Third Period Storm Lifts Pats to Win

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Regina Pats (9-8-1-0) met with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (12-8-0-0) for the second time this season.  The Pats scored four times in the third period to win 5-3.

Scoring Summary

First Period
Regina – Jake Leschyshyn (1) from Zablocki and Richards – 1:06
Lethbridge – Tyler Wong (16) from Nielsen and Burke – 10:04 (PP)

Second Period
Lethbridge – Giorgio Estephan (8) from Burke and Babenko – 5:17

Third Period
Regina – Luc Smith (1) from Richards – 5:29
Lethbridge – Arvin Atwal (4) from Lindgren and Millette – 8:06
Regina – Colby Williams (2) – Unassisted – 8:55
Regina – Adam Berg (3) from Brooks and Wagner – 18:34
Regina – Austin Wagner (6) from Brooks – 19:06 (EN)

Shots on Goal
Regina – 13-12-14-(39)   Lethbridge – 12-10-14-(36)

Powerplay
Regina – 0/2   Lethbridge – 1/2

Game Story
It didn’t take long for the Pats to put one on the score board.  Just over a minute into the game, Lane Zablocki chased down a dump in and wired it toward the net.  Jake Leschyshyn tipped the shot by Stuart Skinner for his first of the season and an early lead.  Immediately following the halfway point of the frame, Tyler Wong snagged the puck off the back-wall, and tucked the puck past a sprawling Tyler Brown to tie the game.  The Hurricanes thought they had the lead when Cory Millette tipped a shot over Brown and into the net.  The play was waved off, as immediately previous to the scoring play, the puck was contacted by the high stick of a Lethbridge forward.  That led to the score remaining 1-1 after twenty.

Another quick start nearly gave the Pats the lead to open the second period as Rykr Cole found himself with room and net to shoot at, but his offering found iron and stayed out.  The Hurricanes took advantage of the missed opportunity at the 5:17 mark of the frame as Giorgio Estephan finished off a slick passing play to give Lethbridge their first lead of the evening.  The Pats couldn’t find success with two powerplay opportunities and went to the break trailing by a 2-1 score.

A busy third period opened with the Pats drawing even.  Luc Smith spun the puck toward the net and it redirected in off a skate for his first of the year 5:29 into the frame.  The visitors pulled into the lead again when Arvin Atwal pounded a shot through a screened Brown just 2:37 later.  49 seconds after that, Colby Williams jumped onto a loose puck along the boards in the Lethbridge zone.  He dragged the puck around a defender and went to the top shelf to tie the game 3-3.  With both teams going back and forth it was only a matter of time before one of them broke the deadlock.  Adam Brooks and Austin Wagner combined to get Adam Berg the puck and he found space just inside the post on the far side to give the Pats a 4-3 lead.  With time winding down and the Lethbridge net empty, Wagner raced down the ice to beat an icing call and bury the puck into the empty net to solidify the 5-3 win.

Quick Hits
– Sean Richards picked up the first two points (2A) of his WHL career.
– Colby Williams has three points (2G, 1A) and is +6 since returning to the lineup.
– Three of the Pats’ nine wins have come when trailing after two periods of play.
– Game attendance was 3989.

What’s Next?
The Pats wrap up their set of home games against the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday in a 7 p.m. puck drop.  Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.ca, the Brandt Centre Box Office and Safeway locations throughout Regina.