Last spring, the Saskatoon Blades made history against the Red Deer Rebels, rallying from a 3-0 series deficit to complete just the third reverse sweep in Western Hockey League playoff history.
The historic accomplishment provided a number of lessons for the Blades, the least of which is the importance of getting off to a stronger start.
“Obviously, first one, don’t go down 0-3,” Blades captain Trevor Wong joked. “That one is pretty obvious.”
Fast forward one year later, and what’s old is new again for Saskatoon and Red Deer.
The puck will drop on the WHL‘s conference semifinals on Friday and for the second year in a row, it will be a Blades versus Rebels matchup to decide who will be advancing to the Eastern Conference championship series.
“Probably for (Red Deer) they hate us even more now,” Wong said. “For us it’s let’s not get behind the eight ball early.”
Last year’s series saw the Blades, coming off a seven-game marathon with Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats, face a Red Deer team who prided themselves on a brand of physical hockey that saw them take the first three games of the series.
Saskatoon was able to rally back, however, off the strength of a standout performance in Game 7 by recent Spokane Chiefs graduate Conner Roulette and unlikely playoff hero Spencer Shugrue to earn a 5-2 victory to advance.
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While the Blades celebrated their first trip to the third round in close to 30 years, the Rebels were left licking their wounds.
For Saskatoon this spring, a five-game playoff series against the Prince Albert Raiders has prepared the team well for what Red Deer has to offer, according to overage blue liner Charlie Wright.
“They’re going to want revenge from last year,” Wright said. “Lots of returning guys there, so they’re a physical team and I think (Prince Albert) did prepare us for that.”
When it comes to looking back on that series against the Rebels last season, however, head coach Brennan Sonne was adamant Wednesday about making sure his players were focused on the present.
“What I think is the past is the past and what can you do about the past?” Sonne said. “So when you pose that question, the answer is really simple. You can let it hinder you, you can be consumed by it, you can learn from it and try to apply those lessons to the future. As a group, this is not just like, ‘Oh, Sonnes is being out there.’ This is something we’ve talked about a lot over the years.
“For us, the past is like nine trillion kilometres away, it’s a year ago, so that’s how far a light year is — just over nine trillion kilometres. For us, all we’re going to do with the past is learn everything we can from it and apply those lessons to the present.”
After dropping their first game against the Raiders on home ice, the Blades were able to run the table for the remainder of the first-round series to advance to the second round with a 6-2 victory in Game 5 last Friday.
That victory ensured a lengthy break for the top-ranked Blades, given two days off by Sonne and the coaching staff before a series of high-intensity practices this week to prepare for Red Deer — unlike the situation Saskatoon found itself in last year, needing a pair of Game 7 victories to advance with little time to rest before their next series.
“You can’t last giving up two or three games,” Wright said. “We were worn down by that third round, so I think really focusing in on Friday and taking that first game is the next step.”
There was no update on the status of goaltender Evan Gardner or Blades playoff leading scorer Easton Armstrong on Wednesday, meanwhile, after both left Game 5 against Prince Albert due to injury.
“I feel extremely uncomfortable talking about medical issues of other people,” Sonne said. “I think the NHL has a rule where you have to give updates, upper or lower body, I believe that’s a rule. That’s not one here and since I’m very uncomfortable talking about other people’s medical status, I choose not to.”
Friday’s Game 1 will present an opportunity for the Blades to snap a losing streak in series-opening games dating back to the 2019 WHL playoffs, a string of six consecutive Game 1 losses for the group.
Sonne, however, noted the team’s ability to rally from early series deficits and that ending the streak isn’t a primary concern for the Bridge City bunch.
“I’ve learned you can lose Game 1s and we still have an above-.500 record in those series; we’re still 3-2 in those series,” Sonne said. “I’ve learned that you can adapt and dropping a game doesn’t end it, it’s a first to four (wins).”
Saskatoon and Red Deer split their four games played over the regular season.
While the Blades are hungry to get out to an early lead over Red Deer, defender Tanner Molendyk referenced the team’s ability gained over the years to weather adversity in a best-of-seven series.
“One thing we’re going to take from last year is just don’t ever give up,” Molendyk said. “If we do go down 1-0 in that first game, it’s not just shut down and walk away. It’s keep pushing, bring it back harder every game and make them not feel comfortable.”
Saskatoon will host Game 1 on Friday at 7 p.m., which will be followed by a matinee tilt Sunday for Game 2 at SaskTel Centre with a 4 p.m. start.
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