Game Day Preview: Pats Look to Bounce Back in Game Two Saturday
March 24, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Regina Pats News Release
The Regina Pats (0-1) look to even their first round playoff series in game two Saturday night on the road against the Swift Current Broncos (1-0). Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at Innovation Credit Union Iplex. The Broncos used a three goal first period to take game one of the best-of-seven series 3-0 on Friday night. The game can be heard starting at 6:35 with Bennett Dunlop Ford Pats Hockey on 620 CKRM. The game will also be broadcast on Access 7.
Playoffs Comparison Regina Swift Current
Record 0-1 1-0
Goals For/Against 0/3 (-3) 3/0 (+3)
Powerplay 0.0% (0/4) 25.0% (2/8)
Penalty Kill 75.0% (6/8) 100.0% (4/4)
Team Save Percentage 0.885 1.000
Leading Scorer N/A Aleksi Heponiemi (0-2-2)
Leading Scorer (Defence) N/A Anderson/Sissons (0-1-1)
Scoring by Period (1st-2nd-3rd-OT) 0-0-0-0 3-0-0-0
Regular Season Comparison Regina Swift Current
Record 40-25-6-1 48-17-5-2
Goals For/Against 245/235 (+10) 284/213 (+71)
Powerplay 24.1% (71/294) 29.4% (82/279)
Penalty Kill 75.8% (235/310) 79.5% (248/312)
Team Save Percentage 0.896 0.912
Leading Scorer Cameron Hebig (41-49-90) Glenn Gawdin (56-69-125)
Leading Scorer (Defence) Josh Mahura (22-47-69) Colby Sissons (13-58-71)
Scoring by Period (1st-2nd-3rd-OT) 68-83-86-7 97-88-89-6
The Lead Up: Pats fall 3-0 in game one Friday
The Regina Pats dropped game one of their first round playoff series in Swift Current, 3-0 to the Broncos on Friday night. Swift Current got off to a fast start when Beck Malenstyn put a puck home after a bounce off the end boards to make it 1-0 less than four minutes in. The Pats were shorthanded five times in the first and Swift Current capitalized on two of them. First, Tyler Steenbergen scored from the right circle and then Matteo Gennaro tipped a point shot and the Pats trailed 3-0 after one. Regina would outshoot Swift Current 20-14 the rest of the way, but Stuart Skinner held the fort and the Pats fell 3-0 in game one. Regina outshot the Broncos 34-26, the power play was oh for four, the penalty kill was six for eight and Ryan Kubic made 23 saves.
Game Ones
The Regina Pats have lost four straight game ones in playoff series' going back to the 2017 post-season. The club won game one in round one against Calgary last year, but fell in game one against Swift Current, Lethbridge and Seattle in the next three rounds. However, the Pats have bounced back and won game two each time after falling in the first game of the series. Regina bounced back in 2017 with a 6-2 win over the Broncos in game two of round two, beat Lethbridge 3-2 in overtime in game two of the Eastern Conference Championship and beat Seattle 4-3 in overtime in game two of the WHL Championship series. The Pats last game two loss was April 10, 2016 in Red Deer.
Kubic Solid in Playoff Debut
Pats goaltender Ryan Kubic had a solid night in his first ever WHL playoff start on Friday night. The 19-year-old made 23 saves on 26 shots in the defeat. The product of St. Andrews, Manitoba really settled in after the Broncos scored three times in the first period, making 14 saves in the next two periods including an incredible glove hand stop on Tyler Steenbergen in the third.
Faceoff Success
The Regina Pats won 33 of 59 faceoffs in game one and are one of the top faceoff teams in the WHL this year. Sam Steel, Matt Bradley, Cameron Hebig and Jake Leschyshyn are all over 50 per cent for the season in the faceoff circle. In game one, Bradley went eight for nine, Leschyshyn went seven for 10, Steel 10 for 19, and Hebig three for seven.
Upcoming Schedule
Game 3, Pats Vs Swift Current - Monday March 26, 7 p.m. - Brandt Centre (CKRM)
Game 4, Pats Vs Swift Current - Wednesday March 28, 7 p.m. - Brandt Centre (CKRM)
Game 5, Pats @ Swift Current - Friday March 30, 7 p.m. - Brandt Centre (CKRM) If Necessary
Western Hockey League Stories from March 24, 2018
- Raiders Drop Game 2 In Overtime - Prince Albert Raiders
- Hebig Lifts Pats to Tie Series - Regina Pats
- Winterhawks Game Day Preview: Portland (0-0) vs. Spokane (0-0) - Portland Winterhawks
- Catch the 2018 WHL Playoffs Exclusively on AccessTV - WHL
- Wheat Kings Drop Series Opener - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Game Day Preview: Pats Look to Bounce Back in Game Two Saturday - Regina Pats
- Giants Earn a 2-1 Road Victory in Game 1 of Their First-Round Series with Victoria - Vancouver Giants
- Silvertips Ease past Seattle for 1-0 Series Edge - Everett Silvertips
- Royals Downed by Giants in Game 1 - Victoria Royals
- Skinner, Broncos Slam the Door Shut in Game 1 - Swift Current Broncos
- Silvertips Take Game 1 - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Rebels' Stymied by 'Canes Netminder, Ineffective Special Teams - Red Deer Rebels
- Tigers Hunt Down Wheat Kings 7-2 - Medicine Hat Tigers
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