The Regina Pats saw their season-high five-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday night, falling 7-3 to the Penticton Vees inside the Brandt Centre in the first-ever meeting between the two franchises.
The loss came against a Vees club that continues to make history in its inaugural WHL campaign, as Penticton set a league record for the most wins by an expansion franchise in its first season with 36.
Penticton wasted little time asserting control. On an early power play, Matteo Danis opened the scoring at 5:08 of the first period, finishing off a pass from Jacob Kvasnicka in front to make it 1-0. The Vees doubled their lead at 12:07 when Diego Johnson broke in alone and beat Marek Schlenker over the glove on a breakaway to send the Pats into the intermission trailing 2-0.
The visitors pulled away in the second period, striking four times. Ryden Evers extended the lead to 3-0 on a three-on-one rush at 7:06, before Nolan Stevenson tapped in a backdoor feed at 10:59 to make it 4-0. Johnson added his second of the night at 18:44, kicking in a loose puck in the slot, and Danis followed with his second at 19:32 after a reviewed play confirmed the puck had trickled across the line, giving the Vees a 6-0 advantage after 40 minutes.
Despite the deficit, the Pats showed pushback in the third period.
Connor Bear got Regina on the board at 4:24, picking off a defender and finishing on a breakaway for his fourth of the season. The Vees answered just 36 seconds later, as Evers notched his second of the night to restore a six-goal cushion at 7-1.
From there, the Pats controlled much of the final frame. Caden Brown scored his team-leading 28th goal of the season at 16:12, tipping home a feed from Maddox Schultz and Reese Hamilton. The goal extended Brown’s torrid stretch to 13 points (6G-7A) over his last six games, while Hamilton pushed his point streak to six games (1G-8A).
Bear capped the night with his second of the contest — and first career multi-goal game — finishing off a tic-tac-toe passing play on the power play at 18:45 to round out the scoring at 7-3.
Regina outshot Penticton 11-4 in the third period and were outshot 28-26 overall, while going 1-for-6 on the power play. The Vees finished 1-for-4 with the man advantage.
Schlenker made 18 saves on 24 shots over two periods before Taylor Tabashniuk turned aside three of four in relief. At the other end, Andrew Reyelts stopped 23 of 26 shots for his league-leading 24th win.
Although the result snapped Regina’s five-game surge, the strong third period provided a silver lining as the Pats look to regroup heading into their next contest on Wednesday against the Prince George Cougars.
FINAL: Penticton Vees 7, Regina Pats 3
THE GOALS
First Period
Vees 1-0 — #29 Matteo Danis (21) scores, assisted by #83 Jacob Kvasnicka & #11 Charlie Michaud at 5:08 (PP) // On the Vees power play, from behind the Pats net, Kvasnicka feathered a pass in front to Danis, who beat Marek Schlenker five-hole to open the scoring.
Vees 2-0 — #19 Diego Johnson (20), assisted by #51 Brittan Alstead at 12:07 // Alstead found Johnson behind the Pats defence, streaking in on a breakaway before just beating Schlenker over the glove.
Second Period
Vees 3-0 — #21 Ryden Evers (29), assisted by #91 Tristan Petersen & #83 Jacob Kvasnicka at 7:06 // The Vees broke in on a three-on-one where Evers fanned on a pass, but the momentum of the pass got through Schlenker to extend the Vees' lead to 3-0.
Vees 4-0 — #6 Nolan Stevenson (9), assisted by #27 Samuel Drancak & #11 Charlie Michaud at 10:59 // The Vees worked the puck down low in the Pats zone, where Stevenson received a backdoor pass and tapped it home to make it 4-0.
Vees 5-0 — #19 Diego Johnson (21), assisted by #11 Charlie Michaud & #2 Ethan Weber at 18:44 // Stone's shot was stopped by Schlenker, but the puck popped out to the slot, and Johnson kicked it into the open net to make it 5-0.
Vees 6-0 — #29 Matteo Danis (22), assisted by #8 Callum Stone & #9 Louis Wehmann at 19:32 // Danis' shot appeared to have been stopped by Schlenker, but the puck trickled in, and after review it was declared a goal to make it 6-0.
Third Period
Pats 6-1 — #20 Connor Bear (4), unassisted at 4:24 // Bear picked the Vees' defender's pocket, broke in alone and flipped the puck over Reyelts to get the Pats on the board.
Vees 7-1 — #21 Ryden Evers (30), assisted by #82 Jacob Kvasnicka at 5:00 // Kvasnicka carried the puck deep into the Pats zone and directed it toward the net, where it eventually bounced to Evers, who lifted it over Tabashniuk to make it 7-1.
Pats 7-2 — #27 Caden Brown (28), assisted by #19 Maddox Schultz & #6 Reese Hamilton at 16:12 // Hamilton passed it to Shultz along the right boards where he sent a feed to the front of the net, and Brown was able to deflect it past Reyelts to make it 7-2.
Pats 7-3 — #20 Connor Bear (5), assisted by #44 Matt Paranych & #37 Cohen Klassen at 18:45 (PP) // The Pats broke in on an odd-man rush and Bear finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play to make it 7-3.
Shots on Goal
- Pats: 5 – 10 – 11 — 26
- Vees: 11 – 13 – 4 — 28
Power Plays
- Pats: 1/6
- Vees: 1/4
Goaltending
- Pats: Marek Schlenker — 18 saves on 24 shots (40:00) & Taylor Tabashniuk 3 saves on 4 shots (20:00)
- Vees: Andrew Reyelts — 23 saves on 26 shots
Three Stars
- First Star: #19 Diego Johnson (2G)
- Second Star: #20 Connor Bear (2G)
- Third Star: #21 Ryden Evers (2G)
COMING UP
The Regina Pats continue their on Wednesday, February 25, when they host the Prince George Cougars. The Pats then take on the Brandon Wheat Kings on the road next Friday before returning home to host the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday, February 28, at the Brandt Centre.
