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WHL Regina Pats

Comeback Kids Keep Rolling, Earning Weekend Sweep of Brandon

February 25, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Regina Pats News Release


Regina, Sask. - The Regina Pats captured their fourth straight win, sweeping a home-and-home series against the Brandon Wheat Kings following a 6-3 win on Saturday inside the Brandt Centre.

The Pats overcame a 3-1 deficit after one, scoring three unanswered goals in the second and two more in the third, completing their 13th comeback win of the season. Alexander Suzdalev scored the winner around his first career hat-trick in a four-point game (3G-1A). Kelton Pyne made 35 saves for his first win of the season as he was perfect through the final 40 minutes, making 26 saves in the last two periods.

Stanislav Svozil (1G-2A), Connor Bedard (1G-2A), Tanner Howe (1G-1A), Sam Oremba (2A) and Braxton Whitehead (2A) tallied multi-point games as well in the victory. The Pats have now won four straight games and eight of their last 10 home games.

The Wheat Kings drop their third straight game in the loss. They got goals from Nolan Ritchie, Nate Danielson and Evan Groening as well as 23 saves from Nicholas Jones.

THE GOALS

First Period

REG 1-0 at 5:18 - Alexander Suzdalev (32), assisted by Sam Oremba and Braxton Whitehead // Whitehead started a tic-tac-toe play with a pass to Oremba who in turn found Suzdalev who fired home the opening marker of the game past Jones to give the Pats a 1-0 lead.

BDN 1-1 at 6:14 - Nolan Ritchie (22), assisted by Logen Hammett and Nolan Flamand // A quick reply by the Wheat Kings as Hammett's long-distance shot is tipped by Ritchie and past Pyne to tie the contest up at 1-1 less than a minute after the Pats took the lead.

BDN 1-2 at 10:02 - Nate Danielson (28), assisted by Quinn Mantei // The Wheat Kings put the puck on Pyne and the Pats goaltender had trouble corralling the puck and Danielson deposited the puck on a scramble to give the Wheat Kings a 2-1 lead.

BDN 1-3 at 15:07 - Evan Groening (6), assisted by Roger McQueen and Andrei Malyavin (PP) // Groening carried the puck into the Pats zone and let a wrist shot go that deflected off a Pats defender and by Pyne to give the Wheat Kings a two-goal lead at 3-1.

Second Period

REG 2-3 at 9:38 - Tanner Howe (29), assisted by Stanislav Svozil and Connor Bedard (PP) // Svozil had the puck along the left point, carried it toward the Wheat Kings net, and sent a cross-ice pass to Howe who was a couple of steps off the goalline and he one-timed the puck past Jones to pull the Pats to within one at 3-2.

REG 3-3 at 13:25 - Stanislav Svozil (9), assisted by Connor Bedard and Alexander Suzdalev (PP) // The Pats worked the puck around the offensive zone and Svozil's long wrist shot deflected multiple times before beating Jones to tie the contest up at 3-3.

REG 4-3 at 16:37 - Alexander Suzdalev (33), assisted by Stanislav Svozil // A Wheat Kings turnover in the neutral zone ended up on Svozil's stick and he found Suzdalev streaking into the Wheat Kings zone and sent him on a breakaway. Suzdalev made no mistake and tucked it home to give the Pats a 4-3 lead.

Third Period

REG 5-3 at 8:45 - Alexander Suzdalev (34), assisted by Sam Oremba and Braxton Whitehead // Whitehead skated into the offensive zone and sent a pass to Suzdalev who fired the puck off the left post and water bottle and out. It was Suzdalev's first career hat-trick that gave the Pats an important 5-3 lead midway through the final stanza.

REG 6-3 at 18:07 - Connor Bedard (54), assisted by Tanner Howe and Zack Stringer (EN) // The Pats won a battle for the puck, and Howe and Bedard had a two-on-one with the Wheat Kings net empty. Howe passed to Bedard who settled the puck down and deposited it into the empty net sealing the contest.

STATISTICS

SOG: REG - 7-11-11-29 | BDN 12-14-12-38

PP: REG - 2/2 | BDN - 1/5

Face-Offs: REG - 32| BDN - 34

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Regina: Kelton Pyne (38 shots/35 saves)

Brandon: Nicholas Jones (28 shots/23 saves)

3 STARS

First: Suzdalev (3G-1A, +3, 3 shots) - Pats

Second: Svozil (1G-2A, +2, 5 shots) - Pats

Third: Pyne (35 saves on 38 shots, first win of the season) - Pats

NOTES

Connor Bedard scored once and assisted on a pair of goals to reach 114 points on the season (54G-60A). He leads the WHL in goals (54), assists (60), points (112), and shots on goal (288). He has 27 goals, 23 assists, and 50 points in 16 games since returning from the World Juniors. He has 24 points (10G-14A) in eight games since his 35-game point streak was broken on February 3.

Stanislav Svozil scored his ninth of the season and fourth in his last five games and added a pair of assists. He now has 27 points (4G-23A) in 16 games since returning from the World Juniors. He has also scored in four of his last five games and is now one goal away from his career high of 19 set last year.

Alexander Suzdalev scored his first career hat-trick and added an assist. He has 28 points (14G-14A) in his last 17 games.

Tanner Howe scored and added an assist, which increases his career-best total to 29 and counting. He has 18 points (7G-11A) in his last 13 games.

Kelton Pyne picked up his first win of the season (6 appearances this season).

The Pats have won eight of their last 10 home games.

UP NEXT

The Pats have five days off before they start a busy three-in-three weekend; starting off with a Friday, March 3rd battle with the Winnipeg ICE at 7:00 pm. They return to the ice the next night when they host the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday, March 4th before closing out the weekend with a 4:00 pm contest with the Saskatoon Blades on Sunday, March 5th. All games are at the Brandt Centre. Get your tickets here.

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 25, 2023


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