Taylor Tabashniuk’s steady goaltending is giving the Regina Pats confidence in front of him as he continues to build momentum early in the season.
“He doesn’t let very many (goals) in. But if he lets one in, he just picks himself up. His demeanour stays,” Pats coach David Bell said. “He doesn’t look rattled. He doesn’t look flustered.
“He is clearly our number one goalie right now.”
Tabashniuk was named WHL Goaltender of the Week on Monday thanks to posting a shutout against the Seattle Thunderbirds last Wednesday and winning both his starts while recording a .949 save percentage.
Tabashniuk followed that up by stopping all 34 shots in a 3-0 win over the Everett Silvertips on Tuesday. He has a chance to continue his torrid play going Friday when the Pats visit the Moose Jaw Warriors.
It was barely a month ago that there was uncertainty about Regina’s goaltending entering the season and it was unclear whether Tabashniuk or 17-year-old Drake Mooney would take control of the crease.
Tabashniuk got the season-opening start in Prince Albert and has been lights out since being pulled after allowing three goals on 13 shots. The 19-year-old Regina native is 7-1-0-1 with a .903 save percentage in 10 appearances.
Bell said Tabashniuk’s composure can be infectious, providing a boost to the players in front of him.
Veteran defenceman Dayton Deschamps is particularly appreciative of Tabashniuk consistency in net, which the team doesn’t take it for granted.
“If you mess up, you have a goalie back there who will stop the puck for you, and having that gives you that confidence to make those plays,” Deschamps said. “It makes you play harder for him because he’s working really hard for you.”
While Tabashniuk continues to excel, Bell said it’s important to keep developing the other half of the goaltending tandem.
Mooney will get a start soon, so he doesn’t “freeze up on the bench,” Bell said, although he couldn’t say exactly when that opportunity will come.
Mooney is 0-3 with an .833 save percentage this season. He recognizes that staying focused and maintaining a competitive mindset from the backup position can be a challenge.
“Mentally, the biggest thing is you just have got to stay sharp and practice — have good practices — act like they’re games,” Mooney said. “That’s the best way you can keep your mind in it.”
Mooney is grateful to have a “healthy, competitive relationship” with Tabashniuk, calling it “the best thing to have in a goalie partner.”
When one of them makes a big save during practice, the other feels the pressure to respond in kind.
“It’s back and forth like that,” Mooney said. “It’s not necessarily something we talk about, but it’s something we do.”
The goalies may let their saves do the talking, but communication is another area the Pats are working on this season.
Deschamps says the team is making more of an effort in that regard, with both goaltenders particularly vocal in the defensive zone. Tabashniuk, as the veteran, leads the way. That makes the blueliners’ jobs a “little bit easier.”
“If we forget about a guy in front of the net, he’ll yell at us and let us know about it,” Deschamps said. “It’s nice to have a goalie like that.”
Tabashniuk did not attend practice after the victory over Everett, with Bell emphasizing the importance of allowing goaltenders to recover and prioritize their physical health and state of mind.
For now, Tabashniuk has established himself as the Pats’ No. 1, while Mooney continues to prepare for his next opportunity.
And with both goaltenders pushing each other to make the next big save, that competition could continue to benefit the team in front of them.
