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 Regina Pats

Pats win 7-2

April 1, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Regina Pats News Release


Lethbridge, Alberta - The Regina Pats (4-1) and Lethbridge Hurricanes (1-4) met for Game Five of their first round WHL Playoffs matchup. The Pats jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period and battled to a 7-2 victory. The win clinched the series for Regina, booking the Pats ticket to the second round of the playoffs.

The visiting Pats got off to a great start looking to put away their Albertan opponents. Just over a minute into the period, with a delayed penalty coming to Lethbridge, Sam Steel took a pass from Austin Wagner and fired a shot to the back of the net. Due to the net coming off its peg, a lengthy review was conducted before it was ruled a good goal. Before the game was three minutes old, Lane Zablocki got away a great opportunity only to be stopped by Stuart Skinner. The rookie followed up his chance to put away the goal and a 2-0 lead. Midway through the period, with the Pats on the penalty kill, Steel created a turnover before Cole Sanford fed him the puck for the Pats' third goal of the frame. To put an exclamation point on the period, Zablocki tipped a knee-high Wagner shot to the top of the goal for a 4-0 lead after twenty.

The Pats' guns quieted in the second period despite numerous chances. Hurricanes netminder Jayden Sittler was forced to make 15 saves in the period as the Pats pressed for more. Lethbridge countered the Pats attack with a powerplay and cashed in with a big goal. Brayden Burke fired a shot from the point and it redirected into the goal off Tyler Wong's skate. The Blue and White's penalty kill responded with a big stop late in the frame to keep the score at 4-1 heading into the third period.

The game got tense when Giorgio Estephan cut the Pats lead to 4-2 just over three minutes into the period. With the Hurricanes pressing, the teams went to four-on-four and that set the stage for a Pats speedster. Austin Wagner ripped into the Lethbridge zone on a two-on-one and fired a shot to the back of the net to push the lead back to three. After Wagner shot the puck he was hit hard by Tyler Wong who was assessed a five-minute major. On the ensuing powerplay, Adam Brooks buried a shot from the slot to extend the advantage. Cole Sanford tapped in an empty netter to push the lead to a 7-2 count. That score held as the Pats won their fourth in a row to take the series in five games.

Quick Hits - The Pats advance to the second round of the playoffs for the second year in a row. - Lane Zablocki posted his first two career WHL Playoffs goals. - Austin Wagner (1G, 3A) and Sam Steel (2G,2 A) tallied WHL Playoffs career highs with four points. - Game attendance was 4,902.

What's Next? The Pats await their second round opponent who is yet to be decided between Calgary and Red Deer. Tickets for the second round go on sale Monday, April 4 at reginapats.com, the Brandt Centre Box Office.


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Western Hockey League Stories from April 1, 2016


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