Andrey Makarov made 27 saves Saturday to guide Saskatoon to a 4-1 triumph over
Swift Current. Makarov, who has collected wins in his last four starts,
improves to 21-16-0-3 with a 2.57 GAA (8th in WHL) and sturdy .919 save%
(5th). The Blades are off until Tuesday when they face Moose Jaw.
Elsewhere in the WHL, Colin Jacobs was whistled for a pair of minor penalties as Prince George dropped a 2-1 shootout decision to Victoria. The Royals got it done in the skills competition despite continuing to play without Logan Nelson (lower body, two-three weeks), who has scored on all four of his shootout attempts this season. The Cougars host Red Deer on Wednesday.
In USHL play, Judd Peterson potted his ninth goal of the year into an empty net as Cedar Rapids defeated Youngstown 5-2.
The win snaps the Riders seven-game skid, with the "four-point game" putting them three points
behind the Phantoms for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Cedar Rapids hosts league front-runner Dubuque on Friday.
In the OHL, Dan Catenacci (-1, 2 PIM) did not score but was effective on the penalty kill with his speed and shot blocking as Owen Sound suffered a 3-0 shutout loss to London. The speedy scorer has just three points in his last five games (3+0). The Attack and Knights will rematch Friday in London.
Justin Kea (-1) went without a point for the fourth straight game as Saginaw lost in the shootout to Sault Ste. Marie 5-4. The Spirit travel to Sarnia on Friday.
Brady Austin (even) did not factor into the scoring as Belleville blew past Sarnia 8-3. The Bulls are in action Sunday afternoon in Oshawa.
In NCAA action, Jake McCabe did not return after being helped to the dressing room late in the game with an ankle injury as No. 19 Wisconsin saw their WCHA unbeaten streak end at 11 games with a 4-1 loss at No. 7 North Dakota. The severity of McCabe's injury is unknown at this time, but he appeared to be in a lot of pain as he tried to get off the ice midway through the third period. Brad Navin (1 SOG) played checking line minutes for the Badgers, who return to action Friday versus Bemidji State.
In Europe, Joel Armia (+1) recorded five shots on goal in 17:20 of work as Assat extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-1 win over HPK. The Aces enter a 10-day break tied for the final SM-liiga playoff spot with a dozen games remaining.
Linus Ullmark served as backup as MODO defeated Frolunda 3-1. Ullmark heads to the 10-day break having won all of his seven starts between the SEL and SuperElit Top 10 since Jan. 1.
In the AHL, Kevin Sundher's fourth goal of the year held up as the game winner, and Brayden McNabb recorded a pair of assists to extend his point streak to four games as Rochester skated to a 5-3 win over Syracuse. David Leggio earned the game's number one star with 43 saves in his 15th straight start in the Amerks crease. Next up for Rochester is a Tuesday/Wednesday set in Abbotsford.
