Regina Pats victorious in captain's return

The Regina Pats kept pace with the Moose Jaw Warriors in the fight for third place in the East Division.

Both teams were winners on Wednesday as the Pats remain one point back of their rival.

Captain Colby Williams returned to action for the first time since Jan. 3, due to complications from an off-season arm injury. Head Coach John Paddock says “it’s just like riding a bike” for Williams as he didn’t look like a player who has missed over two months of action.

The Pats 5-3 win was an adventurous one as they finished the first period out shooting Saskatoon 21-1 but couldn’t solve Blades goaltender Brock Hamm. Things didn’t get better for the Pats early in the second as the Blades scored on their third shot of the game to make it 1-0.

Williams took exception to Mason McCarty talking back to one of his teammates and cross-checked McCarty which led to every player on the ice receiving a penalty except the goaltenders.

Williams got the extra cross check penalty and the Blades capitalized 19 seconds later to make it 2-0. The Pats fought back with goals from Luc Smith and Adam Brooks to tie the game but soon after the Blades got the go ahead marker, sending the Pats to the locker room down 3-2. But after pelting Hamm with pucks, the Pats finally got to the Blades goaltender in the third as Rykr Cole, Jake Leschyshyn and Austin Wagner all scored for the Pats win.

Williams got one assist in his return and says he’ll head back to Edmonton after the final two games of the season to get his specialist to look at him arm to make sure he can play for the playoffs.

The Pats are home to Swift Current for their final home game of the regular season on Friday before finishing the season in Brandon on Saturday. If the season were to end today, the Pats would play Lethbridge in the first round.