RECAP: Pats Rally Past Blades Again, Improve to 7-2 in Last Nine with 6–3 Win
Regina, Sask. – The Regina Pats continued their late-season surge on Saturday night, erasing another deficit to defeat the Saskatoon Blades 6–3 at the Brandt Centre. The victory marked Regina’s third win over Saskatoon this season and lifted the Pats to 7–2 over their last nine games.
Maddox Schultz led the charge with a three-point performance, tying his career high by scoring twice and adding a primary assist. Schultz has now scored five of his 10 goals this season against the Blades and is red-hot with 7G–5A–12PTS over his last 10 games.
Regina opened the scoring early on their first shot as Schultz struck at 2:08 of the first period after a slick feed from Keets Fawcett to give Regina a 1–0 lead. The Blades answered with goals from Hunter Laing and Jordan Martin to go up 2–1, before Dayton Deschamps wired a shot off the post and in late in the frame to tie the game 2–2 heading into the intermission.
Regina took control in the second period as Schultz pounced on a rebound at 7:09, finishing a play started by Reese Hamilton and Ephram McNutt to restore the Pats’ lead at 3–2.
The Pats wasted no time extending the advantage in the third. Just 13 seconds in, Mathis Paull jammed home a rebound to make it 4–2, and at 3:45 McNutt capped off a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play to push the lead to 5–2. McNutt finished the night with a goal and an assist, giving him points in eight of his last 10 games (3G–9A–13PTS).
Saskatoon made a push midway through the third when Rowan Calvert buried a loose puck to cut the deficit to 5–3, but goaltender Marek Schlenker slammed the door from there. Schlenker turned aside 38 of 41 shots, including 16 saves in the third period, to secure his 16th win of the season. Connor Bear sealed the result with an empty-net goal late.
FINAL: Regina Pats 6, Saskatoon Blades 3
THE GOALS
First Period
Pats 1-0 — #19 Maddox Schultz (9), assisted by #10 Keets Fawcett & #38 Dayton Deschamps at 2:08 // Fawcett made a pretty pass through the middle for Maddox Schultz who used his speed to split the defence before roofing a hard shot top corner to open the scoring.
Blades 1-1 — #27 Hunter Laing (23), assisted by #23 Rowan Calvert at 6:05 // Calvert stole the puck away behind the Pats net and slipped a pass in front to an open Laing who made no mistake, tying the game 1-1.
Blades 2-1 — #3 Jordan Martin (4), assisted by #4 Brayden Klimpke & #71 Ben Bowtell at 16:30 // After an extended attacking zone shift for Saskatoon, Martin got the puck at the line and found the top corner through traffic to gain the lead, 2-1.
Pats 2-2 — #38 Dayton Deschamps (2), assisted by #37 Cohen Klassen & #18 Zach Moore at 19:26 // Deschamps got the puck at the blueline, cut towards the left circle and ripped a puck off the post and in to tie the contest late in the first.
Second Period
Pats 3-2 — #19 Maddox Schultz (10), assisted by #6 Reese Hamilton & #55 Ephram McNutt at 7:09 // Hamilton stickhandled his way to the front of the net and sent a shot that was first stopped by Ryley Budd, and sent home by Maddox Schultz to take the lead.
Third Period
Pats 4-2 — #32 Mathis Paull (5), assisted by #13 Liam Pue at 0:13 // Pue got the puck along the right wall and sent it in front to Paull who had his first shot stopped, but he stayed with it and wacked in the rebound, making it 4-2 just 13 seconds into the third.
Pats 5-2 — #55 Ephram McNutt (12), assisted by #19 Maddox Schultz & #57 Zachary Lansard at 3:45 // The Regina Pats executed a perfect tic-tac-toe as Lansard found Schultz on the left side who quickly sent it backdoor for McNutt, and he made no mistake to extend the lead to 5-2.
Blades 5-3 — #23 Rowan Calvert (26), assisted by #47 Tristen Doyle & #27 Hunter Laing at 11:21 // After a mad scramble in front, Calvert found a loose puck outside the crease and ripped it home to make things interesting at 5-3.
Blades 6-3 — #20 Connor Bear (6), unassisted at 17:43 (EN) // Bear picked up the puck near centre and sent it into the empty net to ice the contest.
Shots on Goal
-
Pats: 5 – 16 – 10 — 31
-
Blades: 14 – 10 – 17 — 41
Power Plays
-
Pats: 0/1
-
Blades: 0/1
Goaltending
-
Pats: Marek Schlenker — 38 saves on 41 shots
-
Blades: Ryley Budd — 24 saves on 29 shots
Three Stars
- First Star: #19 Maddox Schultz (2G-1A)
- Second Star: #38 Dayton Deschamps (1G-1A)
- Third Star: #35 Marek Schlenker (38SV)
COMING UP
The Regina Pats continue their homestand on Tuesday when they faceoff against the Medicine Hat Tigers inside the Brandt Centre. The Pats will then host the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday, March 6.
