Brian Liesse

WHL recap: Pats and Thunderbirds add to their win totals

Regina 3 Prince Albert 2 (SO)

Sometimes it’s all about how you are playing when the playoffs start. For the Regina Pats (39-25-5-1), Wednesday night’s 3-2 shootout win over the Prince Albert Raiders (32-25-9-3) at home was a positive sign for the Pats playoff aspirations. 

The win was the sixth straight for the Pats and the loss was the Raiders second in-a-row after reeling off a long win streak of their own that saw them clinch a playoff spot.

Jesse Gabrielle had the only successful shootout and Max Paddock stopped 31 of 33 and then turned away all three shootout tries to get the win. Sam Steel also pitched in a goal and an assist for the Pats.

The hard-won two points also just about seals up a spot in the East Division bracket as the third seed for Regina as they are now three points up on the Brandon Wheat Kings. Both teams have two games left.

Regina finished off an astounding 8-0 record in the season series vs P.A. this year.

With 8:44 left in the first period, Jordy Stallard opened the scoring for the Raiders. He benefited from some slick mitts by Curtis Miske, who danced around a Pats defender, before hitting a streaking Stallard for the tap in.

Steel tied the game up in the second period. Nick Henry won a board battle then got the puck to Matt Bradley in front of the net. Bradley then one-touched a pass right to Steel and the Anaheim Ducks prospect beat Curtis Meger before he could get over.

Regan Nagy got the Raiders ahead again with his 25th goal this year. Parker Kelly drew the defense, before dishing to a driving Nagy for the one-timer and the 2-1 lead.

It took the Pats until the Raiders had a power play with 8:09 left in regulation, to tie the game. Steel drove into the Raiders zone and toe-dragged around a diving Prince Albert defender before feeding Cam Hebig at the far post. Hebig’s first bat at the puck did not get by Meger, but his second did, setting up extra time.

Overtime solved nothing so Gabrielle and Paddock ended up being the difference makers in the shootout.

The Raiders play a now mostly meaningless game at home vs Saskatoon on Friday, while the Pats host the Swift Current Broncos.

 

Seattle 6 @Spokane 3

Sami Moilanen has suffered through an injury-plagued season this year. He has missed 33 games and has seen what looked to be a breakout year fall short of expectations. In his seventh game back after missing a month of action, Moilanen had one of his best games this year though Wednesday, with two goals and one assist for three points and the Seattle Thunderbirds (33-26-8-2) doubled up the  Spokane Chiefs (39-24-3-3) 6-3.

Nolan Volcan added two assists and Liam Huhes stopped 37 of 40 shots for Seattle in the win.

The Thunderbirds closed to within five points of Tri-City for the first wild card spot in the Western Conference with the two points, while the Chiefs loss means that they cannot catch the Portland Winterhawks for second in the U.S. Division and thus will not have home-ice advantage in the first round.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan opened the scoring 3:30 into the first period with his first of two goals in the game.

Moilanen answered back for Seattle 5:29 later in the first with his first of the night. He then added his second 3:20 later to give Seattle their first lead.

Samuel Huo pitched in his second this year to put Seattle up by two 1:19 later.

Penalty trouble for Seattle, opened the door for Spokane to get back in this one. They netted two power play goals over 2:14 that spanned the first and second period to tie the game up again. The goals came from Hudson Elynuik and Anderson-Dolan.

Just 1:25 after Anderson-Dolan’s second goal, Seattle netted their game winner. It came off the stick of rookie d-man Jake Lee.

Matthew Wedman added some insurance later in the frame and Zack Andrusiak netted his 34th this year to put Seattle up 6-3.

Dawson Weatherill stopped eight of 12 before he was pulled in favor of Bailey Brkin. The Chiefs back up came in and stopped 15 of 17.

Seattle starts a home-and-home with Portland at the Moda Center on Friday. The Chiefs starts their own home-and-home with Tri-City on Friday, at home.