BLADES CLINCH, PATS STILL SEARCHING
The Saskatoon Blades host the Regina Pats at Sask Tel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, March 25, 2022
Saskatoon, Sask. — The Regina Pats couldn’t muster much offence on Friday night in Saskatoon, as they lost 3-1 to the Blades in a game where they only managed to fire 24 shots on goal.
The win for the Blades (34-22-3-1) means they have officially clinched a post-season berth.
It was an exciting back and forth opening period with 13 shots on goal apiece and a 1-1 score, but the Pats were out-shot 31-11 in the final 40 minutes of play.
“I think we were way too casual with the puck,” Pats assistant coach Brad Herauf said on the post-game show on 620 CKRM. “I think we just showed our youth today up front and [with] our puck decisions. I felt like we didn’t give ourselves much rhythm to the game at all because we were turning over the pucks and we were playing right into their hands, the kind of game they want.”
Saskatoon got goals from Egor Sidorov, Marek Schneider and Tristen Robins, one in each period. Schneider’s tally was his first in the Western Hockey League and held up as the game-winner.
The lone Pats goal came off the stick of captain Logan Nijhoff, on a power play in the first period, for his 17th goal of the season.
Regina’s power play went 1-for-2, while their penalty kill went perfect 4-for-4.
(ReginaPats.com/Photo: Saskatoon Blades)
