RECAP: Bedard & Howe lead Pats as they tame the Tigers 6-3
Final Score: Pats 6, Tigers 3
Record: 27-24-2-1 (57 Points)
Regina, Sask. — Connor Bedard tied his career-high with six points and Tanner Howe tallied four points in a 6-3 Regina Pats win over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night at the Brandt Centre.
The Pats took a 3-1 lead into the third period and extended it to 4-1 when they scored their fastest goal to start a frame this season as Svzoil fed a pass up the middle to Howe for insurance, which proved to be the winner. Connor Bedard collected a point on five of the six Regina goals while Stanislav Svozil chipped in with three assists and Tanner Howe tallied his sixth 4+ point game (2G-2A) of the season. Zack Stringer tallied two points (1G-1A) and Tye Spencer and Sam Oremba rounded out the scoring in the Pats’ second-straight win. Drew Sim made 26 saves for his 23rd win of the season.
For the Tigers, they got goals from Oasiz Wiesblatt (1G-1A) Bogdans Hodass (1G-1A), and Hunter St. Martin. Evan May made 25 saves in the loss. The season series is now 2-1 for the Tigers with one more meeting left in the season which is set for March 11 in Medicine Hat.
The Pats are now in sole possession of sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with 57 points.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT
🚨 #CB98 PUTTIN' ON THE MOVES 🚨
Sam Oremba puts home the loose garbage in front after a fantastic dangle from Bedard.
We lead 2-1.#LegendsInTheMaking | #REGvsMH pic.twitter.com/xv7rvJhccO
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) February 23, 2023
THE GOALS
First Period
REG 1-0 at 7:33 — Tanner Howe (27), assisted by Connor Bedard and Alexander Suzdalev (5-on-3)// With the Pats on a 5-on-3 power play, they worked it around the point and eventually Bedard sent the puck toward the net and Howe tipped it past May to give the Pats a 1-0 lead.
MH 1-1 at 10:11 — Hunter St. Martin (5), assisted by Oasiz Wiesblatt and Bogdans Hodass // St. Martin found himself all alone behind the Pats line and tucked the puck through Sim’s five-hole to get the Tigers even at 1-1 midway through the first period.
REG 2-1 at 16:03 — Sam Oremba (8), assisted by Connor Bedard and Stanislav Svozil // Bedard danced his way around the Tigers zone, and found a wide-open Oremba in front of the net where his first shot was stopped but he put the rebound past May to give the Pats a 2-1 lead late in the first period.
Second Period
REG 3-1 at 10:34 — Connor Bedard (52), assisted by Zack Stringer and Tanner Howe // Stringer worked the puck into the Tigers zone along the right boards and chipped a pass to Bedard who ripped a one-timer past May to extend the Pats lead to a pair at 3-1.
Third Period
REG 4-1 at 7 seconds — Tanner Howe (28), assisted by Stanislav Svozil and Connor Bedard // Svozil sent a pass blueline to blueline to Howe to spring him on a breakaway and he made no mistake as he buried his second of the game to give the Pats a three-goal advantage at 4-1.
MH 4-2 at 2:41 — Oasiz Wiesblatt (21), assisted by Dru Krebs and Brendan Lee (PP) // The Tigers worked the puck around the Pats’ zone and Wiesblatt finished a give-and-go to get the Tigers back to within a pair at 4-2.
🚨 SLIPS IT FIVE-HOLE 🚨
Zack Stringer beats May between the wickets to increase our lead to 5-2!
Great set-up from Howie for his 4th point of the night.#LegendsInTheMaking | #REGvsMH pic.twitter.com/bOHcIatQWp
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) February 23, 2023
REG 5-2 at 8:04 — Zack Stringer (4), assisted by Tanner Howe and Connor Bedard // Howe sent a pass deep to Stringer who kicked the puck up to his stick and let a quick shot go that beat May five-hole to give the Pats a 5-2 lead near the midway point of the third stanza.
MH 5-3 at 16:09 — Bogdans Hodass (10), assisted by Dallon Mellin and Tomas Mrsic (PP) // Hodass’ long shot beat a screened Sim to get the Tigers to within a pair at 5-3.
REG 6-3 at 19:04 — Tye Spencer (5), assisted by Stanislav Svozil and Connor Bedard (5-on-3) // Svozil sent a cross-ice pass to Spencer who was stopped on his first attempt but jammed it past the Tiger netminder to seal the game at 6-3.
STATISTICS
SOG: REG — 11-5-15-31 | MH 10-11-8-29
PP: REG — 2/5 | MH — 2/6
Face-Offs: REG — 27 | MH — 27
GOALTENDING BATTLE
Regina: Drew Sim (29 shots/26 saves)
Medicine Hat: Evan May (31 shots/25 saves)
3 STARS
First: Howe (2G-2A, +3, 6 shots) – Pats
Second: Bedard (1G-5A, +4, 4 shots) – Pats
Third: Stringer (1G-1A, +3, 2 shots) – Pats
NOTES
- Connor Bedard scored once and added five assists to reach 111 points on the season (52G-59A) and his second career six-point game which is also his first five-assist game. He is the first Pat to have back-to-back 50-goal seasons since Mike Sillinger had 50 in three-straight seasons (1988-89, 1989-90, and 1990-91). He also has 100 points in back-to-back seasons. He leads the WHL in goals (52), assists (59), points (111), and shots on goal (281). He has 25 goals, 22 assists, and 47 points in 15 games since returning from the World Juniors. He has 21 points (8G-13A) in six games since his 35-game point streak was broken on February 3.
- Stanislav Svozil picked up three assists tonight. He now has 23 points (2G-21A) in 14 games since returning from the World Juniors.
- Tanner Howe scored twice and added a pair of assists for a four-point game which extended his point streak to six games (5G-5A). His first-period goal was the 27th of the season which tied his career high in 11 fewer games (53GP in 2022-23 and 64 GP in 2021-22).
- Alexander Suzdalev ended a mini two-game pointless streak with an assist. He has 22 points (9G-13A) in his last 15 games.
- Zack Stringer picked up a goal and an assist to end a three-game pointless streak.
- Tye Spencer scored a late goal which gives him a two-game point streak and five points (2G-3A) in his last five games since returning from injury.
- Riley Ginnell returned to the line-up after missing 10 games with an injury.
UP NEXT
The Pats travel to Brandon on Friday, February 24th to face the Wheat Kings at Westoba Place in a 7:00 pm face-off. They return home the next night to conclude the home-and-home against Wheat Kings with a 7:00 pm puck drop on Saturday, February 25 at the Brandt Centre. Get your tickets here.
