PATS UNABLE TO AVENGE DUB FINALS LOSS
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| Photo: Brian Liesse |
KENT, WA — The Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Regina Pats 6-3 Wednesday night in front of a boisterous and season high 6,149 fans at accesso ShoWare Center.
The T-Birds won the 2017 WHL Championship with a 4-2 best-of-seven series win over the Pats on May 14 in Regina. This was the only meeting of the year between the two teams.
Matt Berlin had a solid game in net for the T-Birds making 33 saves on 36 shots to improve his record to 7-5-0-1.
Regina (13-10-2-0) took a 1-0 lead at 10:15 of the first period on a five-on-three power-play goal from Sam Steel. Josh Mahura and Matt Bradley had the assists. Seattle (11-9-1-1) tied the game 1-1 at 14:37 of the first.
The T-Birds went in front 2-1 early in the second on a goal by Zach Andrusiak. The Pats tied it 2-2 a minute later on a goal from Cale Fleury. Mahura and Braydon Buziak had the assists.
Andrusiak struck a second time, at 9:30 of the second on the power play, to give the T-Birds a 3-2 lead and they carried that lead into the third.
Sam Steel tied the game 3-3 22 seconds into the third period. Fleury and Robbie Holmes had the assists.
Seattle then scored two goals in 2:09 to take a 5-3 lead, which was eerily similar of last years WHL Final. The T-Birds scored in bunches.
Regina pulled Brown with 2:32 left in the game for an extra attacker. Wedman picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and fired it into the empty net for the T-Birds sixth goal and a 6-3 Seattle final.
Seattle outshot Regina 40-36 in the game.
Tyler Brown finished with 33 saves on 39 shots and his record is now 9-7-2-0.
The Pats (13-11-2) are back in action on Friday against the Tri-City Americans. Puck drop is at 9 p.m. Regina time on 620 CKRM. Next home game is Friday, December 8 against the Kelowna Rockets. Tickets are available at reginapats.com, the Brandt Centre Box office and at all Regina Safeway locations, Safeway Funzone tickets are just $13 plus tax.
(With files from SeattleThunderbirds.com, ReginaPats.com)
