Warriors & Pats collide on WHL on Access7
Regina Pats (41-8-6-1)
at Moose Jaw Warriors (33-17-7-1)
Saturday, Feb. 18 – 7 p.m. (Saskatchewan) –
Mosaic Place
Channels: Access7
The Regina Pats will look to bounce back from a Friday evening setback to the Brandon Wheat Kings when they travel to Moose Jaw to take on the Warriors in another key East Division matchup on WHL on Access7.
Back in Regina on Friday, the Pats peppered Wheat Kings goaltender Logan Thompson with 48 shots, only to have the 19-year-old puck-stopper stymie them, making 45 saves to guide Brandon to a 5-3 victory.
As for the Warriors, their last outing was a 3-1 win over those same Wheat Kings back on Tuesday. Jayden Halbgewachs tallied a goal and an assist to boost his club.
The playoff situation in the East Division is slowly sorting itself out, though plenty does remain to be determined. The CHL’s top-ranked Pats have already clinched a playoff berth and remain atop the pile with 89 points and two games in hand on the second place Warriors, who hold 74 points. Hot in pursuit are the third place Swift Current Broncos with 69 points and the fourth place Brandon Wheat Kings with 64 points, while the fifth place Saskatoon Blades hold down the second and final wild card slot in the Eastern Conference.
Halbgewachs may not be able to catch Adam Brooks or Sam Steel anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t holding his own and enjoying a stellar breakout season. The 19-year-old product of Emerald Park, Sask., has put up 84 points (43G-41A) through 57 contests this season, good enough for third in the WHL behind Steel and Brooks. The 43 tallies put up by ‘The Magic Man’ leave him tied atop the goal-scoring charts with Tyler Steenbergen of the Swift Current Broncos. Standing 5-foot-8 and weighing in at 160 pounds, Halbgewachs was ranked 140th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in its midterm rankings this January.
The aforementioned Steel became the first WHL player this season to reach the 100-point plateau and he carries 103 of those bad sallies into Saturday’s contest. His 64 assists sit second only to teammate and Pats captain Adam Brooks. One year after leading the WHL in scoring, Brooks finds himself chasing Steel for the scoring lead. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect own 97 points to rank second behind his teammate.
Zach Sawchenko continues to thrive for the Warriors, having posted a record of 22-11-5-1 with a 2.86 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and one shutout in 39 appearances. That save percentage is good enough for fifth in the WHL.
Tyler Brown has stepped up his game in the second half, carrying a record of 25-5-5-1 with a 2.78 GAA, .908 SV% and three shutouts. He’s joined by a healthy Jordon Hollett, who is 12-1-1-0 with a 2.79 GAA, .902 SV% and one shutout.
Saturday marks the sixth of eight meetings between the Pats and Warriors this season. Last time out, the Pats earned a 4-3 triumph on Feb. 1 in Regina as Connor Hobbs scoring the game-winning goal with only 24 seconds to go in regulation.
The two teams will wrap up their season series with a home-and-home set on March 10 and 11, beginning in Regina and ending in Moose Jaw.
GAME DAY: Warriors back in action tonight w/ a tilt against the Pats at Mosaic Place. @Country100FM PreGame Show starts at 6:40pm pic.twitter.com/87NCygJSUM
— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) February 18, 2017
Moose Jaw Warriors
Record: 33-17-7-1
Head coach: Tim Hunter
Leading scorers: C Jayden Halbgewachs (43-41—84); LW Brayden Burke (16-54—70); C Brett Howden (29-32—61)
Leading goaltender: Zach Sawchenko (39GP, 22-11-5-1, 2.86 GAA, .917 SV%, 1 SO)
Power play: 11th – 21.0 per cent
Penalty kill: Fifth – 82.0 per cent
Injuries/unavailable: F Brayden Burke (lower body, day to day); F Noah Gregor (lower body, week to week); F Jaxan Kaluski (lower body, indefinite); D Colin Paradis (lower body, day to day)
GAME DAY PREVIEW: Pats Play 4th Game in 5 Nights in Moose Jaw Saturday. Details here: https://t.co/BJhO7UOFZ6#JoinTheRegiment pic.twitter.com/T2OZywKHLy
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) February 18, 2017
Regina Pats
Record: 41-8-6-1
Head coach: John Paddock
Leading scorers: C Sam Steel (39-64—103); C Adam Brooks (32-65—97); LW Dawson Leedahl (27-44—71)
Leading goaltender: Tyler Brown (38GP, 25-5-5-1, 2.78 GAA, .908 SV%, 3 SO)
Power play: First – 32.6 per cent
Penalty kill: Sixth – 80.6 per cent
Injuries/unavailable: F Jake Leschyshyn (lower body, indefinite)
Season series
Nov. 10 – Regina (5) at Moose Jaw (4) – OT
Dec. 16 – Regina (4) at Moose Jaw (5)
Dec. 17 – Moose Jaw (3) at Regina (7)
Jan. 7 – Moose Jaw (4) at Regina (1)
Feb. 1 – Moose Jaw (3) at Regina (4)
Feb. 18 – Regina at Moose Jaw
March 10 – Moose Jaw at Regina
March 11 – Regina at Moose Jaw
WHL on Access7
Friday, March 3 – Medicine Hat Tigers at Regina Pats
Saturday, March 11 – Regina Pats at Moose Jaw Warriors