Team Blue took the Regina Pats annual Blue and White game 5-1 last night at the Brandt Centre.
It was an opportunity for coaches and management to check out this year’s players and some prospects at game speed to see what they can do.
Pats guest coach and former captain Kyle Deck said while it was a game that didn’t exactly count, it was an opportunity for players to establish what they bring to the table for the team.
“(Our message was) ‘bring what brought you here, so if you’re a hitter, hit, if you’re a shooter, shoot,’” Deck said. “It was a good game, the score really doesn’t matter but you still want to win if you’re competitive, but it was fun, I’m glad they asked me to come out and do it, and it was good to be back here.”
In the first period, team White was buzzing in their offensive zone, and it eventually led to the game’s first goal from Tyson Fiest, with assists going to Cole Dubinsky and Garret Wright. It was 1-0 White with about 10 minutes left in the first.
Then, Team Blue came alive with their first of five unanswered, as 15 year-old forward Zane Rowan tipped it in from in front. Ryker Evans and Duncan Pierce got credited with assists on the play. Later in the period, Carter Massier managed to poke the puck through a hole in Goaltender Liam Stevens’ pads, giving team Blue the 2-1 lead.
Team Blue had several chances on the power play but their only goal with the man advantage came in the second period, as Josh Paulhus scored on a rebound, with Jake Johnson and Colby Woogk getting assists on the play.
In the third, a quick turnover led to a two-on-goal rush that ended with Logan Nijhoff scoring with Carter Massier and Sloan Stanick getting the assists, stretching the lead to three. Midway through the period, Riley Krane scored arguably the best goal of the night, beating goaltender Liam Bechthold upstairs from in close, and making it a 5-1 game. Duncan Pierce and Ryker Evans got the assists for the last goal.
Krane said nothing beats game speed when preparing for the season.
“There’s nothing that puts you in game shape like playing a game, so when it’s full-on game, three periods, 20 minute stop (time), you get into the right shape and the right frame of mind for the rest of the season.”
Pats 15 year-old forward Samuel Huck was on team White, and arrived at camp on Sunday night. He said it was a big step up for him with it only being his second day in Regina.
“Everyone is used to skating, everyone was going hard, and I was a bit slower than what I want to be, but I think I got used to it fast and played well.”
The Pats get their preseason games started Tuesday night when they head to Moose Jaw to face the Warriors.
