The Saskatoon Blades will miss the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season after losing to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Tuesday night.
The Blades needed a win to keep pace with the Prince Albert Raiders. But despite outshooting Brandon 43-28, it was the Wheat Kings who came out on top 5-3.
Logan Christensen put the Blades on the board first with a goal just over seven minutes into the first period. But Brandon would register the next two goals from Linden McCorrister and Marcus Sekundiak to make it 2-1 Wheat Kings. Midway through the second period, Max Gerlach would score his 29th goal of the season to tie the game. But that’s as close as the blades would get. Shael Higson would put Brandon back in front 3-2, while Ty Lewis would score his 43rd goal of the year to give the Wheat Kings a two goal lead.
The Blades’ loss means the Raiders clinch a playoff berth, despite losing to Moose Jaw 2-1 in a shootout. Prince Albert was one of the hottest teams in the CHL in February and March posting a 9-0-0-1 record in their last ten games.
The Raiders last appeared in the playoffs in the 2015-16 season. That year, they lost their best-of-seven game quarter-final series to Moose Jaw 4-1.
The last time the Blades made the playoffs was in the 2012-13 season, the year Saskatoon played host to the memorial cup.
