Second Round Decided Tonight
WHL Playoffs Round Two Game Seven – Regina Pats at Red Deer Rebels
Enmax Centrium, Red Deer, Alberta (7 p.m.)
620 CKRM, Access7, ShawTV, WHL Live Webcast
Presenting Sponsor: Fries Tallman Lumber
Red Deer, Alberta – The Regina Pats (7-4) and Red Deer Rebels (7-4) decide their second round series at the Enmax Centrium (7 p.m.) in Red Deer. The Pats forced Game Seven with a victory on home ice Sunday, flipping the script from Game Five with a 5-1 win. Jared McAmmond opened the scoring and Jake DeBrusk responded in the first period. The second is where the Pats pulled away. Regina outshot Red Deer 22-4 in the frame and got goals from Connor Hobbs, Cole Sanford and Lane Zablocki to lead 4-1 after forty minutes. Colby Williams added a fifth goal in the third period to close things out. Tyler Brown made 20 saves in the victory. Hobbs (1G, 1A) and Sam Steel (2A) each had two points for the Pats. Tune in to tonight’s game on 620 CKRM at 6:35 p.m.
Tonight’s Game Seven is the first the Pats are involved in since the 2000 WHL Playoffs when they faced off against the Saskatoon Blades. The last time the Blue and White won a seventh was 1982 when the Pats knocked off the Lethbridge Broncos. Since then, the Pats have only been involved in four game sevens (1984, 1990, 1996, 2000). The last time the Pats moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals was 1993. Cole Sanford is the only player on the Pats roster to play in a seventh game. The over-ager was named the second star, posting a goal and two assists against the Kootenay Ice in the second round of the 2014 WHL Playoffs
Adam Brooks got back on the scoresheet Friday and continues to lead the WHL Playoffs in scoring with 22 points (6G, 16A) in 11 games. Now behind him in the group of six players with 16 points are Sam Steel (6G, 10A) and Cole Sanford (7G, 9A). Steel (’98) is the only player not born in 1996 or 1995 in the top seven scorers. Connor Hobbs leads all defenceman in the playoffs with 10 points (4G, 6A) in eleven games. Hobbs is tied for the lead in both goals and assists. With his goal on Friday, Lane Zablocki added to his lead among rookies in goal scoring with seven in 11 games. Zablocki also leads rookies in penalty minutes (19) and sits third in overall points (7G, 1A, 8PTS).
This second round matchup hasn’t just been a grind on the ice. The travel through seven games has been impressive. With 830 km separating Regina and Red Deer (taking the Trans-Canada) and the series going the distance, the Pats have logged 4,150km of travel on the bus. That’s roughly 40 hours on the bus in the last ten days.
Tonight’s game will be broadcast on 620 CKRM with Bennett Dunlop Ford Pats Hockey getting going at 6:35 p.m. It will also be live on Access7 (channel 7/70) as well as local Shaw TV channels across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Numerous locations throughout Regina will be playing the game including Leopold’s Tavern, Victoria’s Tavern, the Keg Steakhouse and Bar (Dewdney), the Press Box Sports Bar, the Four Seasons and Lancaster Taphouse to name a few.
