The Regina Pats crushed the Prince Albert Raiders 8-2 at the Brandt Centre Friday night. The Pats were an amazing 5/6 on the power play, and 9/9 on the penalty kill in a spirited - and chippy - contest. Does this win vault the Pats back into contender status? Not so much. But it's certainly a step in the right direction.
The Pats were actually quite sloppy in their own end in the first two periods. A better offensive team likely would have made them pay, but the Raiders weren't up to the task. However, Regina's team defence clicked in during the final frame, holding Prince Albert to just four shots. All in all, not bad.
Next up, a trip to Saskatoon Saturday night, then the Blades visit the Pats Sunday in the second half of the home-and-home set. It'd certainly be nice if the Pats could go a perfect 3-3 this weekend. Let's see what happens.
2 comments:
Pete--like you said they're not contenders just yet. Last night's win will mean nothing unless they win the two games over the weekend.
The Pats do have have to shore up their defensive zone coverage as it is still a work in progress. They are only a plus 6 in the goals f/a this year. They also have to work on their discipline when it comes to needless minor penalties.
They just have to fine tune their game because the playoffs will be here soon. A Pats/Broncos series will be very difficult if Kyle Moir has a great series. That one will go 7 games.
The Pats road record is well documented and I am sure it's a major concern to everyone in that organization. On the plus side they have won 2 of 4 games in Swift Current so if they play to potential, a first round win is a possibility. Any series after that will involve a Central team. That is where the problem will be magnified.
The Pats have to approach the balance of the season and the playoffs as a new beginning. Playoff hockey is different and anything can happen. They could catch fire and go a long way....but I wouldn't put hard money on it.
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