goal past Snell.
Edmonton made it interesting late with Saskatoon goaltender Evan Gardner knocking a puck into his own net off a Landon Hanson shorthanded shot, but the Blades were able to wind down the clock to secure the Game 1 win.
Friday’s victory marks Saskatoon’s first Game 1 playoff victory since 2024.
Gardner was tested in the first period with nine shots against, eventually making 19 saves on the night to secure his 11th career playoff victory in a Blades jersey.
Saskatoon will look to go up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series on Sunday afternoon with a 2 p.m. puck drop at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
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