The Regina Pats suffered an 11-2 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday night at the Brandt Centre.
Despite the lopsided final score, the Pats came out with jump in the opening period and generated several quality chances early. Regina was awarded three separate breakaways in the first 20 minutes, but Tigers goaltender Carter Casey turned aside all three opportunities to keep the game scoreless. Medicine Hat capitalized soon after, striking three times in a span of just over six minutes to take control.
Bryce Pickford opened the scoring at 8:25, finishing off a feed from Noah Davidson in front. Just over a minute later, Liam Ruck converted on a partial breakaway to make it 2-0, and Josh Van Mulligen wired home a cross-slot pass from Andrew Basha at 14:54 to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead after one.
Regina responded early in the second period when Jace Egland knocked down a pass in front and snapped home a power-play goal just 1:06 in to cut the deficit to 3-1. However, the Tigers answered with five consecutive goals in the middle frame. Luke Cozens restored the three-goal cushion at 7:10 before Kade Stengrim, Cam Parr, Basha and Van Mulligen added to the onslaught, sending Medicine Hat into the third period with an 8-1 advantage.
The Tigers continued to press in the final frame. Liam Ruck completed his hat trick with two more goals in the third — including a shorthanded marker at 13:08 — while Stengrim added his second of the night late. Zachary Lansard provided Regina’s lone third-period highlight, wiring home his 20th of the season off a slick pass from Maddox Schultz to make it 9-2 midway through the period.
Medicine Hat outshot Regina 43-30 on the night. Casey finished with 28 saves for the Tigers. Taylor Tabashniuk made 17 saves on 26 shots before Marek Schlenker stopped 13 of 16 in relief.
With the loss, the Pats remain seventh in the Eastern Conference standings with 53 points. They sit four points ahead of Moose Jaw and three up on Red Deer after both Clubs picked up wins Tuesday night.
FINAL: Medicine Hat Tigers 11, Regina Pats 2
THE GOALS
First Period
Tigers 1-0 — #27 Bryce Pickford (38), assisted by #39 Noah Davidson at 8:25 // Davidson fished the puck free behind the net and fed an open Pickford in front, who wired a shot home to open the scoring.
Tigers 2-0 — #12 Liam Ruck (37), assisted by #14 Dayton Reschny & #22 Josh Van Mulligen at 9:27 // Reschny stretched the puck up the ice, sending Ruck on a partial breakaway. He skated in and roofed the puck over Taylor Tabashniuk to extend the lead to 2-0.
Tigers 3-0 — #22 Josh Van Mulligen (5), assisted by #34 Andrew Basha at 14:54 // Basha twisted away from a Pats defender and sent a pretty pass across the slot to Van Mulligen, who wired a shot into the far corner to make it 3-0.
Second Period
Pats 3-1 — #24 Jace Egland (11), unassisted at 1:06 (PP) // Egland knocked down a pass in front of the Tigers' net and whacked the puck into the top corner to get Regina on the board.
Tigers 4-1 — #16 Luke Cozens (25), assisted by #27 Bryce Pickford & #10 Yaroslav Bryzgalov at 7:10 // Pickford danced around the Pats defence and sent a low shot on goal that was kicked straight out to Cozens, who deposited the rebound to make it a three-goal advantage.
Tigers 5-1 — #21 Kade Stengrim (16), assisted by #17 Carter Cunningham at 10:35 // Cunningham found a streaking Stengrim, who got in all alone, where his first shot was stopped. He then turned and slid the rebound five-hole to make it 5-1.
Tigers 6-1 — #20 Cam Parr (5), assisted by #14 Dayton Reschny & #29 Ethan Neutens at 13:24 // Reschny sent a long shot from the point that was stopped by Tabashniuk, but the rebound was quickly sent in by Parr.
Tigers 7-1 — #34 Andrew Basha (12), assisted by #26 Markus Ruck & #18 Jonas Woo at 16:18 (PP) // From the bottom of the right circle, Ruck swiped the puck in front where Basha lifted a shot over Tabashniuk to make it 7-1 Tigers.
Tigers 8-1 — #22 Josh Van Mulligen (6), assisted by #2 Tyson Moss & #16 Luke Cozens at 19:59 // Van Mulligen walked in across the line and sent a long shot off the glove of Tabashniuk and in just before the second-period buzzer to make it 8-1.
Third Period
Tigers 9-1 — #12 Liam Ruck (38), assisted by #14 Dayton Reschny & #26 Markus Ruck at 3:37 // Reschny found a loose puck in the middle and sent a no-look backhand pass to the left side, and Ruck hammered a one-timer past Marek Schlenker.
Pats 9-2 — #57 Zachary Lansard (20), assisted by #19 Maddox Schultz & #10 Keets Fawcett at 12:48 // Schultz made a slick pass from the right wall to the front of the net, and Lansard hammered the puck past Carter Casey for his 20th goal of the season.
Tigers 10-2 — #12 Liam Ruck (39), assisted by #2 Tyson Moss & #3 Riley Steen at 13:08 (SH) // After a couple of rebounds in front of the net, the puck squirted out to Ruck, and he ripped it past a down-and-out Schlenker, completing the hat trick.
Tigers 11-2 — #21 Kade Stengrim (17), assisted by #5 Kadon McCann at 19:34 // With time winding down, Stengrim was left open in the slot and made no mistake, increasing the lead to 11-2.
Shots on Goal
- Pats: 12 – 10 – 8 — 30
- Tigers: 11 – 16 – 16 — 43
Power Plays
- Pats: 1/4
- Tigers: 1/4
Goaltending
- Pats: Taylor Tabashniuk — 17 saves on 26 shots & Marek Schlenker — 13 saves on 16 shots
- Tigers: Carter Casey — 28 saves on 30 shots
Three Stars
- First Star: #22 Josh Van Mulligan (2G-1A)
- Second Star: #12 Liam Ruck (3G)
- Third Star: #14 Dayton Reschny (3A)
COMING UP
The Regina Pats finish their homestand when they host the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday, March 6. The Pats will then open up a three-game road trip Sunday when they take on the Calgary Hitmen.
