Blades Nip Lakeshore for 6th Straight Win
SUBMITTED BY THE BLENHEIM BLADES
www.blenheimblades.com
The Blenheim Blades went up 3-0 over the Lakeshore Canadiens in the first period Sunday night at the Blenheim, blew the 3-0 lead, then won the Provincial Junior Hockey League Stobbs Division game 4-3 thanks to a overtime powerplay goal by Austin Bentley.
The win was the sixth in a row for the Blades.
The winning goal, a rocket of a shot by Austin Bentley, came with just 16 seconds gone in the seven-minute three-on-three extra time with assists going to Drew Marlatt and Nick Delyzer.
Lakeshore’s Michael Long had taken a tripping penalty with just two seconds remaining in the third period to give the Blades the man advantage.
The win gives the Blades a 21-12-2 record good enough for 44 points and clinches at least a fourth place finish with five games to play.
Amherstburg Admirals currently hold third placed with 48 points and four games to play after bombing the Wheatley Sharks 10-3 in Amherstburg Sunday night.
The Blades and Admirals don’t meet again this season with Blenheim holding the regular season edge winning three of five contests.
Bentley’s game-winning tally was his fourth goal since joining the Blades from the Dresden Kings in early December. He now has 14 points in just seven games since his return to the Blades.
The Blades opened the scoring at 8:23 of the first period thanks to Marlatt’s 13th goal of the season with assists going to Bentley and Brayden Seliga.
Just 25 seconds later the Blades had a 2-0 advantage thanks to Bryce Broad’s 11th goal of the year that was set up by Dustin Maines and Carter Wright.
The Canadiens Steven Sartor was sent off for boarding at 9:08 and 59 seconds later Nick Delyzer’s team leading 24th goal of the year put the Blades up 3-0.
Lakeshore came back with a pair of second period goals, one by Ameen Fadel at 5:35 and a second by Connor Rosaasen at 14:35, to cut the Blades lead to 3-2 after 40 minutes.
The Canadiens then forced the overtime when Joe Binder scored at 13:47 of the third period.
Lakeshore outshot the Blades 40-39 in the wide open contest with Blenheim goalie Eric Stewardson picking up his 17th win of the year.
BLADES BITS: The Blades will be right back in action Tuesday night when they travel to Essex to play the ’73s at 7 p.m. before hosting the Flags Sunday at 7…The Blades went two for seven on the powerplay while the Canadiens were zero for four ties…New defenceman Keegan MacVoy, picked up this past week from the Chatham Maroons, made his Blenheim debut…The Blades continue to play short regulars as George Wood, Zach Horvath, Patrick Wright, Owen Bateman and Nate Broek were all out of the lineup.