Regina 5 Brandon 4
Sometimes you don’t truly know who you have on your roster until injuries and absences force you to play someone in bigger moments than you usually do. That was what happened with the Regina Pats (17-18-3-0) and 1999-born forward Scott Mahovlich. The former Kamloops Blazers forward had just six career points in 72 games over two season for two teams before Thursday night. Then with his team tied with the surging Brandon Wheat Kings (25-9-0-1) and not much time left he created a turnover and set up the winning goal. Safe to say, with the Pats struggling in a five-game skid and much of the junior hockey world making fun of their struggles in their Memorial Cup hosting season, that was a big moment to make a big play.
Jake Leschshyn, Logan Nijhoff, Dawson Davidson and Matt Bradley each had two points and Tyler Brown turned away 24 of 29 to get the Pats back in the win column.
The Wheat Kings opened the scoring with another marker form the duo that was dangerous all night on Wednesday as well. Weinger used his speed to set up a two-on-one with Lewis and Lewis tapped home the cross-crease pass for his 19th this year.
The same duo was at it again early in the second period and staked the Wheaties to a 2-0 lead. This time it was Lewis leading the two-on-one and after he shot and was stopped by Tyler Brown, Weinger backhanded home the rebound for his 16h on the year.
This seemed to wake the Pats up a bit and they exploded for three goals over a 2:23 span of game time. Logan Nijhoff, after scoring his first career goal Wednesday, got Regina on the board after he took a feed from new Pats forward Jared Legien and after fanning on the first shot, beat Brandon goalie Dylan Myskiw.
Just 56 seconds later, on the power play, Dawson Davidson teed up Cale Fleury for a one-timer and Fleury blew his shot by Myskiw for his first goal since November 22nd.
Bryan Lockner then gave the Pats their first lead with another power play goal. He tipped a point shot from Davidson past Myskiw for his first goal since December 3rd.
Brandon finally got one back late in the second as Zach Wytinck powered a shot by a screen Brown off a soft feed from Caiden Daley.
Regina then went up 4-3 with 2:47 left in the second as Nick Henry found some space in the high slot and wired a shot home.
Regina had pressure with a five-on-three power play on Brandon to start the third but could not add to their lead. That would prove a tad disastrous as Weinger burst into the zone after his team killed off the penalties and got a shot in on Brown that slid down his arm and lay in the crease. Stelio Mattheos got to it first and tied the game with his 27th of the year.
Regina did not let down after the missed opportunity blew up in their face and a great individual effort from Scott Mahovlich led to the game-winning-goal. He picked the pocket of James Shearer in the Brandon zone and quickly wired a shot in on Myskiw. The Brandon goalie kicked out a big rebound and Matt Bradley was right there for his 23rd this year and more importantly a 5-4 lead with 6:39 left.
Brandon had a power play and their net empty for a six-on-four advantage late, but Brown made several big stops to help his squad end their five-game losing streak.
Overage forward Wyatt Sloboshan was scratched and he is reportedly at home awaiting a trade.
#JoinTheRegiment look who's wearing #13 tonight – where's Wyatt Sloboshan??? Hmmm pic.twitter.com/cFe6kBGLY9
— Don Traut (@ErmieBgGuy) December 29, 2017
The Pats have gotten a little bit of the injury bug going around lately. Josh Mahura was out still, Koby Morrisseau was scratched and it appears that both goalie Max Paddock and forward Emil Oksanen were injured Wednesday. Lockner took a tough tumble in the boards and did not return in the third period. He was heavily favoring his left shoulder.
No rest for the weary though in Regina as they play Saturday in Prince Albert. Brandon will host the Moose Jaw Warriors Saturday in a big East Division battle.
Victoria 7 Prince George 1
Perhaps the recent moves made by the Victoria Royals (21-14-3-0) were just the ones they needed. The club had been mired in a big slump before bringing in Jeff de Wit and Braydon Buziak. They shook off their struggles in a big way Thursday, over-powering the visiting Prince George Cougars (13-18-3-2) in a big way 7-1. De Wit had a goal and an assist, while Buziak had a helper in their Royals debuts. 
Leading the way for the Royals though was Chaz Reddekopp, who had three assists, Matthew Phillips, who had two goals and Griffen Outhouse, who rebounded from a tough outing Wednesday with 23 saves on 24 shots. Dean McNabb also came in to stop four P.G. shots with the game well in hand.
The Royals got two goals from Phillips in the first to storm out to a 3-1 lead and they just turned it on with markers from Spencer Gerth and Tyler Soy in the second. Two more courtesy of de Wit and Jeremy Masella in the third and that was it for P.G. goalie Taylor Gauthier. He stopped 17 of 24 before being chased. Isaiah DiLaura came on in relief and turned away all six shots he saw.
The Royals head to Kelowna Saturday while the Cougars play in Langley against the Vancouver Giants.
