Four Sask. players named to Canada world junior hockey championship team
17h ago
Berkly Catton, Brayden Yager, Caden Price and Tanner Howe were all named.
For the second straight game, the third period spelled doom for the Regina Pats.
The Pats went into the third period tied at two but ultimately fell 5-2 to the Winnipeg Ice on Sunday in a WHL showdown at the Brandt Centre. It was a story similar to Friday night’s game, which Regina lost 5-2 to the Prince Albert Raiders.
“We just don’t know what’s going on with the third period, it seems like we don’t have the same energy on the bench,” Pats captain Austin Pratt said following Sunday’s loss. “It’s one of those things where the team’s got to figure it out and once we do it will be good.”
Penalties helped the Ice get out to an early lead, with defenceman Carson Lambos scoring his first of two goals 12 minutes into the opening frame. The goal was assisted by right-winger Connor McClennon and left-winger Owen Pederson.
The puck got by Regina goaltender Danton Belluk, who started his second career WHL game in the meeting. Belluk started on Friday against the Raiders with goaltender Max Paddock being scratched.
“I think that (Belluk) would like to have a couple back tonight but that’s not just on him,” head coach Dave Struch said. “For us, I felt like we played a real good game in our zone as well.”
On the other end, Winnipeg had its own goalie getting his first taste of WHL action, as Ice goaltender Will Gurski made his first career start.
The Pats, who came into the game 1-for-5 on the power play, put one past Gurski with left-winger Robbie Holmes tipping a shot from Pratt into the net at the 17:49 mark. Defenceman Kyle Walker also got a helper on the goal.
The point gave Pratt a point in a fourth straight game to begin the season.
“I’m happy to be chipping in offensively but at the same time we need some secondary scoring too,” Pratt said. “That’s going to be a big thing going forward – trying to get guys on the scoresheet that need to be.”
Michael Teply scored with 1:16 left in the first period to once again give Winnipeg the lead.
Pratt would push a puck past Gurski after it bounced off the end boards and onto the Pats captain’s stick on the power play at the 18:29 mark of the second. The Pats finished the game 2-for-5 with the man advantage.
But once the third period began, so did the woes.
“When things got a little bit tough, we started chasing a little bit,” Struch said. “I think for the most part our guys played hard. There are a couple guys, and they know who they are, that we need more from.”
Lambos (2:07), former Pats centre Cole Muir (6:09) and defenceman Isaac Johnson (11:49) all scored in the final frame to propel the Ice to its second win during a three-games-in-three-days stretch.
“We did a lot of real good things the way that we want to play and the way that we’re going to ave to win,” Struch said when asked if he felt the team made things difficult for Gurski. “The way we’re going to have to win on top of all that is to have every single guy have almost a perfect game and that’s where we’re at. That’s just the way it is.
“Now it’s up to the players in there to accept it or not, to do a little bit more, a little bit extra (and) prepare a little bit more as an individual.”
The Pats’ penalty kill only allowed a single goal on five attempts.
Pratt said work needs to be done when it comes to guys heading to the penalty box.
“It’s just something that we were hoping to fix from last year because we lost five to six games (because of penalties),” Pratt said. “Hopefully we can figure it out soon or else it’s going to be a tough year.”
The Pats (1-3) have a meeting with the Medicine Hat Tigers on Oct. 4 next on their calendar.