Blades Blow Lead, Tie In Wheatley

The Blenheim Blades let a 4-1 third period lead slip in the third period, tying Wheatley 4-4 on Monday night | Photo from Blenheim Blades / Bill Saunders

WHEATLEY – Perhaps two games in two nights this early in the Provincial Junior Hockey League Stobbs Division season caught up to the Blenheim Blades Monday night when they blew a 4-1 third-period lead and ended up tying the Wheatley Sharks 4-4 at the Wheatley arena.

Whatever the reason, the Blades had grabbed their 4-1 edge after two periods thanks to goals by Bryce Broad, Brayden Hopkins, Owen Bateman and Nick Delyzer, each their second tally in as many nights as the Blades had beaten the Petrolia Flyers 6-2 Sunday at home.

Delaney MacDonald had the Sharks lone goal over the first two periods.

Then the roof fell in as a parade to the penalty box helped the Sharks come back to get their point thanks to powerplay goals at 7:39 by Eric Prudence and another by Alex Saliba at 10:10 to make it 4-3.

The Sharks Mitchell Prudence tied things at 4-4 at 16:32 to force the scoreless seven-minute three-on-three overtime. In the OT the Blades had a powerplay but were unable to notch the winner.

On the assists side of the ledger George Wood had two for the Blades.

Blades rookie netminder Adam Craven, in his regular season debut, deserved a better fate as he played well but had little chance on the Wheatley goals.

The Blades outshot the Sharks 35-29.

Next action for the Blades will be another two games in two nights when they travel to Amherstburg to play the Admirals at 7 p.m. Saturday and then host the Lakeshore Canadiens Sunday at the same time.

BLADES BITS: Sunday’s game against Lakeshore will be Blenheim Minor Baseball Association night with any BMBA player who wears his team jersey getting in for free, followed by Blenheim Elementary School Night Thursday, Sept. 29 as the Blades are giving free tickets to that game to the elementary students at the three schools…Also Sunday members of Farm Credit Canada will be on hand to give out food bags to fans to be filled with non-perishable goods and returned when the Blades play at home Oct. 2…Two Blades veterans – Zach Horvath (school) and Brayden Seliga (injury) – did not play Monday night