Pats Wrap Up Road Swing in Edmonton
Head-to-Head
The Pats and Oil Kings meet for the third time this season with Edmonton earning victories in the first two games of the season series and outscoring the Pats 15-1 over those games. Stephen Hak has the Pats’ lone marker against the Oil Kings this season. Michael St. Croix leads the Oil Kings with seven points (5G, 2A) against the Pats. Coming into this evening’s matchup, the Pats have lost four straight games including last night’s heartbreaker of a shootout loss in Red Deer. Meanwhile the Oil Kings continue to sit atop the Eastern Conference standings, winning two straight including a 6-0 win over Prince George. Tonight’s game will be broadcast on 620 CKRM starting with the Press Box Sports Bar Pre-Game Show at 7:35 p.m. CST.
Lead Up: Pats at Red Deer
Lane Scheidl scored twice to have the Pats up 2-1 in the third period, but the Pats couldn’t hold onto the lead. With Patrik Bartosak on the bench, Turner Elson tied the game with just under a minute on the clock. Overtime solved nothing and Dominik Volek scored the shootout winner as the Pats fell 3-2. For full recap, click here.
Getting Back in a Groove
After Teagan Sacher started two straight games, Matt Hewitt had a strong bounce back effort against the Rebels. The Pats overage goalie made 40 saves, several in spectacular fashion, in the Pats’ shootout loss to Red Deer. Hewitt stopped 13 shots in the second and third and turned away all five he faced in overtime.
Strong Down the Stretch
Lane Scheidl is on a five game point streak. Over that span, he has five goals and three assists while crossing the 30 goal plateau for the first time in his WHL career (30/31 against Red Deer).
Stay Out of the Box
Discipline will be a key focus for the Pats tonight. In their first two games against the Oil Kings, the Pats found themselves on the penalty kill fourteen times. The Oil Kings scored on nine of those chances. The Pats powerplay, meanwhile, has yet to score against Edmonton on nine chances.
Who to Watch on Edmonton
Michael St. Croix has been a powerplay weapon this season for the Oil Kings. He has five goals against the Pats in two games, all of them on the powerplay. St. Croix leads the WHL with 18 powerplay goals on the season.
Quick Hits
– Kyle Burroughs has points in four of his last five games with 5 points in those games
– Dyson Stevenson leads the Pats with 13 fighting majors on the season
– The Pats powerplay has goals in three straight games
Upcoming Schedule
at Moose Jaw – Friday, February 22nd, 7 p.m. – Mosaic Place (CKRM/Shaw TV)
at Prince Albert – Wednesday, February 27th, 7 p.m. – Art Hauser Centre (CKRM)
vs. Moose Jaw – Friday, March 1st, 7 p.m. – Mosaic Place (CKRM)
