SUNDAY SPORTS PAGE: PATS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT

Moose Jaw, Sask. — The Regina Pats clinched a playoff berth for the first time since the 2017-18 season with a 7-3 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday inside the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

Connor Bedard led the way with yet another five point game (3G-2A), while Braxton Whitehead (1G-2A), Parker Berge (1G-1A), Riley Ginnell and Zack Stringer rounded out the scoring. Drew Sim made 45 saves for his 27th victory of the season.

The Warriors got goals from Martin Rysavy, Tate Schofer and Jagger Firkus in the loss, which ended their four game winning-streak. Jackson Unger allowed six goals on 22 shots in the defeat.

(ReginaPats.com, Dante DeCaria)

Elsewhere in the WHL:

ICE 4 RAIDERS 1

WINNIPEG, Man. – Zack Ostapchuk scored a goal and added an assist as the Winnipeg IICE defeated the visiting Prince Albert Raiders 4-1.

Ben Zloty, Evan Friesen and Connor McClennon also scored for the Eastern Conference-leading ICE (54-9-1-0).

Carter Anderson scored for the Raiders (27-35-3-0).

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BLAZERS 5 ROCKETS 4 (OT)

KELOWNA, B.C. – Logan Stankoven scored at 2:19 of overtime as the visiting Kamloops Blazers edged the Kelowna Rockets 5-4.

Connor Levis scored twice for the Blazers (47-11-4-2), while Olen Zellweger and Ryan Hofer netted singles.

Andrew Cristall scored twice for the Rockets (26-36-4-0), while Carson Golder and Dylan Wightman added singles.

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BLADES 3 WHEAT KINGS 2

SASKATOON, Sask. – Justin Lies scored the game-winning goal at 16:04 of the second period as the Saskatoon Blades edged the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings 3-2.

Charlie Wright, Josh Pillar and Justin Lies also scored for the Blades (46-144-1).

Nolan Flamand and Caleb Hadland scored for the Wheat Kings (26-32-8-0).

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BRONCOS 3 REBELS 1

RED DEER, Alta. – Mathew Ward scored a goal and added an assist as the visiting Swift Current Broncos edged the Red Deer Rebels 3-1.

Drew Englot and Josh Filmon also scored for the Broncos (29-32-1-3).

Hunter Mayo scored for the Rebels (42-18-3-3).

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HURRICANES 6 OIL KINGS 1

EDMONTON, Alta. – Tyson Laventure scored a goal and added an assist as the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes squashed the Edmonton Oil Kings 6-1.

Logan Wormald, Noah Chadwick, Nolan Bentham, Miguel Marques and Blake Swetlikoff also scored for the Hurricanes (35-24-3-3).

Loick Daigle scored for the Oil Kings (9-51-4-0).

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HITMEN 2 TIGERS 0

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – Brayden Peters stopped 23 shots and earned the shutout as the visiting Calgary Hitmen blanked the Medicine Hat Tigers 2-0.

Sean Tschigerl and Carter Yakemchuk scored for the Hitmen (28-28-5-3).

Netminder Beckett Langkow stopped 29 of 30 shots for the Tigers (28-27-8-1)

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SILVERTIPS 4 GIANTS 1

EVERETT, Wash. – Aidan Sutter scored a goal and added two assists as the Everett Silvertips defeated the visiting Vancouver Giants 4-1.

Kaden Hammell, Beau Courtney and Andrew Petruk also scored for the Silvertips (32-30-2-1)

Ty Thorpe scored for the Giants (26-30-5-3).

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ROYALS 7 COUGARS 6 (SO)

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Brayden Schuurman scored the only goal in a three-round shootout as the visiting Victoria Royals upset the Prince George Cougars 7-6.

Schuurman scored twice during regulation time for the Royals (16-43-6-1), while Nate Misskey, Luke Rybinski, Riley Gannon and Teague Patton netted singles.

Koehn Ziemmer scored twice for the Cougars (35-24-6-1), while Caden Brown, Riley Heidt, Bauer Dumanski and Zac Funk each scored once.

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AMERICANS 8 CHIEFS 2

KENNEWICK, Wash. – Jordan Gavin and Parker Bell each scored twice as the Tri-City Americans defeated the visiting Spokane Chiefs 8-2.

Deagan McMillan, Jalen Luypen, Adam Mechura and Reese Belton scored once for the Americans (31-26-5-3).

Kooper Gizowski and Jake Gudelj scored for the Chiefs (14-42-4-5).

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THUNDERBIRDS 4 WINTERHAWKS 2

PORTLAND, Ore. – Kyle Crnkovic scored twice as the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds topped the Portland Winterhawks 4-2.

Nico Myatovic and Dylan Guenther also scored for the Western Conference-leading Thunderbirds (52-9-1-2).

Robbie Fromm-Delorme and Jack O’Brien scored for the Winterhawks (39-19-4-3).

NHL

• Jason Robertson scored the overtime winner for his second goal of the game in the Dallas Stars’ 6-5 win over the host Calgary Flames. Robertson ended it with 12 seconds remaining in O-T. Elias Lindholm, MacKenzie Weegar, Blake Coleman, Nick Ritchie and Rasmus Andersson scored for the Flames, who are now four points out of a playoff spot.
• Evander Kane recorded his second hat trick of the season and the Edmonton Oilers gained some cushion in the Western Conference playoff chase with a 6-4 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen all scored for Seattle.
• Alexander Kerfoot scored the deciding goal in the ninth round of the shootout to lift Toronto to its second straight win, 5-4 at Ottawa.
• Brandon Hagel had his second NHL hat trick, Steven Stamkos reached the 30-goal mark for the eighth time and Tampa Bay rallied in the third period to beat Montreal 5-3.
• Neal Pionk scored 55 seconds into overtime to lead Winnipeg to a 3-2 win at Nashville. Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry also scored and Connor Hellebuyck made 18 saves for the Jets, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Josh Morrissey had two assists.
• The Vancouver Canucks got a third-period power-play goal from Elias Pettersson to tie the game 2-2, then beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on a J-T Miller shootout goal. Brock Boeser also scored for the visiting Canucks, while Miller and Quinn Hughes each chipped in with two assists. Carl Grundstrom and Alex Edler scored for the Kings.

SJHL PLAYOFFS (Round 1)

Melfort 3 La Ronge 2 (Series tied 1-1)
Battlefords 5 Weyburn 2 (Series tied 1-1)
Flin Flon 5 Estevan 2 (Bombers lead 2-0)
Humboldt 7 Nipawin 1 (Broncos lead 2-0)

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

Trea Turner hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning that lifted the United States over Venezuela 9-7 and into the World Baseball Classic semifinals. The defending champion Team U-S-A will face Cuba Sunday night for a spot in the W-B-C championship. Venezuela second baseman and Houston Astros star Jose Altuve (al-TOO’-vay) left the game in the fifth with a right- hand injury after he was hit by a pitch.

USPORTS

The Alberta Golden Bears and University of New Brunswick Reds will play for the U Sports University Cup tonight in men’s hockey. The Golden Bears beat the U-P-E-I Panthers 4-1 in yesterday’s semifinal, while the Reds knocked off the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres 6-3 in the second semifinal. On the women’s side, the Concordia Stingers beat the U-B-C Thunderbirds 3-1 to advance to today’s championship final against the Mount Royal Cougars, who defeated the Montreal Carabins 3-1 in yesterday’s semifinal.

WORLD WOMENS CURLING

After a tense 9-4 win over Sweden yesterday in their opening game at the women’s world curling championship in Sandviken, Sweden, Canada will play two games today — a morning contest against the United States and an evening draw against Norway. Kerri Einarson’s (AY’-nuhr-sihnz) Canadian crew from Gimli, Manitoba trailed Sweden 4-3 after eight ends yesterday, but stole two in the ninth and four more in the 10th for the win.

(Canadian Press)