Rivalry renewed: Warriors best Pats 5-4 in OT

The hockey was so good it had to go to an extra period.

The Regina Pats and the Moose Jaw Warriors squared off in their first game of the season and it did not disappoint, requiring overtime to determine the outcome.

Sam Steel and Josh Mahura, fresh from Anaheim Ducks training camp, each put in three-point nights in the Pats loss.

Steel started the scoring for the Pats with an unassisted, spectacular shorthanded goal. The 2016-17 scoring champ added two assists to his total in the third period.

Moose Jaw’s Oleg Sosunov responded later on in the frame with a powerplay goal, assisted by Dmitri Zaitsev and Noah Gregor and the teams took a one-goal tie into the first intermission.

The second period was all Warriors, who got the scoring going later in the period. Not to be outdone by Steel, Brayden Burke scored his third goal of the season and unassisted and shorthanded at the 13:17 mark of the period.

Roughly three minutes later Sosunov notched his second of the night and second of the season to give the Warriors a 3-1 lead at the end of the second.

But it was the third when the Pats came storming back. Emil Oksanen scored twice on the powerplay less than two minutes apart with assists from Matt Bradley and Sam Steel and Josh Mahura twice.

The tie held until the halfway point of the period before Jayden Halbgewachs scored on the powerplay with helpers from Brayden Burke and Justin Almedia to make it 4-3, but the lead wouldn’t hold.

Pats defenceman Dawson Davidson was fed by Josh Mahura and Sam Steel tied the game up at four, forcing overtime.

Moose Jaw’s Brett Howden netted the overtime winner nearly three minutes into three-on-three play.

The Regina Pats return home for a Sunday game against Red Deer. Tickets are still available.

Puck drop is at 4 p.m.