PATS-WHEAT KINGS SERIES PREVIEW
(2) REGINA PATS vs (7) BRANDON WHEAT KINGS
2013-14 regular-season record:
Regina: 39-26-4-3, 85pts (L10: 5-4-1-0)
Brandon: 34-29-6-3, 77pts (L10: 6-3-0-1)
2013-14 head-to-head record:
Regina: 3-3-2-0, 8pts
Brandon: 5-3-0-0, 10pts
2013-14 head-to-head top scorers:
Regina:
Chandler Stephenson 8gp-4g-7a-11pts
Morgan Klimchuk 5gp-2g-8a-10pts
Brandon:
Peter Quenneville 7gp-7g-8a-15pts
Richard Nejezchleb 8gp-4g-8a-12pts
COMING IN:
The Regina Pats and Brandon Wheat Kings meet up in the WHL playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 season. Jordin Tootoo’s Wheat Kings defeated Colton Orr and the Pats four games to one in the first round of the 2003 WHL playoffs.
The Pats come into the WHL playoffs having captured the East Division title for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign. Under first-year head coach Malcolm Cameron, the Pats enjoyed a productive offensive season, scoring 64 more goals than they did last year. Led by Dyson Stevenson’s 38 goals, the Pats boasted four players who topped the 30-goal mark and another who hit the 20-goal plateau.
Rookie defenceman Dmitry Sinitsyn heads up a defense corps that produced 34 goals while also combining for a +72 rating. Netminder Dawson MacAuley posted a 2.75 GAA and a .920 save percentage in six games in March leading up to the end of the season. He’ll likely get the start in the post-season with Daniel Wapple sidelined.
The Wheat Kings are back in the post-season after missing the playoffs last year for the first time since 1999-00. With plenty of talent up front, the Wheat Kings’ offense produced the fifth-most goals in the WHL. Led by Richard Nejezchleb’s 32 markers, the Wheat Kings had seven different players hit the 20-goal mark while also boasting the League’s second-ranked power play.
Defensively, the Wheat Kings allowed more goals than any other Club that qualified for the playoffs. Ryan Pulock and the Brandon defense corps will need to keep the Pats’ top quartet of Chandler Stephenson, Dyson Stevenson, Morgan Klimchuk and Boston Leier in check. Goaltenders Curtis Honey and Jordan Papirny both go into the playoffs looking for their first post-season experience.
(WHL.ca)
////// GO WHEAT KINGS GO //////
In this series there is 2 EASTERN CONFERENCE WHL ALLSTARS in Pulock (1st team) & Stephenson (2nd team) Cameron wasn't nominated for Eastern Conference Coach of the Year and after really looking into it (roster wise) the WHL made the right call with going with Shaun Clouston of the Medicine Hat Tigers. MH has a very young team only 1 19yr old forward (3 in total, 4 if you include Shinkaruk who only played 18 games). It would of been nice for Cameron to get the nod as coach of the year for the east but all things considered the… Read more »
It's gonna be an absolute slaughter.
The Wheat Queens are going down, down, down!
Kelly McCrimmon was on. This would make one Kelly I want to hear from on a Thursday!
James
Anon re: MH only playing with 1 19 year old forward??
What difference does that make if they have 4 19 year olds in total (the other being 2 d and a goalie). And…the Tigers also had McVeigh (also a 19 year old forward) for the first 41 games. What about the fact that the Pats have been playing only 1 19 year defenceman?? Not taking away anything from Clouston, but your point about 1 19 year old forward is not remotely relevant to Clouston being an option for Coach of the Year.
How about rounding up Churchman and Ponte to do the ceremonial faceoff in game 1??? Old school brawlers….