RECAP: Valis’ First Career Hat-Trick Leads Pats Past Oil Kings
Final Score: Pats 7, Oil Kings 4
Record: 8-8-0-1 (17 Points)
Regina, Sask. — After a somewhat slow start during Wednesday’s Canadian Armed Forces Night at the Brandt Centre, the Regina Pats erupted for a 7-4 win over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. The win moves the Pats back to .500 going into a key weekend set.
Borya Valis scored his first career hat-trick and Connor Bedard had a five-point night (1G-4A) to lead the Pats in the victory. Braxton Whitehead, Alexander Suzdalev, and Layton Feist rounded out the scoring for the Pats. Drew Sim stopped 18 of 22 Oil Kings blasts in the win.
Rhett Melnyk, Marshall Finnie, Carson Golder, and Luca Hauf replied for the visiting Oil Kings. Ronin Geraghty made 24 stops on 31 shots in the loss.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Monkey off the back for Braxton Whitehead, who buries his first of the season!
1-0 good guys 2:26 into the 1st!#ItsGoTime | #REGvsEDM pic.twitter.com/yOed3aDWxm
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) November 10, 2022
THE GOALS
First Period
REG 1-0 at 2:26 — Braxton Whitehead (1), assisted by Jakob Brook and Stanislav Svozil // On a beautiful individual play, Whitehead carried the puck through the neutral zone, fell down in the process but chipped it past the Oil Kings’ defence where he got up and fired home a nice shot high over Ronin Geraghty’ glove to give the Pats a 1-0 lead early in the contest which just so happened to be his first of the season.
REG 2-0 at 4:52 — Borya Valis (6), assisted by Connor Bedard and Alexander Suzdalev (PP) // With the Pats on the powerplay, Bedard drew multiple defenders to him and he sent a pass through the slot to Valis who buried the puck to extend the Pats lead to 2-0.
EDM 2-1 at 14:29 — Rhett Melnyk (5), assisted by Luca Hauf and MArshall Finnie // As an Oil Kings powerplay was just expiring, they got the puck down low and Melynk was able to chip the puck over Drew Sim to pull the Oil Kings to within one at 2-1.
Second Period
EDM 2-2 at 10:51 — Marshall Finnie (3), assisted by Luca Hauf and Ethan Peters // After the Pats had multiple scoring chances, the Oil Kings regained control and made the Pats pay as Finnie connects to tie the game up at 2-2 just over half-way through the contest.
REG 3-2 at 18:24 — Connor Bedard (14), assisted by Jakob Brook // Oil Kings goalie Geraghty made a nice save on Bedard but the puck ended up back with him and he buried the puck past the down-and-out goalie to restore the Pats one goal lead at 3-2 late in the middle frame.
Third Period
REG 4-2 at 1:41 — Layton Feist (2), assisted by Sam Oremba // Oremba got the puck deep in the Oil Kings zone and was able to shovel it to the front of the cage to a pinching Feist who finished off the play to extend the Pats lead back to a pair at 4-2.
REG 5-2 at 3:19 — Alexander Suzdalev (8), assisted by Borya Valis and Connor Bedard // Valis got the puck along the far boards and fed a nice cross-ice pass to Suzdalev who one-timed the puck past Geraghty to extend the lead to three at 5-2.
REG 6-2 at 5:49 — Borya Valis (7), assisted by Connor Bedard and Tanner Brown (PP) // The Pats worked the puck around the Oil Kings zone where it got to Valis in the slot who fired a snap shot that beat the Oil Kings netminder high to the glove side to give the Pats a 6-2 lead.
REG 7-2 at 7:54 — Borya Valis (8), assisted by Alexander Suzdalev and Connor Bedard // Just as a Pats powerplay was expiring, the puck found its way to Valis who fired a low shot that beat Geraghty to finish the hat-trick and give the Pats a five-goal lead at 7-2.
EDM 7-3 at 10:15 — Carson Golder (4), assisted by Logan Dowhaniuk // The Oil Kings broke in on a rush and Golder let a low shot go that beat Sim on his glove side to pull the Oil Kings to within four at 7-3.
EDM 7-4 at 13:38 — Luca Hauf (3), assisted by Logan Dowhaniuk and Mason Finley (PP) // The Oil Kings workd it around the zone and Hauf scores on the powerplay to pull Edmonton to within three at 7-4.
STATISTICS
SOG: REG — 8-9-14-31 | EDM — 7-6-9-22
PP: REG — 2/7 | EDM — 2/5
Face-Offs: REG — 34 | EDM — 31
GOALTENDING BATTLE
Regina: Drew Sim (22 shots/ 18 saves)
Edmonton: Ronin Geraghty (31 shots/ 24 saves)
3 STARS
First: Valis (3G-1) – Pats
Second: Bedard (1G-4A) – Pats
Third: Whitehead (1G) – Pats
NOTES
- Connor Bedard extended his point streak to 16 games (14G-22A-36PTS) with a goal and four assists.
- Borya Valis scored his first career hat-trick and added an assist for a career-high four-point night.
- Drew Sim picked up his sixth win of the season, which equals his total of 2021-22, which matches his career high.
- Stanislav Svozil extended his point streak to six games (2G-7A-9PTS).
- Braxton Whitehead scored his first goal of the season and Jakob Brook picked up his first point of the campaign on the Whitehead goal.
- 17-year-old forward Zackary Shantz made his Pat debut and will be the 1,248th skater to play in a regular season or playoff game in franchise history.
UP NEXT
The Pats travel west down Highway One to Swift Current for a Remembrance Day encounter on Friday night November 11th at 7:00 PM. The Pats return home on Saturday, November 12th when they play host to the CHL number one ranked Red Deer Rebels, 7:00 PM puck drop at the Brandt Centre. You can purchase your tickets here. The Queen City Kids close out a busy weekend when they travel to Saskatoon to take on the Blades on Sunday, November 13th, puck drops at 4:00 PM.
