Wiesblatt, Paddock Key In Season-Opening Win Over Pats
Regina, SK – In their first game in the Subway Hub Centre at the Brandt Centre in Regina, the Prince Albert Raiders doubled up the Regina Pats 6-3 with the help of a three-point night from Ozzy Wiesblatt.
The San Jose Sharks draft pick had a goal and two assists in the contest to lead all scorers. Tyson Laventure, Matthew Culling, Reece Vitelli, Logan Danis, and Evan Herman also found the back of the net.
At the other end of the rink, Max Paddock was stellar in his return to the Queen City. He turned aside 28 of 31 shots faced to start the season on a winning note.
Special teams also played a big role for the Raiders in the win. Prince Albert killed off eight of nine Pats’ power plays, while striking twice on three of their own power-play attempts.
Wiesblatt got the scoring started early in the first period. After the puck was dug out along the boards, Reece Vitelli backhanded the puck over to Wiesblatt. The Calgary, AB made no mistake from the slot, snapping a shot past Roddy Ross low on the glove side 3:53 into the contest.
.@ozzywiesblatt beats Roddy Ross to give us the early lead!
Also, Niall Crocker picks up his first career WHL point with an assist on the goal!#GoRaidersGo #SubwayWHLHub pic.twitter.com/DTd7I9101k
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) March 13, 2021
Midway through the period, the Raiders doubled their advantage. Graydon Gotaas was able to keep the puck in at the blueline and got it to Laventure. The Lloydminster, AB product picked a corner through a screened Ross to make it a 2-0 game. Gotaas earned his first WHL assist on the play.
.@tysonlaventure shoots it through a screened Ross to double our advantage!@GGotaas2 picks up the lone assist on the goal, the first point of his WHL career!#GoRaidersGo #SubwayWHLHub pic.twitter.com/EIwoQEXX0k
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) March 13, 2021
Culling made it a three-goal game just 1:21 into the second period. Wiesblatt carried the puck and pulled up just after crossing the blueline. He found a cutting Culling and the Regina product wired a shot that beat Ross.
SCORES! ????@mculling_18 takes a feed from @ozzywiesblatt and beats Ross to make it 3-0!#GoRaidersGo #SubwayWHLHub pic.twitter.com/vPfw4EI5K6
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) March 13, 2021
The Pats responded on a power play at the 5:01 mark of the middle frame. Connor Bedard cut through the Raiders defence and put a shot on goal. Paddock got a piece of the shot, but it found the back of the net to bring the Pats within two.
[related_links] Just 48 seconds later, Bedard struck again for Regina. He took a puck at the left faceoff circle, cut into the slot, and beat Paddock for the rookie’s second of the period to make the score 3-2.
That score line held through a second period that saw seven minor penalties called between the Raiders and the Pats.
Early in the third, the Raiders restored their two-goal lead on a power play. Vitelli got a stick on Kaiden Guhle’s point shot and redirected the puck past Ross to put the Raiders up 4-2.
.@reecevitelli9 gets a stick on Kaiden Guhle’s point shot to restore our two-goal lead!#GoRaidersGo #SubwayWHLHub pic.twitter.com/2SfyGTBoKY
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) March 13, 2021
Four minutes later, Wiesblatt danced his way through the Regina zone. He worked left to right, keeping the eyes of the Pats defence and goaltender on him. Wiesblatt then passed back to the crease where Danis was waiting at the top of the crease to tap in his first as a Raider, extending the Raiders’ lead to 5-2.
.@ozzywiesblatt sets up Logan Danis on the doorstep for his first as a Raider!#GoRaidersGo #SubwayWHLHub pic.twitter.com/6J0Bg4OFVU
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) March 13, 2021
Shortly after, the Pats cut into the lead again. Carter Massier chipped the puck off the boards in the Raiders’ end to set up a partial two-on-one rush. Carter Chorney made the pass to Logan Nijhoff who beat a sprawling Paddock to make it a two-goal game once again.
It was as close as the Pats came. Paddock stopped 12 of 13 shots in the third period to preserve the win. Herman rounded out the scoring with an empty-net tally with 23 seconds to go.
Ross finished the game with 11 saves in a losing effort for the Pats.
Up next for the Raiders is a date with the Moose Jaw Warriors, who downed the Brandon Wheat Kings 4-3 in overtime to start their season, on Sunday night. Puck drop is 8 p.m. Catch the game on WHL Live on CHL TV.
