The Saskatoon Blades are limping back from Prince Albert following two consecutive losses against the Raiders.
Between the first two games of the series, Saskatoon scored only one goal.
The Blades are now back in Saskatoon, licking their wounds and preparing for Game 3 of their second-round playoff series.
The shot clock shows the disparity between the two teams; the first game, the Raiders went 31 shots to the Blades’ 16 for a 6-1 victory. Evening out the shot clock is something coach Dan DaSilva says the Blades need to focus on.
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“We know that we haven’t been at our best the first two games; I think they’ve played really well. I don’t think that we’ve played to the level we’re capable of quite yet,” DaSilva said.
The Blades say they learned in the first game. Captain Tyler Parr says he felt far more comfortable going into the second. Even though the Blades were ultimately shut out, the shot total was dialled back, and the score narrowed to 3-0 for the second game.
“I think we just defended harder, we made better plays, we played faster, we got pucks in. We just didn’t necessarily spend enough time in their end. So that’s kind of the next part of it,” Parr said.
The Raiders’ offensive power has forced the Blades into defensive-style play. DaSilva says the team needs to be able to break up their opportunities before they need to start playing defensively.
“They shoot a ton of pucks, right? It’s clear they have a shot mentality within their group, and they do a good job at it. We’ve got to do a better job preventing easy entries and getting in their end. The best defence is offence,” DaSilva said.
The Blades now return to home ice, where they hope to find more luck. Game 3 will take place on Tuesday at SaskTel Centre.
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