Kevin Shaw
2021-22 WHL Season, East Division, Eastern Division

Bedard, Pats tame Tigers 4-2 to end four-game losing streak

Written by Kevin Shaw on

 

Connor Bedard paved the way with a pair of goals and an assist as the Regina Pats ended their four-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers. Playing in his last game before departing to Team Canada’s World Junior selection camp, Bedard helped extend the Tigers winless streak to 16 games (0-13-3-0).

Bedard’s linemates Tanner Howe and Borya Valis were also key in the victory as they each had multi-point games. Howe had a pair of assists while Valis scored once and assisted on both of Bedard’s goals. Cole Carrier scored an empty-net marker with 23 seconds left to cap the 4-2 Pat victory. Noah Danielson scored both goals for the Tigers, both while on the man advantage.

“He seems to elevate his game when all the chips are down,” Pats assistant coach Brad Herauf said of Bedard after the win.

“It definitely feels good. To be on a four, five-game losing streak is tough… we didn’t feel like we were playing terrible hockey. It’s definitely good to see us get a win and hopefully, we can build off that.” Bedard said.

First Period

The Pats opened the scoring when Bedard notched his team-leading 13th goal of the campaign. Ryker Evans started a breakout with a pass to Bedard who in turn passed it to Valis as the Pats entered the Tiger zone. Valis sent a return feed to Bedard who was looking to get it to Howe at the back door, but the puck never made it through as it hit the Tiger defender and went into his own net past Garin Bjorklund. Valis and Evans collected the assists on the 1-0 goal at 13:32 of the opening period.

The teams exchanged numerous opportunities after that goal, but the Pats held a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. The Tigers led 13-12 on the shot clock.

Second Period

Regina added to their lead at 6:20 of the second period when Bedard was at it again. Bedard sent a backhand to Howe in the Tiger zone, he then returned a pass that glanced off a skate and still somehow managed to get to Bedard. Bedard gobbled up the puck and sent a nice backhand past the Tiger goalie giving him his second goal of the game and the Pats a 2-0 lead. Howe and Valis assisted on Bedard’s 14th of the season.

The Tigers got to within one with less than a minute remaining in the second period. A Lukas Svejkovsky one-timer missed the net, bounced off the backboards right to Danielson who made no mistake firing home his sixth of the season past Matthew Kieper on a Tiger powerplay making the score 2-1 Regina.

The Pats carried a 2-1 lead into the second intermission and outshot the Tigers 12-11 in the middle twenty to tie the shot counter up at 24-24.

Third Period

Valis scored his fifth of the season on a 5-on-3 powerplay. While working the point, Bedard passed the puck down low to Howe who misfired on a one-timer. The puck had enough steam to make it to Valis who had a wide-open cage to fire home the 3-1 goal and eventual game-winning goal.

With less than five minutes remaining the Tigers pulled back to within one when Danielson scored his second of the night and seventh of the season while the Tigers were again on the man advantage. Danielson’s shot for the right circle snuck through Kieper making the score 3-2.

With 23 seconds left Carrier notched his ninth goal of the season. While the Tigers had Bjorklund on the bench for the extra attacker, Drew Englot blocked a shot in the Pats zone. That allowed Carrier to chip it past everyone and with speed race down and pot the empty netter giving the Pats some insurance and a 4-2 lead.

The Pats outshot the Tigers 15-12 in the third and 39-36 overall in the contest.

“I thought we had a lot of real good efforts by Drew Englot and a couple individual efforts,” said Herauf after the game praising Englot’s performance in the win.

“It was obviously good,” Howe said of the win. “We played a tough hard game.”

“I think our team structure wasn’t what it needed to be for a 3-1 lead,” Herauf of the late Tiger push getting them to within a goal late. “I think we got away from it. I thought guys still thought we needed to score more goals at that point with 10 minutes left. We’re a young team and if you look at who was playing a lot of the minutes tonight, those were all first and second-year guys in the league, so they’re learning to win hockey games too right now. But guys like Drew Englot, the way he was backchecking and the shot blocks in there, that’s what we need to do to win.”

“I thought we just played a full 60-minutes, and everyone bought in.” said Howe

Patterings… Bedard picked up first star honors… Kieper grabbed the second star while picking up his 10th win of the campaign and stopped 34 of 36 Tiger shots… Danielson was given the third star… Bedard has six points in his last two games and nine points over his last four contests and leaves for Team Canada camp leading the Pats in scoring with 24 points in 24 games (14G, 10A)… Howe extended his point streak to 10-games, in those 10 games he has 15 points (7G, 8A)… Bjorklund made 35 saves on 38 shots… The Pats’ next home action is Friday, December 10 when they host the Prince Albert Raiders in the teams’ Teddy Toss game.