The Spruce Grove Saints (14-19-3-0) return to Grant Fuhr Arena for the beginning of a three-game home stand that kicks off against the Cranbrook Bucks (18-13-2-0) on 2-for-Tuesday.
Tickets are a special 2-for-1 price while deals including $2 popcorn and pop are on all night as well as 20% off of merchandise.
How To Follow:
Tickets: bit.ly/TIXCBKJAN28
Listen: FREE Audio Stream
Watch: FloHockey
Breakdown:
Spruce Grove:
Overall Record: 14-19-3-0 (9th in Interior Conference – 17th in BCHL)
Home Record: 6-8-2-0
Road Record: 8-11-1-0
Power Play: 18-for-113 (15.9% – 18th in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 103-for-139 (74.1% – 21st in BCHL)
Cranbrook:
Overall Record: 18-13-2-0 (6th in Interior Conference – 12th in BCHL)
Home Record: 8-6-0-0
Road Record: 8-4-1-0
Power Play: 29-for-128 (22.0% – 10th in BCHL)
Penalty Kill: 96-for-109 (88.1% – 1st in BCHL)
Season Series:
Saturday, November 2nd @ Western Financial Place (5-4 Saints) (BOXSCORE)
Friday, November 8th @ Grant Fuhr Arena (5-1 Saints) (BOXSCORE)
Saturday, December 14th @ Western Financial Place (3-1 Saints) (BOXSCORE)
Friday, January 24th @ Western Financial Place (2-1 Bucks/OT) (BOXSCORE)
Tuesday, January 28th @ Grant Fuhr Arena (7:00 PM)
Looking Back:
The Saints enter their three-game home stand following a weekend on the road that concluded at Centennial Regional Arena in a 5-2 loss to the Brooks Bandits on Saturday night. Alexy Lachaine and James Richards each found the back of the net to finish off the weekend while Ryan De Kok started in goal for the Saints, turning aside 15 of the 19 shots thrown his way in 12th loss of the season his before Joseph Quintilio made 14 saves on 15 shots in relief.
The Bucks have not played since their matchup against the Saints last Friday, which saw Cranbrook earn their first win of the season in a 2-1 overtime defeat of Spruce Grove at Western Financial Place. Patrick Murphy scored in the final five minutes of regulation to force overtime before Sam Belanger won the game for the Bucks. Jaden Cholette turned aside 29 of the 30 shots he faced in the Cranbrook goal for his 12th win of the season.
Saints Leading Scorers:
Josh Polak (14-14-28)
Ryan Johnstone (13-12-25)
Austin Peters (7-15-22)
Max Seguin (9-11-20)
Stephen Kirkpatrick (5-13-18)
Bucks Leading Scorers:
Bryce Sookro (8-26-34)
Jacob Fletcher (7-27-34)
Rasmus Svartstrom (25-7-32)
Blake Cotton (12-13-25)
Kaslo Ferner (14-8-22)
Who’s Hot:
Spruce Grove:
- James Richards – Defenceman – Port Williams, Nova Scotia – Niagara University
Scoring in Brooks on Saturday night pushed the defender’s point streak to three games heading into Tuesday’s contest against the Bucks. The Niagara commit has posted a goal and two assists for three points during three consecutive games with a point and leads all Saints blueliners with six goals and 17 points on the season while ranking 18th amongst defenders with his six tallies.
- Ryan Johnstone – Forward – Pickering, Ontario – Lindenwood University
It’s something about the Bucks green that has gotten Johnstone firing on all cylinders as the forward has collected six of his 13 goals this season against Cranbrook. The Lindenwood commit has also has points in three consecutive games and in five of his last six contests, as well as goals in three straight games against the Bucks.
Cranbrook:
- Jaden Cholette – Goaltender – Ottawa, Ontario
The Bucks netminder is finding is early season form and has won five of his last seven games played, posting a 2.84 goals against average and a .910 save percentage in that time frame. The Ottawa, Ontario product finds himself in 5th in the league in GAA at 2.58 and 2nd in SV% at .917.
- Patrick Murphy – Forward – North Kingstown, Rhode Island – Stonehill University
Points in five of his last six games has Murphy in a good spot offensively and sits with 22 points in 26 games this season with the Bucks. The Rhode Island product has earned 20 goals and 44 points in 67 games throughout his BCHL career while the Stonehill commit has produced seven points in his last four games including a three-assist contest against the Trail Smoke Eaters on New Year’s Eve and the game-tying goal on Friday against the Saints.
The Saints and Bucks play the sixth and final game of their season series on Tuesday night at Grant Fuhr Arena. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM with tickets available for purchase online at tickets.sprucegrovesaints.ca.
