The Saskatoon Blades head into their Western Hockey League playoff series against Calgary on a mission, in what has been a season ‘unlike’ most others.
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“Not like us.”
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The slogan is splashed on their T-shirts and bunny hugs.
Along with their playoff-branded ball caps, the Saskatoon Blades head into their Western Hockey League playoff series this weekend against the Calgary Hitmen on a mission in what has been a season ‘unlike’ most others.
Games 1 and 2 of that best-of-seven series are being played in Calgary on the weekend before Games 3 and 4 come to Saskatoon next Tuesday and Wednesday at SaskTel Centre.
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“It’s kind of been our M.O. throughout the whole year, especially going into playoffs,” says Blades captain Ben Saunderson. “We believe in our dressing room that we do a lot of things other teams aren’t willing to do, to the best of our abilities, and it’s been the focus all year.
“A lot of people had us counted out at the start of the year. It’s that underdog, underdog (mentality). We’re going in there every night, and we get to play the villain on the road and try to steal some points. It’s been something we use as motivation. So hopefully we can carry that on.
“We’ve just completed played that role of ‘turning heads’ and it’s just something we enjoy doing.”
Despite some success against the Hitmen during the regular season, the Blades will be the underdog in this series.
Calgary, at 45-17-3-3, posted the second-best record in the WHL’s Eastern Conference after missing the playoffs a year ago, and they are the No. 3 seed.
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Saskatoon placed third in the East Division, just two points back of the first-place Prince Albert Raiders, to give them the No. 6 seed with a 37-23-4-4 record.
“This playoff run is going to be a little different,” admits Blades goalie Evan Gardner. “Last year I feel like we were more expected to win, whereas this year, we’re not. So I’m going to take as much as I can from last year’s playoff run and try to translate into this year. I’m looking to enjoy this run and this playoff experience, because I like embracing that underdog role. It’s going to be new for a few of us that are returnees. I’m looking forward to it.”
Blades head coach Dan DaSilva says his team takes pride in the underdog role.
“We definitely didn’t want to take a step backwards this year in terms of our standard, and so there’s really no pressure on us,” DaSilva says. “There hasn’t been all year. People have been doubting us all year long. There’s no pressure. We’re just going to show up and play hard, like we always do.”
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The Blades will bank on experience gained by the veterans these past two years when Saskatoon reached the Eastern final.
“Experience is always a key in playoffs,” says DaSilva. “There’s no other way of getting it than being in it. We have some guys who have played some really, really big games. Their experience and their messaging to their teammates will be really, really important. Those guys will be leading the charge, like they have all year in terms of what we need to do, what we need to bring …
“These guys have been to back-to-back conference finals and they understand. They’ve been down three games and come back. It’s a never-say-die attitude, it’s not over until it’s over. That’s been our mentality all year. Not a lot has to change.
“We’re just going to take it game-by-game, day-by-day, shift-by-shift and it’s going to be really exciting to see how it all shakes out.”
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VETS HAVE PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE
Saunderson says the returning veterans have been preaching to them what it takes in playoff hockey, “but we’ve ramped up our game in the last couple of weeks, and guys are starting to get the feel of that.
“It’s not going to be easy,” he adds. “Personally, I think (the Hitmen) are a really good playoff team. They’re going to forecheck. They’re going to do the dirty areas. It’s going to be a really good series.
“It’s just taking it day-by-day. I don’t think you have to look to the future too much. If you’re focused on the end goal, you can be side-tracked on your mission every night, so I think just taking it day-by-day, game-by-game, and small steps.”
Blades alternate captain Tyler Parr says it’s an exciting time.
“For a lot of guys, this is their first taste of playoff experience,” Parr says. “So to be a guy who can lead the guys into the fight and set an example will be huge for us.
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“It’s relaying to the guys that this is a big deal, but it’s just hockey. They’re a great team. They’re deep. They work hard. There’s a lot of skill over there. It’s a really good test for us.”
It’s all about doing more, even with less.
“It’s important to know who we are, what separates us from other groups,” says Blades alternate captain Rowan Calvert. “We’ve relished that role, where people thought we weren’t going to be so good this year, at the start of the year and even more after the deadline. So other teams are just not like us. There are things that we do, and there’s a culture that we have, that we think is very special.
“Not everyone has playoff experience. At the end of the day, people talk a lot about it but it’s still just hockey. It’s the same league, the same players, the same team that’s played all year long.
“We’ve been really jelling as a team,” Calvert adds. “Guys are starting to know their roles, where they fit in here. Lot of guys from different teams, bringing in new players at the deadline. It’s definitely different at the start, but I think we’ve found some line combinations that work, for one. Two, guys are relishing their roles.”
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BLADES ‘TURNING HEADS’
Goalie Evan Gardner, who returned from injury late in the season after missing a month of action, is ready to embrace the team’s underdog role.
“We enjoy turning heads,” says Gardner. “Coming into this year, I would say most people had us right where Regina and Moose Jaw were (after lengthy playoff runs). People thought they’d be better teams than us this year. Right from the jump, we proved those people wrong.
“Come deadline time, we made a bunch of moves, moving players out and trying to recoup assets and bring players in. This whole year has just been a season of turning heads.
“I’m super proud of the way our group has stuck together through all of it, because we’ve been counted out so much this year. It motivates us a ton coming into this. They are a team that bought a ton at the deadline, and throughout the year, because they wanted to make a run. I think it’d be special to end them, pretty much.
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“We’ve done so much and put so much hard work into this season, trying to win a banner and stay on top of our division. I think it’s something we’re fully capable of. There’s always got to be a few upsets in playoffs, so why not us?”
Especially if other teams prove to be ‘Not Like Us.”
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