PREVIEW: Pats Visit Wheat Kings in High-Stakes East Showdown

Regina, Sask. – Two of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference square off Friday night as the Regina Pats hit the road to face the Brandon Wheat Kings.

WHL REGULAR SEASON GAME #57 | Regina Pats (22-27-6-1) at Brandon Wheat Kings (34-23-1-0)

GAME PREVIEW

Both clubs enter the matchup playing some of their best hockey of the season, with each winning six of their last seven games. The Pats arrive in Brandon with momentum after a statement 4–2 comeback win over Prince George on Wednesday, while the Wheat Kings look to bounce back after seeing their own six-game winning streak snapped earlier in the week.

Regina enters Friday’s contest with a 22-27-6-1 record and 51 points, sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. On Wednesday, the Pats showcased their resilience once again, erasing a 2–1 deficit after two periods to defeat Prince George 4–2.

The win marked Regina’s fifth third-period comeback of the season, highlighted by a two-goal night from Keets Fawcett, including the go-ahead goal with just five minutes remaining. Ruslan Karimov tied the game in the third before Zach Moore sealed it with an empty-netter.

Regina outshot the Cougars 39–31, with Marek Schlenker stopping 29 shots for the win. Special teams were a mixed bag, as the Pats went 3-for-4 on the penalty kill but were held scoreless on five power-play opportunities.

Brandon comes in at 34-23-1-0 with 69 points, good for fifth in the East and three points ahead of Saskatoon. Their six-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday with a 4–2 home loss to Prince George, despite a heavy workload for goaltender Filip Ruzicka, who made 46 saves in the defeat.

The Wheat Kings were outshot 50–24 in that contest, with goals coming from Nicolas Johnson and Luke Mistelbacher. Brandon’s power play went 0-for-5, while Prince George converted once in three chances.

WHO TO WATCH

Keets Fawcett continues to drive Regina’s offense. The forward recorded his sixth multi-goal performance of the season on Wednesday and now leads the Pats with 29 goals while sitting second on the team with 54 points. Fawcett has nine points (4G-5A) over his last five games and will be a key factor if Regina is to keep rolling.