RECAP: Pats unable to dull Blades in 5-2 loss
Final Score: Blades 5, Pats 2
Record: 9-9-1-1 (20 Points)
Saskatoon, Sask. — The Regina Pats closed out a tough three-in-three weekend with a hard-fought 5-2 loss to the hometown Saskatoon Blades at the SaskTel Centre. A slow start hampered the Pats early on but they battled hard, as the Blades were just too much for the visitors to handle.
Jayden Weins scored twice on the powerplay, while Trevor Wong, Lukas Hansen, and Vaughan Watterodt (empty net) added singles for the Blades. Austin Elliott stopped 32 of 34 shots in the win.
Connor Bedard and Alexander Suzdalev replied for the Pats. Drew Sim was called upon to make 22 saves on 26 shots in the loss.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Howe holds in it & finds Bedard behind the defence.
We all know what happened next…#CB98 | #REGvsSAS pic.twitter.com/nCNPrdfVKa
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) November 13, 2022
THE GOALS
First Period
SAS 0-1 at 13:03 — Trevor Wong (8), assisted by Brandon Lisowsky // A miscue in the neutral zone led to a two-on-one for the Blades which Wong converted to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
SAS 0-2 at 14:59 — Jayden Weins (4), assisted by Aidan De La Gorgendiere (PP) // The Blades won an offensive zone faceoff to De La Gorgendiere at the point who let a point shot fly. Sim stopped it but had trouble with the rebound and Weins tucked it home. The powerplay marker gave the Blades a 2-0 lead in the latter stages of the first period.
Second Period
SAS 0-3 at 17:02 — Lukas Hansen (3), assisted by Jordan Keller // Hansen blew by the Pats defender, got around him, and with a nice move tucked the puck past Sim’s right pad to extend the Blades lead to 3-0.
REG 1-3 at 18:35 — Connor Bedard (18), assisted by Borya Valis // Howe held the puck in at the blue line and sent a pass to Bedard who got behind the Blades defense, and pulled off a nifty backhand-forehand move that beat Austin Elliott to get the Pats back to within a pair at 3-1.
Third Period
REG 2-3 at 45 seconds — Alexander Suzdalev (10), assisted by Connor Bedard and Howe (PP) // Bedard worked his way into the offensive zone, sent a pass to Suzdalev in the slot who fired it glove side past Elliott to get the Pats to within one at 3-2.
SAS 2-4 at 10:27 — Jayden Weins (5), assisted by Egor Sidorov and Aidan De La Gorgendiere (PP) // The Blades worked the puck around the offensive zone and a pass goes off a Pats defender and Weins got near the blue paint and tucked it home to extend the Blades lead to a pair at 4-2.
SAS 2-5 at 18:50 — Vaughn Watterodt (3), unassisted // From deep in the Blades zone, Watterodt cleared the puck down the ice and hit the empty net, sealing the game at 5-2.
STATISTICS
SOG: REG — 6-13-15-34 | SAS — 8-7-12-27
PP: REG — 1/4 | SAS — 2/3
Face-Offs: REG — 33 | SAS — 28
GOALTENDING BATTLE
Regina: Drew Sim (26 shots / 22 saves)
Saskatoon: Austin Elliott (34 shots / 32 saves)
3 STARS
First: Weins (2PP goals) – Blades
Second: Elliott (32 saves on 34 shots) – Blades
Third: Bedard (1G-1A) – Pats
NOTES
- Connor Bedard extended his point streak to 19 games (18G-25A-43PTS) with a goal and assist. He now has 21 points (8G-13A) over his last seven games.
- Alexander Suzdalev extended his point-streak to six games (4G-8A-12PTS) with his team-leading seventh powerplay marker of the season.
- After ending a three-game pointless streak on Saturday, Tanner Howe added a pair of assists and now has six points in his last two outings (2G-4A).
- Despite the Pats’ point-streak ending at three games (2-0-1-0), they did collect five of a possible eight points in their four games in a five day week.
- Corbin Vaughan returned to the Pats blueline after serving his four-game suspension.
UP NEXT
The Pats’ next nine games are on the road, first up is a pair of contests in Winnipeg where they will face the ICE. The first matchup is Thursday, November 17 at 7:05 and then they meet again on Saturday, November 19th at 8:05.
