The Regina Pats stormed out of the gate in Brandon, scoring three quick goals in the opening frame. Still, the Wheat Kings battled back to edge Regina in a high-scoring affair at Assiniboine Credit Union Place on Saturday.
The Pats started the game quickly, scoring three times in the opening 8:28 of the first period. Aiden Wagner got the party started on Saturday night, wiring home a shot from the point off a Ruslan Karimov assist at 2:29, beating Wheat Kings goaltender Filip Ruzicka for his second career WHL goal. Under three minutes later, Caden Brown deflected an Ephram McNutt drive through traffic, doubling the Pats’ lead at 5:01 on the power-play. Not stopping there, after Jonas Kohn dumped a puck behind Brandon’s net, Ruzicka played the puck onto the stick of Zach Lansard, who tapped it into the empty cage – making it 3-0 at 8:28 and ending Ruzicka’s night. However, the Wheat Kings would storm back with three goals of their own. In an individual effort, Giorgos Pantelas let a shot go from inside the Pats’ blue line. It hit the glass and bounced back in front, where Pantelas was there to clean up the rebound past Marek Schlenker at 9:44. Not even a minute later, Caleb Hadland would tap home a Jaxon Jacobson rebound, cutting the deficit to one at 10:24. Before the period came to a close, the sixth goal of the frame was scored when Joby Baumuller drove to the Pats’ net and was stopped, but Jordan Gavin buried the rebound at 17:42 to even the score.
After a hectic first period, the middle frame continued its goal-scoring ways, beginning with Lansard. With Keets Fawcett carrying the puck into the offensive zone, he lost the puck momentarily before it ended up on the stick of Lansard, who beat relief goaltender Jayden Kraus at 1:58 and took back the lead. Just over a minute later, on the penalty kill, Caden Brown won the draw back to Kolten Bridgeman, who flipped a pass up and out to Ellis Mieyette. On a breakaway, Mieyette made no mistake, putting the Pats up 5-3 with a shorthanded goal at 3:06. The Wheat Kings would respond again, however, with Brady Turko banging in his own rebound after initially being stopped on a breakaway against Schlenker to bring Brandon back within one at 15:49.
In the third, it didn’t take long for the Wheat Kings to pull even. Just 1:13 into the frame, Johnson capitalized on a loose puck out front, picking it up and sliding a backhand past Schlenker. Then, on the power play, Mistelbacher gave a zone entry pass to Turko, who fed Gavin in the slot. Gavin buried a quick shot past Schlenker to give Brandon their first lead of the night. With the Pats’ net empty, Baumuller slowed up, slid a pass to Gavin, who snapped home his third goal of the night at 19:31. In the dying seconds, Mistelbacher gave Max Lavoie a pass at the point, and he let a one-timer fly, beating Schlenker at 19:48 to make it 8-5.
That would stand as the final in a heavy offensive battle in Brandon, moving Regina to 5-8-1-1 on the season. Pats’ Schlenker stopped 35 of 42 shots, the Wheat Kings’ Ruzicka made three saves on six shots, and Kraus turned aside 27 of 29 shots. The final shots on goal were 43-35 in favour of Brandon. On special teams, the Pats went 1/5 on the power play, while the Wheat Kings were 1/3 on the night.
The Blue Brigade had nine different skaters get on the scoresheet against Brandon. Notably, Wagner picked up a goal in his second straight game, and Lansard extended his point streak to three consecutive contests, collecting three goals, three assists, and six points over that span.
The next meeting between these two teams is on December 5 at the Brandt Centre.
FINAL: Brandon Wheat Kings 8, Regina Pats 5
THE GOALS
First Period
Pats 1-0 —#23 Aiden Wagner (2), assisted by #25 Ruslan Karimov at 2:29
Karimov fired a shot far wide of the net, but the puck bounced onto the stick of Wagner at the point, and he fired a shot past Ruzicka to open the scoring at 2:29.
Pats 2-0 —#27 Caden Brown (10), assisted by #55 Ephram McNutt & #37 Cohen Klassen at 5:01 (PP)
Klassen played the puck to McNutt at the point, who wired a wrister at the net. Brown deflected the puck in front to double the Pats’ lead at 5:01 on the man advantage.
Pats 3-0 —#10 Zach Lansard (7) (unassisted) at 8:28
As Ruzicka went to play the puck behind the net, he passed it right onto the stick of Lansard, who shovelled it into the open cage at 8:28.
Wheat Kings 3-1 —#84 Giorgos Pantelas (2), assisted by #13 Jordan Gavin at 9:44
Walking into the zone, Pantelas snapped a shot toward the goal. The puck hit the glass, bounced back in front, and Pantelas buried his rebound at 9:44.
Wheat Kings 3-2 —#10 Caleb Hadland (7), assisted by #9 Jaxon Jacobson & #26 Luke Mistelbacher at 10:24
After Jacobson drove the puck to the net on a 2-on-1, Schlenker made an initial save, but Hadland was there to clean up the rebound at 10:24.
Wheat Kings 3-3 —#13 Jordan Gavin (3), assisted by #17 Joby Baumuller & #5 Dylan Ronald at 17:42
Ronald batted the puck ahead to Baumuller at centre ice, who drove hard to the net and was turned aside before Gavin buried the rebound to even the score at 17:42.
Second Period
Pats 4-3 — #57 Zach Lansard (8), assisted by #10 Keets Fawcett at 1:58
Fawcett carried the puck into the Wheat Kings’ zone, losing control in the slot, but it bounced onto Lansard’s stick, and he made no mistake at 1:58 to restore the Pats’ lead.
Pats 5-3 — #21 Ellis Mieyette (5), assisted by #4 Kolten Bridgeman & #27 Caden Brown at 3:06 (SHG)
Following a faceoff win from Brown, Bridgeman banked a wrist shot off the glass. Mieyette tracked it down, broke in shorthanded, and scored to double Regina’s lead at 3:06.
Pats 5-4 — #7 Brady Turko (3), assisted by #13 Jordan Gavin at 15:49
After Schlenker stopped the initial Turko breakaway attempt, Turko jammed away at the loose puck, and it squeaked past the line to bring the Wheat Kings within one at 15:49.
Third Period
Wheat Kings 5-5 — #62 Nicholas Johnson (unassisted) at 1:13
In a battle down below the Pats’ goal line, the puck squirted out in front for Johnson, who would tie the game with a backhanded move at 2:58.
Wheat Kings 6-5 — #13 Jordan Gavin (4), assisted by #7 Brady Turko & #26 Luke Mistelbacher at 2:58 (PP)
Mistelbacher forwarded a pass to Turko, who then slid a pass to Gavin, and he ripped a shot from the slot on the man advantage at 2:58 to give Brandon their first lead.
Wheat Kings 7-5 — #13 Jordan Gavin (5), assisted by #17 Joby Baumuller at 19:31
With the net empty, Baumuller gave a pass to Gavin as he entered Regina’s zone, who scored his third goal of the game at 19:31.
Wheat Kings 8-5 — #27 Max Lavoie (1), assisted by #26 Luke Mistelbacher & #9 Jaxon Jacobson at 19:48
Mistelbacher shuffled a pass to Lavoie at the point, and he netted a one-timer at 19:48.
Shots on Goal
- Pats: 13 – 10 – 12 — 35
- Wheat Kings: 15 – 12 – 16 — 43
Power Plays
- Pats: 1/5
- Wheat Kings: 1/3
Goaltending
- Pats: Marek Schlenker — 35 saves on 42 shots
- Wheat Kings: Filip Ruzicka — 3 saves on six shots, Jayden Kraus — 27 saves on 29 shots
Three Stars
- First Star: #13 Jordan Gavin (3G, 2A)
- Second Star: #57 Zach Lansard (2G)
- Third Star: #7 Brady Turko (1G, 1A)
COMING UP
The Pats begin a brief two-game homestand on Tuesday, November 4, against the Calgary Hitmen at 7:00 p.m. for their I Love Regina game before hosting the Red Deer Rebels on Friday, November 7, at 7:00 p.m. for Western Night at the Brandt Centre.
