Regina Pats light up Oil Kings 7-1

Just as the glow sticks held by fans lit up the Brandt Centre, so did the Pats light up their opponent to seal their 8th straight win.

Wyatt Sloboshan, Bryan Lockner, Nick Henry, Austin Wagner and Dawson Leedahl each had three-point nights as the Pats blew past the Oil Kings 7-1.

“I think the guys put a lot of pressure on themselves as far as motivation to keep the season going,” head coach John Paddock said after the win. “I thought we played a good 60 minutes tonight against a team with tough throws which is important because we haven’t always done that.”

“We don’t want to lose any games especially to any teams lower than us, which is pretty much everyone,” said Sloboshan with a small chuckle.

The game started out a little differently than normal with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on Oil Kings player Colton Kehler off the start and putting the Pats on the powerplay right off the puck drop. Josh Mahura took advantage just under two minutes into the first.

He was followed about four minutes later with a goal from Sloboshan, who scored the first of two goals he’d get Saturday night.

“I think bounces are starting to go my way, I’m trying to just stick to the same type of play and eventually things start going your way and you get hot and keep going,” Sloboshan said.        

“I’ve never had a big run like this in my career and we just want to play the same, and don’t want to get too high.”

The Pats went into the second period firing with two good chances from Sam Steel and Austin Wagner within the first forty seconds.

Lockner was called for tripping put the Oil Kings on their third powerplay of the night, leading Davis Koch to break through just seconds into the powerplay cutting the Pats lead in half. But it would be the only goal scored by the Oil Kings that night as Jordan Hollett stopped 17 of 18 on the night.

After a strong start to the period and a penalty, Steel restored the two-point lead with a rebound off Oil Kings goalie Patrick Dea making it 3-1.

Next Adam Brooks hit his 30th goal of the season around the halfway point of the second after a beautiful feed and set up from Wagner and Sloboshan.

Braydon Buziak started the scoring in the third period with his seventh of the year, bringing the Pats up 5-1 as well as the intensity. It became a markedly scrappier game after the fifth goal of the game, but it didn’t faze Nick Henry who got on the board with his 21st of the season.

Less than 30 seconds later Wyatt Sloboshan found the back of the net for his second goal of the game sealing the Pats win at 7-1.

The Pats will take Sunday off before returning to practice on Monday. They will hit the road Tuesday for a three-game road trip, before returning to Regina for a Valentine’s Day matchup against Everett.

The Pats are now firmly in first place in the WHL with their nearest opponent six points back.

ODDS AND ENDS:

• Tonight’s stars: Bryan Lockner, Wyatt Sloboshan and Dawson Leedahl
• The Pats went 3 for 4 on the powerplay.
• Sam Steel and Adam Brooks remain firmly atop the leader board for scoring, with the closest player nine points away. Both players are also first and second in the league in assists.