'We’ll have to play an awful lot better:' Pats head coach says despite 5-1 win against Calgary

The Pats continued an impressive offensive display over the Calgary Hitmen with a 5-1 win in Regina on Saturday night.

Sam Steel had a part in all five of the Pats’ goals, scoring one and notching four assists in the matchup. Linemate Dawson Leedahl chipped in two goals of his own and earned second-star honours.

But just because the Pats have been readily beating their opponent, doesn’t mean that head coach John Paddock is entirely satisfied with the effort.

“I’m very pleased we have a two-nothing lead, he said after the game Saturday night, however, it came with a but. 

“I will say that we’ll have to play an awful lot better or they will hold court on their ice.”

The Pats head to Calgary for two games starting on Tuesday, and Paddock said the players will have a lot of tape to go over to get better before those games happen. Among his issues, all the penalties the Pats are taking. Seven were issued Regina’s way Saturday night.

“You’re just not going to get away with the stuff we do,” Paddock explained. “Losing forecheckers and stuff like that. It’s just like what we saw when we lost some games there late in the season. You can’t play like that regularly.”

Fortunately, for the team and its fans, though, how they played Saturday was good enough to win, and win handily.  

Leedahl started the scoring for the Pats after collecting a rebound from Steel to put the Pats up 1-0 in the first.

The Hitmen came back early in the second with a goal from Andrew Fyten. Fyten seemingly shocked Tyler Brown with a shot from the corner of the face-off circle, but Brown held the line for the rest of the game.

Two minutes later Adam Brooks fired his third of the playoffs past Cody Porter to put the Pats up 2-1.

After four minutes of penalties were doled out to each Braydon Buziak and Mark Kastelic, Leedahl found the back of the net once again for his second goal of the night.

The Pats took a 3-1 lead into the third period.

Fresh off serving an end of the season suspension, Nick Henry came flying to Calgary’s net with Leedahl and Steel and nets a backhand shot that gets past Porter and puts the Pats up by three goals.

And next, it was Steel who found himself in front of an empty net to put the cherry on top of the night and seal the 5-1 win.

The Pats will travel to Calgary for game three on Tuesday. Puck drop is at the Saddledome at 7 p.m.

STARS

1. Sam Steel (Regina): 1 goal, 4 assists
2. Dawson Leedahl (Regina): 2 goals, 1 assist
3. Sergey Zborovskiy (Regina): 1 assist, +3