Blades Explode in Third, Beat Flyers 6-2
Submitted post: The Blenheim Blades, back in action after a week off, took two full periods to really get rolling before breaking a 2-2 tie in the third by exploding for four goals to defeat the visiting Petrolia Flyers 6-2 before 398 fans at the Blenheim arena Sunday night.
The win, the Blades 12th of season, gives the club 26 points and a six-point lead over the second-place Amherstburg Admirals atop the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Stobbs Division. The two teams will meet Saturday night at 7:30 in Amherstburg.
Saturday’s game will be the first of three in three nights for the Blades, who will host the Lakeshore Canadiens Sunday at 7 and then head to Wheatley to play the Sharks at 7 Monday. Lakeshore has played six fewer games than the Blades, and are in fourth place with 18 points.
In Sunday’s victory it was once again the line of Nick Delyzer, Kier Cumming and Zach Horvath leading the way as each scored a goal and chipped in with four assists – two by Cumming and one each by Horvath and Delyzer.
Dustin Maines, Carter Wright and Matt Clark had the other Blenheim goals, with Kirk Dorman and Curtis Helps scoring for the Flyers.
Maines opened the scoring when he netted his fifth of the year at 18:57 of the first period. Chris Hall and Brayden Seliga set up the goal.
Things stayed at 1-0 until 9:08 of the second period when Dorman tied the game, but it remained that way only until 10:20 when Cumming netted his ninth of the season with assists going to Horvath and Delyzer.
A powerplay goal by Helps at 11:33 sent the teams to their dressing rooms tied 2-2 after 40 minutes.
When the third period started it was all Blades with Clark scoring his third of the season at 35 seconds assisted by Owen Bateman and Drew Marlatt.
Wright’s fourth goal at 9:42 made it 4-2 Blades. Maines and Bryce Broad assisted on that goal.
Just 75 second later Delyzer netted his 13th of the season with Horvath wrapping up the scoring with just 24 seconds to play.
The goal was Horvath’s third.
Cumming assisted on both the goals as did former Wallaceburg Lakers defenceman Drew Vandehogan.
Vandehogan, of Blenheim, started the year with the Lakers, but was released earlier this week and signed on with South Kent Lightning Midgets making him eligible to be an affiliate player with the Blades. He played Sunday in place of the injured Patrick Wright and was named the third star of the game behind Maines and Wright.
Adam Craven was in goal for the Blades and picked up his second win of the season by stopping 23 Petrolia shots, while his teammates fired 37 at Flyers netminder Chaska Thiel.
The game was a tame affair with each team picking up four minor penalties.
BLADES BITS: The Blades Alumni will be hold “Steak Night” Monday at 6 p.m. at the Blenheim Legion…Tickets are $15 and will be available at the door…Friday night the Blades hosted a highly successful “Quarter Auction” at the Legion and will be have another on Friday. Dec. 16…Tickets will be available soon…Next Sunday members of the Blenheim Legion will be on hand to take part in the Blades annual Remembrance Day event…Besides Patrick Wright the Blades were also missing forwards Brayden Hopkins and George Wood and goalie Eric Stewardson…Wood was sitting out the second of a two-game suspension…With Stewardson out of the lineup Craven was backed up by Chatham “AA” Midget goalie C. J. Burgess.