Blades beat Flags 4-2

Nolan Vandenboorn scored a pair of goals helping his Blenheim Blades eliminate the Alvinston Flyers – Photo by Kelsey Vermeersch/ CKSN.ca

As has been the case for the last few games, the Blenheim Blades went into Thursday’s Provincial Junior Hockey League Stobbs Division game missing key players for various reasons.

Not dressed were forwards Brayden Hopkins, Nick Delyzer, Zach Horvath and defenceman Brayden Seliga. Then late in the second period the Blades lost leading scorer Kier Cumming and rookie Carter Wright to injuries.

At the time of Cumming’s injury at 15:59 of the second period, the Blades were trailing the Mooretown Flags 2-1 and went on a five-minute powerplay thanks to a major boarding penalty to the Flags Joe Stock.

While the Blades did not score on the five-minute major, they did get two quick goals early in the third period to grab a 3-2 lead. An empty net tally with 19 seconds to play produced a 4-2 victory before 455 fans on South Kent Minor Hockey Association Night.

The win, the Blades 14th of the season, snapped a four-game losing streak and moved the team back into first place in the Stobbs Division with 30 points, one more that the Essex 73’s and two up on the Lakeshore Canadiens and the Amherstburg Admirals.

Next action for the Blades will be Saturday at 6:15 p.m. when they host the Wallaceburg Lakers as part of the team’s annual ‘Alumni and Hall of Fame Day.’

Prior to the Blades game there will be alumni contests at 3, 4 and 5 p.m.