The Regina Pats and Saskatoon Blades both found themselves playing comeback hockey on the opening night of the Western Hockey League season, but neither club was able to find the win column.
Regina travelled to Hockeytown North for their season opener and dropped a 7-4 decision to the defending Eastern Conference champion Prince Albert Raiders, while Saskatoon fell 5-4 to the Wheat Kings in Brandon.
Prince Albert 7, Regina 4
The Raiders wasted little time getting going in their home opener, as Bennett Kelly scored their first goal of the campaign only 1:10 into the contest.
Connor Howe then scored twice for Prince Albert to put his hometown team ahead 3-0 before Regina’s Keets Fawcett scored with 5:01 to play to make it 3-1 Raiders after the first.
Maddix McCagherty restored Prince Albert’s three goal lead 5:29 into the second, but Regina would score three of the next four goals to get back into things.
Jace Egland got the rally started at the 9:30 mark, and after Brandon’s Carsyn Dyck made it 5-2 at 12:12, Fawcett and Ellis Mieyette scored for Regina in the final six minutes of the period to make it 5-4 coming home.
That’s where things would stand until the final minutes of the game, as Riley Boychuk set up Alisher Sarkenov for a Raiders power play goal with 4:07 to play. Ben Harvey then added a shorthanded empty netter with 2:16 remaining to cap scoring.
Harvey added three assists to his goal, while McCagherty finished with three points on the night and Boychuk had a pair of helpers.
Mieyette and Ossi Tukio each had two points for the Pats.
Michal Orsulak stopped 20 shots to earn the win in goal for Prince Albert. Taylor Tabashniuk started for Regina and stopped 10 shots through two periods, Drake Mooney took over in the third and had 12 saves the rest of the way.
Regina now has a full week off and are back in action on Friday, Sept. 25 when they travel to Brandon. Prince Albert is back on the ice Saturday in Swift Current against the Broncos.
Brandon 5, Saskatoon 4
The Wheat Kings also had a fast start in their home opener, taking a 3-1 lead out of the opening frame.
Chase Surkan got things started 1:14 into the game, and after Brayden Klimpke replied for Saskatoon midway through the frame, Colin Grubb and Ilari Kapanen scored to give Brandon their lead through one.
Prabh Bhathal then made it a three-goal Wheat Kings edge with the lone goal of the second period.
Hunter Laing got Saskatoon back within a pair 1:34 into the final frame, but Kapanen scored his second of the game six minutes later to make it a 5-2 game.
The Blades wouldn’t go quietly as Ben Bowtell scored on the power play with 8:38 gone in the third and Kazden Mathies added a shorthanded marker with 4:24 remaining to make for an interesting finish. Saskatoon wouldn’t be able to find the tying goal, though, and Brandon escaped with the win.
Klimpke finished with three points for the Blades, Kapanen had a four-point outing for the Wheat Kings.
Max Hartel turned aside 25 shots in Saskatoon’s goal, Ryley Budd had 25 stops for Brandon.
The Blades return to action on Saturday when they take on the Moose Jaw Warriors in Moose Jaw.
