In a tight contest all the way through, the Regina Pats dropped a narrow 4-1 decision after a three-goal third period propelled the Brandon Wheat Kings to victory on Friday night at Assiniboine Credit Union Place.
The opening period featured a fairly even, back-and-forth pace as the two teams traded chances on Pats goaltender Taylor Tabashniuk and Wheat Kings netminder Filip Ruzicka. However, Brandon outshot Regina 15-7 through 20 minutes. Ruslan Karimov thought he had the Pats on the board midway through the frame, but his apparent goal was waved off. Instead, it was the Wheat Kings who capitalized late, breaking the ice in this one. Carrying the puck through the neutral zone, Brady Turko zipped a cross-ice feed onto the stick of a streaking Jordan Gavin. After taking it behind the Pats’ net, Turko slipped a seam pass to Cameron Allard, who wired a shot over the glove of Tabashniuk at 19:18 to give Brandon a 1-0 lead after one.
In the middle frame, both clubs had power-play opportunities, but neither could convert. The best chance of the period came on a Gavin breakaway for Brandon, but Tabashniuk stood tall to turn it aside and keep it a one-goal game. Regina outshot Brandon 16-11 in the period, but the frame finished scoreless. Through 40 minutes, the Wheat Kings led 1-0 and held a 26-23 edge in total shots on goal and a 31-16 advantage in faceoff wins.
Early into the third, Gavin redeemed himself with Brandon’s second goal, completing a tic-tac-toe play on the man advantage at 1:48. The play started with Burzynski at the Pats’ blue line, as the 20-year-old strung a pass cross-ice at the bottom of the right circle to Chase Surkan. Surkan quickly delivered a backdoor pass to Gavin, who tapped it into the open net to double the Wheat Kings’ lead. However, the Pats would cut into the lead as Karimov handled a bouncing puck off an offensive zone faceoff, swiftly sliding it through the legs of Ruzicka's five-hole to make it a one-goal game at 11:31. That momentum swing didn’t last long for Regina, as Brandon struck twice more in a three-goal third period. Jimmy Egan netted his fourth at 12:49 before Luke Mistelbacher notched his team-leading 38th of the season at 17:01, sealing a 4-1 win for Brandon.
With the result, the Pats moved to 22-28-6-1 on the season. Pats’ Tabashniuk stopped 31 of 35 shots he faced. At the other end, Wheat Kings netminder Ruzicka turned aside 35 of 36 shots, with the final shots on goal being tied 36-35 in favour of Regina. On special teams, the Pats were scoreless, going 0-for-3, while the Wheat Kings were 1-for-3 on the night.
Most notably, Karimov picked up his third goal in his last four games and now has five points over his last five contests.
At the conclusion of the contest, sparks flew with multiple scuffles, including a fight between Tabashniuk and Ruzicka.
🚨FRIDAY NIGHT GOALIE FIGHT🚨
TAYLOR TABASHNIUK DROPS THE MITTS AGAINST FILIP RUZICKA AT THE END OF THE GAME 🥊 #ReginaPatsHockey pic.twitter.com/fkjZ7iUlLM
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) February 28, 2026
FINAL: Brandon Wheat Kings 4, Regina Pats 1
THE GOALS
First Period
Wheat Kings 1-0 —#6 Cameron Allard (7), assisted by #13 Jordan Gavin, & #7 Brady Turko at 19:18
Gavin, carrying the puck behind the Pats’ net, fed Allard at the top of the left circle. The defenceman took the pass, dragged, and fired the puck over the glove of Tabashniuk at 19:18.
Second Period
No scoring.
Third Period
Wheat Kings 2-0 —#13 Jordan Gavin (15), assisted by #11 Chase Surkan, & #14 Grayson Burzynski at 1:48 (PP)
Collecting the puck at the Pats’ blue line, Burzynski made a cross-ice pass to Surkan, who spotted Gavin backdoor. Gavin finished it off on the power play to make it 2-0 at 1:48.
Pats 2-1—#25 Ruslan Karimov (16), (unassisted) at 11:31
Off the draw, with the puck pinballing around, Karimov picked up the loose puck and slid it five-hole on Ruzicka to cut the deficit in half at 11:31.
Wheat Kings 3-1 —#21 Jimmy Egan (4), assisted by #6 Cameron Allard at 12:49
Egan skated the puck the length of the ice and sent it towards the Pats’ crease, where it deflected off a skate and bounced into the net at 12:49.
Wheat Kings 4-1 —#26 Luke Mistelbacher (38), assisted by #8 Prabh Bhathal at 17:01
After a turnover in the Pats’ zone, Mistelbacher found Bhathal and then finished the return pass on a give-and-go to extend the lead to 4-1 at 17:01.
Shots on Goal
- Pats: 7 – 16 – 13 — 36
- Wheat Kings: 15 – 11 – 9 — 35
Power Plays
- Pats: 0/3
- Wheat Kings: 1/3
Goaltending
- Pats: Taylor Tabashniuk — 31 saves on 35 shots
- Wheat Kings: Filip Ruzicka — 35 saves on 36 shots
Three Stars
- First Star: #30 Filip Ruzicka (35 saves)
- Second Star: #13 Jordan Gavin (1G, 1A)
- Third Star: #6 Cameron Allard (1G, 1A)
COMING UP
The Pats return to Regina to wrap up their weekend against the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday, February 28, at 6:00 p.m. for Superstore: Your Team, Your Jersey Night, presented by Real Canadian Superstore. The club then continues its three-game homestand on Tuesday, March 3, at 7:00 p.m. with a matchup against the Medicine Hat Tigers, opening its March schedule for the final month of the regular season.
