In a back-and-forth contest, the Regina Pats pulled through with a pair of hat-tricks from Maddox Schultz and Caden Brown on Wednesday night at the SaskTel Centre against the Saskatoon Blades, walking away with a 7-6 overtime victory on the road.
The two teams traded chances in the opening half of the first period. Still, it was the Pats who struck first at 11:03. After Kolten Bridgeman connected with Caden Brown in the neutral zone, Brown used his speed to create a slot chance for Cohen Klassen, who made no mistake, beating Blades goaltender Evan Gardner for his first goal in 10 games and his ninth of the season. However, Saskatoon would respond just over two minutes later with a pair of goals at 13:25 and again at 17:36 to regain momentum before the end of the period. Brayden Klimpke struck first to beat Pats goaltender Marek Schlenker, followed by a tap-in goal a few minutes later from Ben Bowtell.
In an entertaining second frame, the Pats drew even as Maddox Schultz showcased his skill with a nifty backhand-forehand move on a breakaway opportunity, evening the score at 1:50 for the first of a three-goal period for Regina. Then, at 9:07, Caden Brown intercepted a pass in the Pats' zone, carrying the puck the length of the ice on a short-handed breakaway before rifling a shot past Gardner to give Regina the lead again – the Pats' seventh short-handed tally of the season and Brown's second. The goal-scoring wouldn't stop there, though. At 13:24, Saskatoon would find the back of the net on a 2-on-1 rush, capped off by a backdoor finish from David Lewandowski to tie the game once more. Despite a big response from the Blades, it was Reese Hamilton and Ruslan Karimov setting up Brown on a late-period man advantage, as the 20-year-old picked up his 24th goal of the season and second of the game.
The chaos would continue in the third period as the teams traded a combined three goals in just over four minutes of end-to-end action. Zach Olsen opened the flurry for Saskatoon, wiring an unexpected wrist shot off an offensive zone draw that would tie the game. Brown would respond for the Pats, picking up his third goal of the game at 3:03. From there, the Blades would tie the game for the third time at 4:16 with Bowtell picking up a loose puck on a Schlenker rebound before eventually taking the lead from a Parr goal at 12:15. However, after a Pats goal was called off in the final minute of play, Schultz would bury his second of the game on the power play with 18 seconds remaining to force overtime. In the extra frame, the 15-year-old scored a miraculous goal with a commendable individual effort to clinch a 7-6 overtime victory and his first career WHL hat-trick.
With the result, the Pats improved to 17-26-6-1 on the season. Pats' Schlenker stopped 35 of 41 shots he faced. At the other end, Blades netminder Gardner turned aside 34 of 41 shots, with the final shots on goal being tied 41-41. On special teams, the Pats were productive, going 2-for-3, while the Blades went scoreless, 0-for-3 on the night.
Most notably, Schultz not only recorded his first career WHL hat trick but also became the youngest player in franchise history to do so. Also, Brown secured his third hat-trick of the season and a career-high six points – the second most by a WHL player this season.
FINAL: Regina Pats 7, Saskatoon Blades 6 (OT)
THE GOALS
First Period
Pats 1-0 —#37 Cohen Klassen (9), assisted by #27 Caden Brown, & #4 Kolten Bridgeman at 11:03
Bridgeman fed Brown in the neutral zone, and the forward skated past a Blades defenceman before spotting Klassen driving the net. Klassen finished the play, burying the puck at 11:03, and he buried it to open the scoring.
Blades 1-1 —#4 Brayden Klimpke (4), assisted by #20 Tyler Parr at 13:25
Klimpke found Parr down low, then put the return pass into the back of the net, finishing off the give-and-go play to tie the game at 13:25.
Blades 2-1 —#71 Ben Bowtell (3), assisted by #9 Zach Olsen, & #43 Luke Dumas at 17:36
Olsen fired a sharp-angle shot from below the left circle that Schlenker stopped, but Bowtell tapped in the rebound at 17:36.
Second Period
Pats 2-2 —#19 Maddox Schultz (5), assisted by #10 Keets Fawcett at 1:50
After Fawcett intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, he sprung Schultz, who made a move at the Blades' blue line and broke free before scoring on a breakaway opportunity at 1:50.
Pats 3-2 —#27 Caden Brown (23), unassisted at 9:07 (SHG)
Playing short-handed, Brown picked off a pass in the Pats' zone and took the puck the length of the ice before beating Gardner glove side on a breakaway at 9:07.
Blades 3-3 —#11 David Lewandowski (13), assisted by #27 Hunter Laing, & #4 Brayden Klimpke at 13:24
With the puck squirting out to centre ice, Laing carried the puck into the Pats' zone on a 2-on-1, feeding Lewandowski back door to tie the game at 13:24.
Pats 4-3 —#27 Caden Brown (24), assisted by #25 Ruslan Karimov, & #6 Reese Hamilton at 13:56 (PP)
On the man advantage, Brown slid a pass to Karimov for a one-timer in the slot. Though the chance was initially stopped, the rebound bounced onto the stick of Brown, and he scored his second of the game at 13:56.
Third Period
Blades 4-4 —#9 Zach Olsen (14), assisted by #71 Ben Bowtell at 1:28
After a faceoff win in the Pats' zone by Bowtell, Olsen fired a shot from the top of the left circle that beat Schlenker to tie the game at 1:28.
Pats 5-4 —#27 Caden Brown (25), assisted by #37 Cohen Klassen at 3:03
With the puck swung around the boards in Regina's end, Klassen gathered it and carried through the neutral zone before feeding Brown on a 3-on-1. The 20-year-old made it count, notching his third goal of the night at 3:03.
Blades 5-5 —#71 Ben Bowtell (4), assisted by #37 Jack Kachkowski, & #47 Tristan Doyle at 4:16
Doyle slid a pass from one side of the blue line to the other onto the tape of Kachkowski, who snapped a shot on goal. Schlenker made the save, but Bowtell pounced on the rebound to tie the game at 4:16.
Blades 6-5 —#20 Tyler Parr (6), assisted by #77 Kayden Mathies at 12:15
Mathies drove into the Pats' zone on the left side, firing a shot off the right shoulder of Schlenker; the rebound bounced off Parr and into the net at 12:15.
Pats 6-6 —#19 Maddox Schultz (6), assisted by #6 Reese Hamilton, and #27 Caden Brown at 19:42 (PP)
Pressing in the offensive zone with the clock ticking down, Hamilton fed Schultz, and he buried a shot from the top of the left circle at 19:42.
Overtime
Pats 7-6 —#19 Maddox Schultz (7), assisted by #55 Ephram McNutt, and #27 Caden Brown at 1:03
In the extra frame, Schultz came out from the corner and waited for Gardner to roof the game-winner at 1:03.
Shots on Goal
- Pats: 11 – 17 – 12 – 1 — 41
- Blades: 8 – 13 – 12 – 0 — 41
Power Plays
- Pats: 2/3
- Blades: 0/3
Goaltending
- Pats: Marek Schlenker — 35 saves on 41 shots
- Blades: Evan Gardner — 34 saves on 41 shots
Three Stars
- First Star: #19 Maddox Schultz (3G)
- Second Star: #27 Caden Brown (3G, 3A)
- Third Star: #71 Ben Bowtell (2G, 1A)
COMING UP
The Pats head back to Regina to open a home-and-home series against the Moose Jaw Warriors, beginning on Friday, February 13 at 7:00 p.m. for Retro Night at the Brandt Centre. The series shifts to Moose Jaw on Saturday, February 14, at 6:00 p.m. Regina then kicks off a three-game homestand on Monday, February 16, at 2:00 p.m., hosting the Swift Current Broncos on Family Day.
