Four goals in the first two periods helped give the Regina Pats a 5-2 road win on Friday night over the Moose Jaw Warriors at Mosaic Place.
The Pats had five different goal scorers in the victory. Drew Englot and Austin Pratt each had a goal in the first; Pratt’s goal was the first shorthanded marker of the season for Regina.
In the second, Robbie Holmes and Ty Kolle tallied their 14th and 13th goals respectively to give the Pats a commanding 4-0 lead into the third period.
Two goals from Moose Jaw’s Chase Hartje made things interesting in the third period. However a Riley Krane empty netter put the game away in the last minute, lifting the visitors to a 5-2 win.
Max Paddock provided 28 saves for his seventh win on the season.
“We were really good in the first 40 minutes. In the last 20 minutes we sat back a little bit, but for the first game back after Christmas, we’ll take it,” said Pats goaltending coach Rob Muntain in his post-game interview on 620 CKRM.
“If we can stick to what we did for the first 40 minutes for a complete 60, I don’t think there’s going to be any issues.”
Friday’s triumph evens the season series between the two sides at two wins and two losses.
The two clubs take to the ice on Saturday at the Brandt Centre in Regina as part of a home-and-home to wrap up the weekend. It will also be Regina’s last home game of the decade before they return to home ice on New Year’s Day against the Prince Albert Raiders.
Listen to Saturday’s game on 620 CKRM starting at 6:35 p.m. with the pre-game show. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.
