Playoff hockey came to the Brandt Centre a little early last night, as the Regina Pats edged the Prince Albert Raiders 2-1 to move into a tie for third spot in the WHL's East division with the Raiders.
Newly-acquired tough guy Myles Stoesz fired up his teammates (and the crowd) by taking on PA's Mike Gauthier 38 seconds into the contest. While Stoesz didn't score a decisive victory, he did set the stage for the grittiest, most physical performance by a Pats team in quite some time. And we all know that style can take a team a long way in the playoffs. Ditto for a hot goalie - as Linden Rowat turned in another strong performance between the pipes for Regina.
I'm not suggesting one game suddenly vaults the Pats into contender status. But it was certainly an encouraging performance. Now, if only the boys can start cashing in on a few more of the scoring chances they're generating...
2 comments:
Stoesz may not have had a KO but he won on points. He smaked Gauthier on the cheek so hard you could hear it from the concourse. I remember a game against the Tigers. Brownlee scrapped with a Tiger in the first 30 seconds, lost the fight, and we lost the game 4-0. It was uplifting for the team. Tuebert did a pretty good job against Hewson as well.
Eberle is good now but when he gets a bit bigger and stronger he will be something to see. He can stick handle in a pay phone booth.
Reich seems to be out of sorts a bit. Maybe being the tough guy has taken him off his game.
MacAngus will be a good fit with Eberle for a couple of years.
This was the best game for the Pats at home all year, regardless of scores. They have to play this way down the stretch because that was like playoff hockey. The Pats don't get many breaks from the stripes!
I was wondering if anyone else noticed Reich seems to be skating around in a fog. Hopefully the coaching staff sits him down and clearly spells out his role on the team. I think he can be a very useful player for this year (and next), but right now he looks unsure of what he should be doing.
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