A complete comeback was not in the cards for the Regina Pats on Saturday night. The Pats eventually fell to the Brandon Wheat Kings 3-2 in overtime.
Goals from Connor Bedard and Ryker Evans ensured that the game went to extra time, but it was not enough.
“That’s a hockey game. Two teams that play intense against each other, played physical. There’s lots (of) different storylines in a game against them all the time,” Pats head coach Dave Struch said of the game.
The hard-checking talented Wheat Kings took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Lynden McCallum ripped a one-timer past, Roddy Ross. Brandon took control of the play from there outshooting the Pats 12-5 after one period of play.
After killing off four straight penalties the Pats game started getting on track until a miscue on a powerplay of their own. A blocked shot led to a Wheat King two-on-one and Ben McCartney converted to give Brandon a 2-0 lead. The Pats bowed but never broke and started turning things around.
The Wheat Kings, who have two 2020 NHL first-rounders on their roster in Greig (Ottawa Senators) and Braden Schneider (New York Rangers) held off the Pats’ comeback. The somewhat youthful Pats led again by 15-year-old Bedard almost finished it off.
With less than two minutes left in the second period, Pats’ phenom Connor Bedard stole the puck at the Pats blueline. On a clear-cut breakaway, he took the puck in all alone and whipped a wrister glove side past Ethan Kruger. Bedard’s fifth goal of the season got Regina back in the game, down just 2-1.
The momentum shifted slightly in the Pats’ favor in the third period with Ryker Evans scoring to tie the game. He let a blast go from the point for a powerplay marker to tie the game at 2-2.
The talented Wheat Kings were just too much for the Pats in overtime. Brandon’s winning goal occurred when Ridly Greig knocked down Pat defenseman Kyle Walker well away from the puck. Nolan Ritchie took the puck with speed into the Pats zone and lifted a backhand past Ross for the winner.
“Well, I don’t think anybody should be,” explained Struch, “I don’t think anybody in the building should be on either side. You don’t want to have it end that way for sure. It’s unfortunate, it’s out of our control and we’ll leave it at that.”
Pats veteran goalie, Ross who was acquired from Seattle in April of 2020 played a strong game for the Pats. The overage netminder had seen some early struggles but played a solid game making 32 saves in the loss.
“We did get hemmed in a few times and a lot of it was with our inexperience out there against some really good players on the opposition but on the most part we got some timely saves from Roddy,” Struch explained.
“The effort on the penalty kill, the effort on our powerplay,” said Struch. “We were up against a team that is very aggressive, and we end up sticking with it and got one (a goal). It was a good night other than the outcome that’s for sure.”
Evans’ goal was his first of the season and now has four points in five games this season. “With Brandon, we’ve always got a rivalry with them, so it’s always fun to play against them,” said Evans, ” They’re good competitors.”
“A win is always something we’re looking for going into the games but to come out with a point, a point is alright,” explained Evans. “Obviously, we’re starting to build the confidence.”
Patterings – The Wheat Kings outshot the Pats 35-24 in the contest. The Pats went 1-for-6 on the powerplay while killing all six penalties. The three stars were Grieg (first), Evans (second), and Ritchie (third). Up next for the 1-2-2-0 Pats are the 3-1-0-0 Winnipeg ICE for their first meeting in the East Division Hub on Tuesday night.
