Keith Hershmiller
Eastern Division

Pats keep their playoff hopes alive with win over Raiders Saturday night

Written by Chris Clark on

 

The Pats keep their playoff hopes alive with a big 5-3 win on Saturday night over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders in front of 5,123 patrons at the Brandt Centre.

The Pats were coming off a 4-2 win over the Swift Current Broncos Friday night, snapping their three-game losing streak.

The Raiders are coming off a 2-0 loss to the Saskatoon Blades Friday night.

A huge “4-point-game” for both teams Saturday night, with one spot remaining to be clinched in the Eastern Conference. Going into the evening, the Pats were four points, Prince Albert just two, behind Swift Current in 8th place.

Kelton Pyne is making a second straight start for the Pats after being recalled from the Regina Pat Canadians after their season ended on Sunday with a loss to the Notre Dame Hounds in the Saskatchewan U18AAA playoffs. In seven appearances with the Pats, Pyne is 4-1-1, with 2 shutouts, 2.68 GAA, and a 0.915 SV%.

For the Raiders Tikhon Chaika made his 49th appearance, he has a 2.86 GAA and a 0.901 SV%, with a 20-21-3-1 record.

A pretty even first period only saw 14 shots total, Pats with 6 and the Raiders 8. Prince Albert was 0-for-2 on the power-play.

The only goal of the period did come on a Raiders power-play, courtesy of a Tanner Howe short-handed breakaway, he blocked the shot and snuck it past Chaika to open the scoring.

The second period saw more action as the Raiders replied with their own shorthanded goal, just 2:45 into the frame. Ex-Pat Cale Sanders made an excellent play on a contested breakaway to tie up the game.

The Pats responded less than four minutes later to retake the lead. The Howe–Bedard combination struck again. Howe found Bedard out front and somehow Bedard was able to get it through the mass of bodies.

 

The Pats tacked on another, in the dying seconds of the power-play Braxton Whitehead made a smart play behind the net, and found Borya Valis at the side of the cage and Valis was able to jam it home.

It was another low shot output period with the Raiders collecting seven and the Pats just five. The Pats went one-for-three on the power-play in the period and the Raiders oh-for-one.

The third started much like the second, with a quick Raiders goal. This time Evan Herman deposited the puck in the yawning cage off a great pass from Reece Vitelli, just 1:44 into the period.

The Pats were able to respond again, just over five minutes later Bedard struck on the power-play. He snuck another one high past Chaika. It was Bedard’s 49th of the season.

Post-game Bedard spoke on the potential of 50 goals this season, saying “Obviously it would be nice, a good round number but I can’t think of a too much, three big games for us to get in the playoffs. If it happens, it would definitely be great.”

The Raiders were very quick to counter the Pats’ goal. Evan Herman collected his second of the game, as he snuck it past Pyne just 0:40 after the Bedard goal.

The Pats were able to seal the game when Logan Nijhoff found the empty net late, it was his 22nd of the season.

“I think it was a couple of things, our goaltender was really good again tonight. He was good last night and I think he’s instilled a little bit of confidence in our guys. We played really gritty tonight we played with two defensemen that haven’t been with us all season. Without Ryker Evans and without [Stanislav] Svozil also, those are two big people in our lineup. So we had four defensemen play the last 12 minutes the game and I think it’s that kind of thing that really was the difference tonight. [Tanner] Howe blocking shots late in the game, Logan Nijhoff doing the same, doing whatever they could to help us win a game.”

Pats’ Assistant Coach Ken Schneider spoke on the differences tonight as compared to the recent loss in Prince Albert.

He expanded on Kelton Pyne’s play, saying “We’re really excited about what Kelton has brought to our team. He’s had a couple of shutouts, guys played really well in front of them in those games. For him, he’s a local kid, so this means a lot to come in here and, and be a Regina Pat, I think he really cherishes it. I give Coach Kech (Regina Pat Canadians’ Head Coach Darrin Mckechnie) a lot of kudos for what he’s done with his Pat C’s team. I think those guys are well organized. They (the players) come here prepared to play.”

Connor Bedard also spoke on Pyne’s strong play saying “He’s been unreal, two shutouts, four wins for us. Yesterday (Friday night in Swift Current), first period, I think he really held us in there and won us that game and then tonight as well. We got outshot by a bit but he’s just so solid in there and he had a hell of a good game.”

After play Saturday night the standings look like this:

8. Swift Current Broncos  67GP 26-34-5-2 59pts
9. Calgary Hitmen            65GP 25-32-6-2 58pts
10. Regina Pats                65GP 26-34-3-2 57pts
11. Prince Albert Raiders 66GP 26-35-4-1 57pts

Swift Current only has one game remaining, in Prince Albert on Friday night. Calgary has three, with Edmonton, Red Deer, and Lethbridge all coming to town in the next week. Regina has three as well, two In Winnipeg and Moose Jaw at home. Prince Albert has two, the aforementioned Swift Current game, then they host Brandon. With four teams vying for one spot, it will be an interesting finish.

Pats Stats

Three stars on the night were; Bedard (first), Herman (second), and Howe (third).

Total shots in the game were 27-18 for the Raiders.

The Pats were two-for-four on the power-play and four-for-four on the penalty kill.

The Pats power-play is still humming along at 25.6%, good for fourth in the league, but the penalty-kill is still in the basement at 72.2%.

Injuries are an issue again for the Pats, defencemen Ryker Evans, Stanislav Svozil, and Adam McNutt remain out. AP’s Jacob Dewitt and Carter Herman drew into the lineup for their third and second games this season respectively. The forward group is missing Tye Spencer and Zack Stringer.