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The Regina Pats were too much for the host Saskatoon Blades Wednesday night.
To make things worse on the Blades, it was a hometown boy that netted the winner in the 3-2 shootout loss.
Zack Smith (19) scored the Regina Pats’ lone goal in their 4-1 loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Nov. 27, 2019. (File photo courtesy of Keith Hershmiller Photography)
Saskatoon product Zack Smith scored in the third round of the shootout in the Pats second win of the season against Saskatoon. The win was also the second straight that took extra time to decide. On Jan. 26, Regina topped the visiting Blades 4-3 in overtime.
Smith described Wednesday’s action as “playoff hockey” and was happy to come out with a win.
“It felt really good, ’cause they’re a decent team and we played pretty good all game,” the 18-year-old said.
On the other side of the rink, there weren’t many smiles from the Saskatoon side post-game.
The loss was the teams second in as many games, following Saturday’s 4-3 regulation defeat at the hands of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Saskatoon’s record on the 2019-20 campaign now sits at 25-20-2-3.
Blades Head Coach Mitch Love said the team struggled after a quick Regina goal 44 seconds into the game.
“First shot of the game goes in the back of your net, that’s not really quite the start we’re looking for,” he said.
“We’re a little offensively challenged at times and we’re kinda going through a bit of that stretch right now where things really don’t come (naturally on offence) for us.”
Riley Krane’s 13th of the year for Regina started things on a sour note for the home side. The Blades had a chance to even things up shortly thereafter when 18-year-old Alex Morozoff was stopped on a penalty shot.
Great chance for the Blades to even things up, but Alex Morozoff is denied by Buskey.
Still 1-0 Pats with half a frame to go in the first. #yxe #yqr pic.twitter.com/E8ndxDjvFd
— brady lang (@BradyLangSK) February 6, 2020
Regina’s powerplay wasn’t able to capitalize on three chances in the first frame. That included over a minute of five on three action in Regina’s favour.
With just under seven minutes remaining in the second period, Saskatoon did get onto the scoreboard with Martin Fasko-Rudas’ 10th of the campaign. Just when momentum seemed to move in Saskatoon’s favour, Regina responded with a goal of their own.
Drew Englot potted his 10th of the year on a seeing-eye shot past goaltender Nolan Maier, making his third start after a lower-body injury that sidelined him for nine games at the start of January.
The Blades eventually tied the game up on a wonky goal by 16-year-old rookie Jayden Wiens. Brayden Plaschewsky’s centring pass hit the falling Wiens as he slid into Regina netminder Donovan Buskey.
The goal would send the game to the extra frame before the Pats claimed the victory with Smith’s winning goal in the shootout. The win puts Regina’s record at 16-26-3-2 in 2019-20.
The Blades will take a few days off before hitting the road for a weekend home and home set with the Moose Jaw Warriors beginning Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Warriors will return to SaskTel Centre for the back half on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
With 19 games now left for the Blades, Love said they are going to focus on growing as a group leading up to the playoffs.
“We gotta make sure that we’re playing the game the right way for us, which is a simple brand of hockey. Hard to play against, physical, we had pockets of that tonight.”
The Pats will travel to Swift Current for a Friday night matchup against another divisional rival. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at the Innovation Credit Union i-plex against the Broncos.