Hitmen’s Quick Start Deflates Pats

By Colton Hordichuk – ReginaPats.com

Friday’s nights game against the Calgary Hitmen was the first game for Regina Pats following the WHL trade deadline. The Hitmen have topped the Pats both times they have met this season, and the Blue and White looked to rebound from a loss to the Prince Albert Raiders this past Wednesday.

Merely 13-seconds into the game, the Hitmen drew first blood when Brooks Macek sniped a bar-down goal over Pats goaltender Teagan Sacher’s glove. Cody Sylvester received an assist on the play. The visitors increased their lead to two goals after Brady Brassart did all the work himself, and slapped in his seventeenth goal of the year at the 5:45 mark.

Throughout the rest of the first period, penalties plagued the Blue and White. Pats Carson Samoridny, Trent Ouellette, and Luke Fenske were all called for stick infractions in the opening frame. Brassart scored again from Alex Roach and Sylvester on a Hitmen five-on-three powerplay. The Hitmen led 3-0 at the end of 20-minutes.

Matt Hewitt replaced Sacher for the Blue and White to start the second. Greg Chase was called for charging at 13:48 that put the Hitmen down a man. It took Morgan Klimchuk 48-seconds to get the home team on the board. Klimchuk’s powerplay goal was assisted by Dyson Stevenson and Lane Scheidl.

Roach and Brassart each took back-to-back minors for the Hitmen that gave the Pats four conescutive minutes of powerplay time midway through the frame. The Pats had excellent chances, but failed to convert with the man-advantage. Jake Virtanen tallied a goal for the visitors from Colten Mayor and Spencer Humphries with 1:32 to go in the second period. Twenty-six seconds after Virtanen’s goal, Brassart received a delay of game penalty. At the end of two periods, the Hitmen led the Pats 4-1 and Brassart’s penalty carried over to the third period.

Chandler Stephenson was called for high-sticking 18-seconds into the third period that evened the teams up four-on-four. Two-seconds after Stephenson was called for his infraction, Virtanen potted his second goal of the game off of the faceoff. The Hitmen continued to find the back of the net. Brendan Hurley made the score 6-1 for the visitors with a goal from Chase Lang and Jaynen Rissling 5:12 into the final period.

Brassart received his third minor penalty for interference at 12:21, but the Pats failed to convert on their sixth powerplay of the game. Pats Scheidl was called for slashing with 5:25 to go in the third. No goals were scored while Scheidl served his minor. The Blue and White couldn’t muster up any offense in the final minutes of the game as the Calgary Hitmen downed the Pats 6-1.

Three Stars
Brassart – 2G
Macek – 1A
Driedger – 32SVS

Next Game: @ Brandon – Saturday, January 12th – 7:30 p.m. (CKRM)

Next Home Game: vs. Kootenay – Friday, January 18th – 7:00 p.m. (CKRM)