PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Pats Face Elimination in Game 5 Showdown in Medicine Hat

Regina, Sask. — The Regina Pats take on the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday at Co-op Place, looking to keep the series alive down 3-1.

WHL PLAYOFF GAME #5 | Regina Pats (25-34-7-2) at Medicine Hat Tigers (50-10-5-3)

GAME PREVIEW

The Regina Pats will look to keep their season alive on Saturday night as they visit the Medicine Hat Tigers for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series at Co-op Place. Down 3-1 in the best-of-seven, the Pats are in must-win territory as they try to force a Game 6 back home at the Brandt Centre on Sunday.

Regina is coming off a hard-fought 4-2 loss on home ice in Game 4, a contest that was tighter than the score suggests. The Pats opened the scoring midway through the first period when Zachary Lansard finished a slick passing play from Cohen Klassen, but the Tigers answered quickly before capitalizing on a late turnover to take a 2-1 lead into the break.

Medicine Hat pulled away in the second period with a pair of goals, including one on the power play, to stretch the lead to 4-1. Despite the deficit, the Pats kept pushing. Ruslan Karimov brought Regina back within two with a determined wraparound effort, and the club continued to generate chances, finishing with 30 shots. However, they couldn’t close the gap, falling 4-2. Both teams recorded 30 shots, while Taylor Tabashniuk made 26 saves to keep Regina within reach. Special teams proved pivotal, with the Tigers going 1-for-5 and the Pats 0-for-3.

The Pats’ lone win in the series came in Game 2 last Saturday, a 4-2 victory in Medicine Hat that marked Regina’s first win at Co-op Place since 2021. Marek Schlenker turned aside 21 shots in the win, while goals came from Lansard, Ephram McNutt, Karimov, and Jace Egland in a balanced offensive effort.

WHO TO WATCH

Ruslan Karimov has been a bright spot for the Pats, leading the team with three goals in the series and scoring in each of the last three games. The 18-year-old posted 39 points (17G-22A) in 61 regular season games, and including playoffs, now has 20 goals in 65 games with the Pats. His ability to generate offence and find timely goals will be crucial in a must-win scenario.

For the Tigers, Andrew Basha (2G-5A) and Jonas Woo (3G-4A) have each recorded seven points through four games, leading the offensive charge. Yaroslav Bryzgalov and Markus Ruck have also been key contributors with five points apiece, giving Medicine Hat plenty of depth heading into Game 5.

COMING UP

With their season on the line, the Pats will need a full 60-minute effort to extend the series and bring it back to Regina. With a win, the Pats will play on Sunday, April 5 at 6pm.