From the drop of the puck the Saskatoon Blades set the tone in a 5-1 win over the Swift Current Broncos to open the WHL season.

A hit right off the opening face-off seemed to be the start of the ice tilting in Saskatoon's favour early in a game where the Broncos couldn't find the execution they had during exhibition.

"An unacceptable effort," said Broncos defenceman Kade Jensen. "We've been working hard for how many weeks and we have high expectations. Coming from last year we wanted to come in and get this first win. This is not how we wanted to play we need to change things fast."

In what was the first game of the season for a lineup including seven rookies the situation may have played a part in the slow start.

"I think it's nerves honestly," Jensen said. "A lot of guys coming to their first game opening night lots of people I think nerves come into play. You come into the WHL you can't be nervous. You have to be able to play, know the systems and get stuff done. Like I said unacceptable just embarrassing."

The Broncos went 5-2-0-1 in the pre-season and felt they were getting comfortable with their system. They fell out of structure on this night.

"I wasn't very happy with it I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that was disappointed with the result, the effort and the game," said Broncos associate coach Ryan Smith. "Saskatoon came in and handed to us pretty good in our home opener. Our structure was not there tonight. We had some mistakes made we weren't making in the pre-season. I thought we didn't generate enough offence and we took too many penalties."

The Blades jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Mason McCarty and Jesse Shinkaruk goals while carrying the bulk of the play in the first period. Momentum briefly turned for Swift Current after Jensen dropped the gloves with Lukus Mackenzie following the Blades player's big hit on rookie Aleksi Heopniemi.

"As an older guy on the team obviously he's one of our skill guys I want to protect him," Jensen said. "I want to protect him and I want to protect my teammates. If that stuff has to happen it has to happen. You don't win them all but it really just matters that you show up and fight for your team."

The Broncos seemed to grab some energy from the fight and pushed back. That's when Blades goaltender Logan Flodell answered with a tremendous stick save on Heponiemi's chance late in the first period.

Saskatoon then contained Swift Current throughout most of the second and third periods.

"We have to use this to teach our players and show them some of the things that went wrong and why they went wrong," Smith said. "It's important that we dissect this game. We have a day off in between and we want to make sure our guys understand."

The Broncos had another great chance taken away by Flodell early in the third period only a couple moments before Josh Bruce took advantage of a turnover to extend Saskatoon's lead to 3-0.

The Blades added goals from Logan Christensen and Shinkaruk again to pull away.

Artyom Minulin scored Swift Current's lone goal in the final minute of the game on the power play set up by Heponiemi and Tyler Steenbergen.

Swift Current went 1 for 4 on the man advantage and held the Blades to 1 for 7.

Flodell made 21 saves for his first win with the Blades. Taz Burman stopped 30 for Swift Current.

Both teams were missing key players as the lineups almost still had a pre-season feel to them. The Broncos don't have Glenn Gawdin, Max Lajoie, Colby Sissons or Lane Pederson back from NHL camps yet.

The two teams meet again on Sunday afternoon when the Blades pay tribute to Gordie Howe.

You can hear the game on The Eagle 94.1 FM with Robertson Family Group Broncos Hockey at 1:30pm.