'Familiarity breeds contempt': Saskatoon Blades rivalry heats up
The Saskatoon Blades stumbled out of the gates as they were unable to sustain pressure on the Regina Pats in the WHL playoffs opener Friday night.
While the two teams met twice in the final week of the regular season, splitting a win each, the intensity has picked up for the postseason.
“I think because we played them so much recently, there’s a bit of added familiarity,” said Blades head coach Brennan Sonne after the game. “And that familiarity breeds contempt. I think that’s what you’re seeing and it’ll be amplified as we play them in a seven-game series.”
The Pats, who out-checked and blocked shots in the opening two periods, were happily taking a 2-0 lead to the second intermission.
That, despite being outshot 23-12 by the Blades.
“We’ve been better in that area,” said Pats coach and general manager, John Paddock. “We’ve been more responsible, and we just did a better job. That’s something that we’ve talked about, not just this past week, we’ve talked about it period.”
The WHL’s leading scorer in the regular season, Connor Bedard, was an impact player in game one.
He finished with two goals and an assist, one goal was a game-winner and the other was a highlight-reel play that’s making rounds on social media.
A single Blades goal by Lukas Hansen was all they could get past goaltender Drew Sim, who led his team to a 6-1 win and an early 1-0 series lead.
Sonne says his team needs to play more desperate hockey to have success in the postseason.
“The first 40 minutes, we were structurally sound and a little clinical,” he said. “But we’ve got to get out of the clinic and onto the streets in my opinion. I think we have another level of desperate, and while it’s great to be structured and follow the plan, there’s also got to be a little bit of desperate.”
While Bedard says the nastiness was missing in the regular season finale, facing the same opponent this many times can only lead to more bad blood as the series progresses.
“It’s playoffs,” he said. “It’s going to be more physical. It’s going to be faster. You’re going to hate each other more and more. And especially with us playing each other so much recently, I think it’s even added. So we don’t like them, they don’t like us. That’s playoffs.”
The Blades and Pats return to Sasktel Centre on Sunday for game two, before the series heads to Regina for games three and four.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince Harry a no-show on first day of court showdown with British tabloid publisher
Prince Harry's phone hacking trial against the publisher of the Daily Mirror kicked off Monday without him present -- and the judge was not happy.

Depression, living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood may lead to faster aging: study
A new Canadian-led study has found that feeling depressed, along with living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, may lead to premature aging.
What about Kristen, Leslie's rights, asks lawyer for Bernardo victims after transfer
Paul Bernardo should be returned to a maximum-security prison, the lawyer representing the families of his young murder victims said as he called on the Correctional Service of Canada to be more transparent about what led to his transfer to a medium-security facility in the first place.
Trudeau and ministers to provide update as wildfires burn in multiple provinces
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to provide an update on the wildfires that have forced thousands of people from their homes and caused widespread property damage in several provinces.
Here's how 'code-switching' can hurt Black, Indigenous people in Canada
In a dominant white culture some Black, Indigenous and racialized people are 'code-switching' which could harm their mental health, one expert says.
Watchdog's relations with spy community 'particularly strained' over last year
Newly released documents say the intelligence community's relationship with its key watchdog has been particularly strained over the last year due to a 'level of resistance' to scrutiny.
Edmonton teen missing after being swept away in North Saskatchewan River: police
A 14-year-old swimmer is believed to have been caught in a current and swept downstream in the North Saskatchewan River.
U.S. beats Canada 6-1, nets World Para hockey gold
Special teams played a difference on Sunday night as the United States scored two short-handed goals en route to a 6-1 victory over Canada in the World Para Hockey Championship gold-medal game.
Increase in mosquitoes 'a trend' across Canada this year. Here's why
Mosquitoes have always been pesky, but this spring it seems the bloodsuckers are thirstier than ever, a trend one expert says is increasing.