‘Adversity is good sometimes’: Blades bounce back after losing skid

The Saskatoon Blades have gotten the best of their opponents most of the time this season, but even the WHL’s top team goes on a slide from time to time.

But ahead of what’s expected to be a long and exciting playoff run, the Blades aren’t afraid of a little adversity.

Having only lost five games on home ice this season —one of them an overtime loss— the Blades dropped three straight on their last home stand.

That ties their longest losing streak of the season which happened back in October.

“We just weren’t competing,” said third-year Blade Rowan Calvert. “We weren’t playing as hard as we could. It seemed like we were feeling almost comfortable, like these games aren’t meaningful. But all games are meaningful.”

During the skid, the Blades were outscored 13-2 with losses to the Brandon Wheat Kings, a 5-0 shutout loss to the Red Deer Rebels, and another slip against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

“At times in a season, you lose sight of the basics,” said Blades head coach Brennan Sonne. “There's a lot going on, a lot being said. At the end of the day, it’s about the work. After the game against Lethbridge, I thought we just reset and got back to basics. Get back to the complete habits, get back to Blades hockey.”

The Blades simplified things and managed to right the ship their last time out, a 4-0 win on the road against Brandon.

“Just focus on the work,” said Sonne. “They did it, and it’s funny what happens when you just focus on work.”

Captain Trevor Wong says this was the first rough patch the Blades have battled since all the new players have been added. He thinks a little adversity brings the team together.

“A little adversity is always good,” said Wong, who leads the WHL with 77 assists. “You can’t just go through hockey, and even life, just easy. So it was good for us.”

Forward Vaughn Watterodt says it’s better to be learning these valuable lessons now when a string of losses won’t spell the end of your season.

“Adversity is good,” said Watterodt, a four-year WHL veteran with more than 200 regular season and playoff games played. “Sometimes we need to refocus some things and get back to our type of gameplay. It’s good for us to have this now rather than in playoffs.”

When the Blades look to get their first win on home ice since February 9, when they face the Medicine Hat Tigers Friday night, there will be a special pre-game ceremony to lift Frank Banham’s number 39 to the rafters.

Banham’s 79 goals in 1996 is the single-season scoring record previously held by Blades legend Gerry Pinder. He is the franchise’s leading scorer with 190 goals and 370 points.

“Celebrating the history of your organization is so important,” said Sonne. “Guys come through the WHL and then they go on to the real world typically, but these are some of the best years of your life. And the idea that once a Blade always a Blade holds true. It just makes it that much more special for the players that are here and the players that have been here.”

Banham’s name and number 39 will be retired alongside fellow Blades players Gerry Pinder and Brent Ashton’s number seven, Brian Skrudland’s number 10, Bob Bourne’s number 12, Bernie Federko’s number 15, and Wendel Clark’s number