PREVIEW: HURRICANES AT PATS TUESDAY

LETHBRIDGE at REGINA
7 PM Tuesday, Regina Brandt Centre
620 CKRM

OVERVIEW
The Regina Pats (44-9-7-1) continue their five game home stand Tuesday against the Lethbridge Hurricanes (38-17-4-3). Puck drop is 7 p.m. at the Brandt Centre. The Pats were last in action on Sunday when they dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to the Swift Current Broncos, ending a three game winning streak. The Hurricanes are coming off a 5-3 win over the Kootenay ICE on Saturday and have won two in a row. The Pats are 2-0-1-0 against the Hurricanes entering tonight’s fourth and final meeting of the season. The game can be heard on 620 CKRM with Bennett Dunlop Ford Pats Hockey beginning at 6:35 p.m.

Lead Up: Broncos Come Back to Beat Pats Sunday
The Regina Pats dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday at the Brandt Centre. The Pats took a 4-2 lead to the third period but Swift Current scored one early and then tied it up with 13 seconds left to force overtime. In the extra frame, Ryley Lindgren scored at the 3:16 mark to give the Broncos the extra point, 5-4 the final score. The Pats got three points from Nick Henry, and two from each of Sam Steel, Adam Brooks, Dawson Leedahl and Connor Hobbs in the defeat. Jordan Hollett made 26 saves in the Regina goal, Taz Burman with 43 for the Broncos. The Regina powerplay was one for six while the penalty kill went two for four.

Head to Head
The Pats carry a 2-0-1-0 record against the Hurricanes into Tuesday night’s fourth and final meeting of the season between the two clubs. The Pats have won once at home, once on the road and lost in overtime in Lethdridge. Regina has scored 17 goals to the Hurricanes eight in the season series. Regina has outshot Lethbridge 133-91 in the first three meetings, the powerplay has gone one for eight and the penalty kill 20 for 22. Sam Steel, Adam Brooks and Filip Ahl each have six points against Lethbridge. Chase Harrison has five and Austin Wagner and Sergey Zborovskiy each have four. Tyler Brown has started all three games and holds a 2.62 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. The Hurricanes Tyler Wong has a goal and two assists against Regina. Six others have two points in the first three games. The Pats enter Tuesday night in first place in the WHL with 96 points in 61 games while the Hurricanes have 86 points, five back of the Central Division leading Medicine Hat Tigers.

Henry Named WHL Player of the Week
The Western Hockey League announced Monday that Regina Pats forward Nick Henry has been named the WHL Player of the Week for the week ending February 26. Henry registered 10 points (3G-7A) in four games to help the Pats go 3-0-1-0 this past week. On Monday, February 20, Henry collected an assist in a 3-2 overtime win at Prince Albert to start his week. February 22, he then notched a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win at Saskatoon. Henry exploded for four points, including three assists, on Friday in a 7-0 win versus Swift Current. He rounded out the weekend with another strong performance on Sunday, tallying a goal and two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Broncos. Henry leads all WHL rookies with 74 points and is second with 31 goals in 61 games.

Upcoming Schedule
Pats Vs Medicine Hat – Friday March 3, 7 p.m. – Brandt Centre (CKRM)
Pats Vs Calgary – Saturday March 4, 7 p.m. – Brandt Centre (CKRM)
Pats @ Brandon – Sunday March 5, 4 p.m. – Westman Place (CKRM)

(Courtesy Phil Andrews/ReginaPats.com)