Home Fan Powered Pats Try to Even Series
WHL Playoffs Round Two Game Four – Red Deer Rebels at Regina Pats
Brandt Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan (7 p.m.)
620 CKRM, WHL Live Webcast
Regina, Saskatchewan – The Regina Pats (5-3) and Red Deer Rebels (6-2) play their fourth game in five nights at the Brandt Centre (7 p.m.). The Rebels hold a 2-1 series lead heading to the pivotal Game Four. Home ice advantage is holding true through the first three games of the series after the Pats took Game Three last night. The script was similar to the first two games. Red Deer opened the scoring with Jake DeBrusk tallying on the powerplay only to have Jake Leschyshyn respond with a powerplay goal for the Pats. In the second, Michael Spacek gave Red Deer the lead before Sam Steel and Lane Zablocki scored 37 seconds apart to put Regina in front. Nelson Nogier squared things up before the end of the frame. The third period was all Pats. Connor Hobbs put them in front just across the midway point and Rykr Cole struck just 12 seconds later. Austin Wagner iced it with a shorthanded goal late for the 6-3 win. Tune in to tonight’s game on 620 CKRM at 6:35 p.m.
This series features plenty for NHL scouts to watch. The Pats and Rebels combine for five players ranked by Central Scouting’s final list. On the Pats side of things, Sam Steel (30) and Adam Brooks (72) are both ranked. Steel had a career year in 2015-16, finishing with 70 points (23G, 47A) and has stepped it up in the playoffs with 12 points (6G, 6A) in eight games. Adam Brooks leaped 35 spots from the mid-term rankings after leading the league in scoring with 120 points (38G, 72A) in the regular season. Brooks is on top of the scoring race again with 19 points (6G, 13A) in eight playoff games. For the Rebels, Jeff de Wit (80), Brandon Hagel (104) and Colton Bobyk (204) are all ranked.
Up until last night, Brooks, Steel and Cole Sanford had combined for all but one of the Pats goals in the series. Game Three saw Lane Zablocki, Rykr Cole and Jake Leschyshyn, Connor Hobbs and Austin Wagner all find the goal column. Four of those scorers tallied less than 20 goals in the regular season. In all, the Pats had goals from six different scorers and 13 players in the lineup registered points in the victory.
There aren’t many rookies who can claim the playoff experience Jake Leschyshyn brings to the table. Despite being a 1999 birth year, the former 6th overall bantam pick played his 17th WHL Playoffs game last night. Leschyshyn was a late-season call-up for the Pats and played in all nine games in the 2016 playoffs. The Saskatoon, SK product has three points (1G, 2A) in eight games this post season.
The Pats have received fantastic fan support in the playoffs, averaging 6,159 fans at the Brandt Centre per game. Pats players are taking notice of their rowdy supporters.
“I’ve never heard (the Brandt Centre) that loud. I thought the roof was going to collapse when Rykr (Cole) scored that goal,” Austin Wagner told 620 CKRM after the game. “It’s great to see the fans supporting us and we hope they can come out every night and keep supporting us.”
Fans are encouraged to bring back their ServiceMaster Restore Rally Towels from last night’s game to help keep the momentum rolling into Game Four.
Plenty of tickets are available for tonight’s game at Ticketmaster.ca or the Brandt Centre Box Office. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m.
