In a battle between the two basement dwellers of the East Division, someone had to come out on top.
The winless Regina Pats (0-2-1) and Swift Current Broncos (0-2-0) put everything on the line tonight and it showed in a rather entertaining game at the Brandt Centre.
Both teams went with their young rookie goaltenders for this one. Regina went with Matthew Kieper while the Broncos went with Reid Dyck. Both goalies played amazing, but Kieper got the advantage as the Pats won the tight-checking contest 3-2.
“It feels good,” Pats head coach Dave Struch said after picking up the first win of the season.
“To actually have the ‘W’ in the column is a really good feeling,” Struch said with a smile.
The Broncos took control early in the game. The hardworking Broncos had the Pats on the run early and scored the first goal just 2:23 in. Michael Farren was the last Bronco to touch the puck that hit Kieper’s pad and deflected into the Pats defenseman and into the net.
“I really worked on my mental game and just resetting afterward,” said Kieper. “It’s something that I can’t control what happens (in front) of me so I just make sure that when an unlucky play like that happens, I just try my best to reset myself and get ready for the play ahead and just stop what I can stop.”
“Maturity. Calm. Work ethic. Competetive,” were words Struch used when describing Kieper, “He came in with a lot of energy and our guys played really hard in front of him and it was (a) well-deserved win because he played really hard for the players.”
The Broncos kept coming and Kieper kept stopping everything that was thrown his way.
(Photo – Keith Hershmiller/WHL)
Carson Denomie kept on his tear scoring the next two goals for the Pats at 12:11 and 15:46 of the first. In just four games this season he has six goals. His first marker of the game came when he finished off a nifty individual effort by Cole Dubinsky. He grabbed the loose puck and fired it past Dyck. The second goal came on a feed from Connor Bedard, who had stolen the puck behind the goal line, passed it out front and Denomie ripped it home.
“It’s definitely been a nice start,” Denomie said of his blazing beginning to the campaign “our line has just been clicking and our powerplay has been doing well so far. Things are just working out.”
Despite the Pats being up 2-1 after the first period, the Broncos deserved a better fate. Swift Current was dominant at times and held the majority of the play in the period.
(Photo – Keith Hershmiller/WHL)
Just 53 seconds into the second period the Pat phenom struck again. Carter Massier stripped a Bronco defenseman of the puck and Bedard grabbed the puck and drove in and ripped a shot glove side on the Bronco goaltender.
“We need more than just them scoring every night,” Struch opined when asked about Denomie and Bedard scoring the goals “we’d like to add to that for sure.”
“Through the first little bit of the season here we’re getting lots of chances, we’re getting lots of shots, we’re getting better opportunities than we have in the past couple of years. Now we’re trying to create more offense. Guys are a little bit snake-bitten. There’s no question about it.”
After just two minor penalties in the first period (both to the Pats), the whistles came out. Each team received three minors in the second. Neither team was able to capitalize on the powerplay and the flow of the game became somewhat erratic.
Regina headed to the third period up by two with the 3-1 lead.
Swift Current refused to roll over. They kept applying the pressure and Pats kept them at bay.
The Pats were penalized with less than three minutes left. With the extra attacker, Swift Current’s Cole Nagy scored on their seventh powerplay of the game to make it 3-2.
The Pats were under siege in the final minute and a half. They took a minor with just 14 seconds left. The Broncos never let up and played to the final buzzer. It was not enough, the Pats held on for the 3-2 win.
“We finally put a full 60 minutes (in) tonight,” Denomie said “We knew coming in we were going to have to play a full 60 and take all 20 guys. Everybody bought in, everybody was bearing down tonight and it was just a good team effort.”
Regina picked up their first win of the season. Kieper made 33 saves to pick up his first win in the WHL.
Put that puck on the mantle!
A night Matthew Kieper won't soon forget.#JoinTheRegiment pic.twitter.com/YzJznLEUFw
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) March 18, 2021
“It feels unbelievable right now,” Kieper said after picking up his first WHL win “Ever since the season shut down (last) March, I’ve been trying my best to prepare myself for when I get my chance again. The guys were really great today, they put their bodies on the line to help me and they played great today.”
Just notes
Swift Current outshot Regina 35-30. The Pats went 0-for-5 on the powerplay and killed 7-of-8 penalties.
Kieper stopped 33 of 35 Bronco shots in his second career WHL appearance. Dyck stopped 27 of 30 directed his way in his first WHL game.
The three stars according to the AccessNow broadcast were: Kieper (first), Denomie (second), and Bedard (third).
The Broncos are back at it Thursday night at 8 PM against Brandon.
The Pats’ next action is Saturday, March 20th, also at 8 PM against those same Wheat Kings.
