PATS GAME DAY: VS OIL KINGS

EDMONTON at REGINA
7 pm Tuesday, Brandt Centre
620 CKRM
Press Box Sports Bar Pregame 6:35 pm

The Regina Pats (11-9-1-0) clash with the Edmonton Oil Kings (11-8-0-2) for the first time this season.    Last season saw the Pats go 1-3-0-0 against the eventual Memorial Cup Champions.  Morgan Klimchuk led the Pats with five points (3G, 2A) in four games.  Edgars Kulda was tops among returning Oil Kings, racking up six points (3G, 3A) over the season series.  Coming into tonight’s game, the Pats are winners of three straight and six of seven while Edmonton has won its last two including a 7-1 win against the Saskatoon Blades.  Listen to tonight’s contest on 620 CKRM with Home Depot Pats Hockey starting at 6:35 p.m.

Lead Up: Pats Overcome Thunderbirds in 2-1 Win
The size mismatch was evident through the first forty minutes of the Pats and Thunderbirds only meeting of the year.  Seattle laid a grinding defence on the Pats stifling what had been a very productive team throughout the week.  Trailing 1-0 into the third, the Pats found a way to open the game up.  Morgan Klimchuk tied the game early in the frame and Patrick D’Amico followed up with a late winner to give the Pats a 2-1 win.  Daniel Wapple turned aside 29 of 30 shots.

Two Hundred and Counting 
Morgan Klimchuk’s tying goal in the third period of Saturday’s contest was the 200th point of his WHL career.  The Calgary Flames prospect accomplished the feat in 213 games and is ten away from his 100th career goal.  Klimchuk is currently 38th on the Pats all-time scoring list, two points behind Lyndon Byers.

First!
Patrick D’Amico became the first Pats player to reach ten goals on the weekend and rides a four game point streak into tonight’s game.  The overage forward is third on the team in scoring with 17 points (10G, 7A) and is just seven points away from his previous career high.  D’Amico has already torched his previous career high of six goals in 48 games.

Still in the Zone
Daniel Wapple was in goal for all three Pats wins last week, stopping 109 out of 115 shots for a 2.00 GAA and a 0.947 SV%.  In the month of November, Wapple has a strong 4-1-0-0 record, 2.16 GAA and 0.935 SV%.  He now sits 10th in the WHL in Goals Against Average, Save Percentage and Wins.

Upcoming Schedule
at Vancouver – Friday, November 21st, 9:30 p.m. CST – Pacific Coliseum (CKRM)
at Victoria – Saturday, November 22nd, 9:05 p.m. CST – Save on Foods Memorial Centre (CKRM)
at Prince George – Wednesday, November 26th, 9:00 p.m. CST – CN Centre (CKRM)

(Courtesy Daniel Fink)