It won\u2019t be easy, but the Blades are eager to get onto the ice at Rogers Centre and prove that they are capable of upsetting one of the top teams in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Whatever the result, this series promises to be an exciting tilt, so here are a few things to keep in mind as the two teams prepare for their first-round matchup<\/a>.<\/p>\n Blades\u2019 2025-26 Season Series Against Edmonton<\/p>\n The Blades and Oil Kings opened their regular-season series against each other on Oct. 19 in Saskatoon, with David Lewandowski named the game\u2019s first star after putting up a goal and an assist in the 4-3 victory. Just over a month later, the two teams rematched in Edmonton, and this time, the Oil Kings came away with the win. Rowan Calvert scored twice for the Blades, but two unanswered power-play goals from Andrew O\u2019Neill and Ethan MacKenzie silenced the Blades, allowing Edmonton to win 6-5.<\/p>\n The Oil Kings returned to Saskatoon on Jan. 9 for another tight game, with Edmonton\u2019s core of Max Curran, Miroslav Holinka, and MacKenzie scoring twice on the power play to take the game 3-1. Their final match-up on Jan. 25 saw the Blades\u2019 defence significantly impacted by injuries, and the Oil Kings took advantage, jumping out to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period and finishing the game 5-1, with Saskatoon\u2019s only goal coming early in the third. <\/p>\n Since their last loss to the Oil Kings, the Blades have shown they can upset a strong team when they\u2019re on their game, beating the Calgary Hitmen, Penticton Vees, and forcing the Prince Albert Raiders to a shootout. The biggest problem, it seems, is that they just can\u2019t stay out of their own way. <\/p>\n \u201cWe do feel that focus needs to primarily be on us,\u201d said DaSilva. \u201cYeah, it\u2019s us versus them, but it\u2019s also us versus us in terms of how well we can play our game. We know that if we\u2019re playing our game, at the top of our game, we can play against anyone in this league, so the focus is on us being the best we can be right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Blades and Oil Kings Playoff History<\/p>\n 2026 marks the first time the current Oil Kings\u2019 franchise will meet the Blades in the playoffs, although Saskatoon had met two previous clubs before. The original Oil Kings played the Blades three times, with their last series in 1971. Edmonton was the top-ranked team that season with a league-leading 346 goals, 40 more than the second-place Flin Flon Bombers. The Blades finished third in the Division despite posting a losing record, largely thanks to star Orest Kindrachuk, who finished his final junior season with 49 goals and 149 points. Unsurprisingly, the Oil Kings won that series four games to one and went on to claim their first WHL title. <\/p>\n #StatSunday<\/a> Orest Kindrachuk turned 74 years old yesterday! Orest played 4 WCHL seasons for the Saskatoon Blades (1967-71):<\/p>\n Regular Season (164 GP): 166 Assists\/263 Points (\ud83d\udcf8Saskatoon Public Library) pic.twitter.com\/wMjE50PRCI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vintage Hockey Showcase (@hockey_vintage) September 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n Five years later, Edmonton became the Portland Winterhawks<\/a>, leading to a league restructuring and a new playoff format. From 1977-80, the league used a divisional round-robin tournament<\/a> as the first round of the playoffs, switched to a best-of-seven series for the Division Final, then back to the round robin for the WHL Semifinal. In the middle of this, Flin Flon relocated to Edmonton, becoming the second Oil Kings\u2019 club, and met the Blades in the first round of the 1979 playoffs. After eight games, the Blades and Brandon Wheat Kings moved on to round two, while Edmonton went home before relocating again to Great Falls, Montana. <\/p>\n Despite the lack of history, this year\u2019s matchup is reminiscent of last season\u2019s series against the third-place Calgary Hitmen,<\/a> another team that loaded up at the deadline and went on to sweep the Blades in four games. It\u2019s never easy to get swept, but for some, it still weighs on their minds. <\/p>\n Related: Saskatoon Blades Need 3 Things For Playoff Success<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t say for others, but for myself, it\u2019s something I still think about,\u201d admitted goalie Evan Gardner. \u201cIt just felt like we got rolled; it felt like we couldn\u2019t gain any traction in that series, it felt like we were helpless. It wasn\u2019t fun for anyone. It wasn\u2019t a fun series to be a part of, getting embarrassed like that. I know for myself, it gives me a ton of motivation, and I imagine it gives everyone else a ton of motivation in that room as well.\u201d<\/p>\n That motivation will mainly be focused on starting strong. The Blades gave up the first goal against the Hitmen in each of their four games, putting Saskatoon in a much tougher situation than they needed to be. \u201cThe start of the series is always huge, and the first game, the first shift really sets the tone,\u201d said DaSilva. \u201cBut it\u2019s a long series, right? It\u2019s a best-of-seven for a reason. We\u2019ll be ready for game one, and we\u2019ll be ready for the start of the game, and our guys are excited to get down to Edmonton and get started.\u201d<\/p>\n Saskatoon\u2019s X-Factors<\/p>\n The Blades are a year older and more experienced, but pulling off an upset will take everyone, from rookie to veteran, working together to get past a very strong Oil Kings\u2019 squad. Here are a few players to watch who will play a big role in getting Saskatoon off on the right foot. <\/p>\n Evan Gardner<\/p>\n Few goalies have been as dominant in the WHL as Gardner. In 2023-24, he nearly took the Blades to the Final as a rookie with a .910 save percentage (SV%) and a 10-1-3 record. Then, in 2024-25, he was one of five goalies to post a .910 SV% while playing over 40 games.<\/p>\n Gardner remained one of the busiest goalies this season, finishing with 52 games played, the second-most in the WHL behind Victoria Royals\u2019 Ethan Eskit. He also posted his third 20-plus win season with a career-high 25 wins, and with his 10th career shutout, he now owns the second-highest total in franchise history. He also received some consideration for Team Canada\u2019s World Junior roster<\/a> after he was named to the Summer Showcase. <\/p>\n Coach DaSilva rarely puts one player under the spotlight, instead focusing on the team and their cohesion, but even he couldn\u2019t deny Gardner\u2019s role. \u201cHe\u2019s not the only one, but he\u2019s going to play a big part in the series,\u201d said DaSilva. \u201cHe\u2019s had some playoff experience, he\u2019s one of the best goalies in the league, and we have full confidence in him.\u201d<\/p>\n Zach Olsen<\/p>\n Another player DaSilva has high expectations of is Zach Olsen, a burgeoning power forward who can greatly affect the flow of the game around him. \u201cZach\u2019s built for playoffs,\u201d said DaSilva. \u201cHe plays every game like it\u2019s a playoff game: fast, physical, relentless on the forecheck, hard to play against. He\u2019s going to be one of those guys, a bit of an x-factor for us. He\u2019ll play a big role in all areas of the ice, and he plays in all situations, so Zach will be someone we expect to drive the bus a little bit for us in the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n Olsen\u2019s aggressive style earned him a spot on the WHL Top Prospects roster, where he was one of the most noticeable players on the ice <\/a>until a hand injury took him out of the game. He returned to the team on Mar. 18 against the Wheat Kings, and it looked like he had never left \u2013 he was full of energy every shift, attacking the puck and forcing turnovers and mistakes with his hard, physical play. He\u2019ll be a constant thorn in Edmonton\u2019s side all series long. <\/p>\n Rowan Calvert<\/p>\n In his 20-year-old season, Calvert led the Blades with 31 goals, finishing 24th in league scoring. Like Olsen, he\u2019s a hard-working, two-way forward, but he also brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. Along with Gardner and Parr, he experienced the heartbreak of losing to the Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2024 Eastern Conference Final. Everyone knew the winner of that game had a great chance to take the Ed Chynoweth Cup, and after six overtime games, Saskatoon fell by just one goal at home. <\/p>\n The only problem is that Calvert went down with an injury in the Blades\u2019 second-last game of the season. He\u2019s currently day-to-day, but the team is hopeful he\u2019s close to returning. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be massive (to get him back),\u201d said Parr. \u201cHe\u2019s a huge part of our team. He does everything for us off the ice, leadership in between periods, stuff like that.\u201d Calvert has been a huge part of the playoff push <\/a>this season, and it would be heartbreaking to see him miss his final go-around with the Blades. <\/p>\n The Penalty Kill<\/p>\n The last x-factor is the Blades\u2019 penalty kill. \u201cI think during the regular season, their power play was pretty lethal against us,\u201d said Gardner. \u201cThey were always doing damage through the regular season against us on their power play, so I think if we really buy in on our PK and find a way to shut them down throughout the series and really frustrate them, that\u2019ll be a key to getting some wins and potentially winning the series.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of the reason it has lagged in the past is injuries. The Blades\u2019 defence has been hit with injury after injury; Derek Thurston, acquired back in November, <\/a>was expected to bring a gritty, playoff brand of hockey to the blue line, but has been on the sidelines since December. Jordan Martin, Isaac Poll, and Kaden Allan have also missed significant time, forcing the team to rely on rookies Luke Dumas and Jack Lavallee much more than expected. But with everyone healthy, the Blades are ready for whatever is thrown at them.<\/p>\n Blades Ready for a Tough Series<\/p>\n The Blades aren\u2019t strangers to what they\u2019re up against. The Oil Kings boast several World Junior players, including MacKenzie, Holinka, and Curran. But they still believe in their ability to upset a top team. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re fired up in that room,\u201d said assistant captain Brayden Klimpke<\/a>. \u201cI think we all believe in this group, and we know the kind of damage we can do. We have a lot of confidence going into this series, and we\u2019re all excited\u2026Every team is zero wins, zero losses, everyone has zero points, so I think it\u2019s a big reset for everyone, and I don\u2019t think it matters what seed we are or if they\u2019re higher than us, it doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n The Blades and Oil Kings get underway on Friday, Mar. 27, at Rogers Centre in Edmonton at 7:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, returning to Saskatoon for games three and four on Mar. 31 and Apr. 1. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a>![\"David](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/David-Lewandowski-Blades-1200x879.jpg\")
David Lewandowski, Saskatoon Blades (Photo credit: Rick Elvin)<\/p>\n
Playoffs (21 GP): 12 Assists\/18 Points
Total (185 GP): 178 Assists\/281 Points<\/p>\n![\"Evan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Evan-Gardener-Blades-1200x735.jpg\")
Evan Gardner, Saskatoon Blades (Photo Credit: Rick Elvin)<\/p>\n![\"SUBSCRIBE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Substack_Banner_2025_Draft-1-1200x122.jpg\")
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