REGINA — Extra hockey has treated the Regina Pats well in the early weeks of the Western Hockey League season, and as a result, they find themselves in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference standings.
The Pats picked up their third win in as many overtime and shootout games through the first weeks of the campaign on Saturday night, battling to a 3-2 shootout win over the Edmonton Oil Kings at the Brandt Centre in Regina.
Regina improved to 3-2-0-0 with the victory to sit in fifth place in the Conference, while Edmonton fell to 1-3-1-0 and are in ninth place.
After a scoreless first period, Tyson Buczkowski opened scoring for Regina at the 8:59 mark of the second, but the lead would last only 20 seconds before Edmonton’s Blake Fiddler tied things up.
Corbin Almen restored the Pats lead with 9:04 gone in the third, but once again Edmonton found a way to respond quickly — this time with Roan Woodward scoring 4:24 later.
Regina goaltender Kelton Pyne and Edmonton netminder Alex Worthington stood tall from there, keeping the game scoreless through the remainder of the third and through overtime, eventually getting things to the shootout.
The penalty shots would go six rounds before Almen finished things off, sending the 2,494 fans in attendance home happy.
Regina returns to action on Wednesday night when the Everett Silvertips make their biannual visit to the Brandt Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.
Game Stats from the Regina Pats:
FINAL SCORE: Pats 3, Oil Kings 2 (SO)
THE GOALS
First Period
None.
Second Period
1-0 Pats at 8:59 – Tyson Buczkowski (1), assisted by Cole Temple & Jaxson Vaughan // Buczkowski kept the puck in at the point and sent a long-range shot that eluded Alex Worthington to give the Pats a 1-0 lead midway through the game.
1-1 Oil Kings at 9:19 – Blake Fiddler (1), assisted by Marshall Finnie // Finnie won an offensive zone draw and sent the puck back to Fiddler and his point shot got by a screened Kelton Pyne to tie the game up at 1-1 just 20 seconds later.
Third Period
2-1 Pats at 9:04 – Corban Almen (1), assisted by Zackary Shantz // Shantz won a battle for the puck deep in the Oil Kings zone and sent a pass to Almen at the top of the left circle, and he fired the puck past Worthington’s blocker to give the Pats the 2-1 lead.
2-2 Oil Kings at 13:28 – Roan Woodward (1), assisted by Miroslav Holinka // Holinka picked up the puck just below the Pats’ goalline and passed to Woodward at the right faceoff dot and his shot beat the Pats netminder to tie the game up at 2-2.
Overtime
None.
Shootout
Regina: Whitehead – no.
Edmonton: Jecho – no.
Regina: Temple – no.
Edmonton: Hodnett – no.
Regina: Spencer – goal.
Edmonton: G. Sawchyn – goal.
Regina: Oremba – no.
Edmonton: Woodward – no.
Regina: Shantz – no.
Edmonton: Iginla – no.
Regina: Almen – GOAL!
Edmonton: Roersma – no.
THE STATISTICS
SOG: Regina – 7-14-9-0–30 | Edmonton – 12-10-11-2–35
PP: Regina – 0/2 | Edmonton – 0/3
GOALTENDING
Regina: Kelton Pyne (33 saves / 35 shots)
Edmonton: Alex Worthington (28 saves / 30 shots)
THE 3 STARS
First: Kelton Pyne – Pats
Second: Corban Almen – Pats
Third: Gracyn Sawchyn – Oil Kings
