THE WEDNESDAY THRILLER … WITH PHIL ANDREWS

Voice of the Pats Phil Andrews

Some thoughts and musings for you on this Wednesday.

1.) What a great weekend of hockey for the Regina Pats. The club got all the bounces in Moose Jaw on Friday night and beat the Warriors 7-1. Mark that down as the 9th-straight win for the Queen City kids over their biggest rivals going back to last year. Then on Saturday night in Prince Albert we were treated to quite the game as the Pats came back in the third to win 4-3.

2.) It was a weekend of firsts for the club. A huge congrats to Queen City Sports and Entertainment, John Paddock, Dave Struch and Darrin McKechnie on their first two wins in the league. Now to the players, Connor Gay scored his first ever WHL hattrick and first four point night against Moose Jaw Friday. Brady Reagan and Sam Steel scored their first-ever goals and Sergey Zborovskiy and James Hilsendager picked up their first points. Tyler Fuhr also recorded his first win in goal as a Pat. The firsts kept coming on Saturday as Colton Kroeker scored his first goal in the first period and then Rylee Zimmer scored on a penalty shot in the third to tie for his first. A lot of pucks have been kept through four games with 5 players scoring their first WHL goals. So good to see.

3.) The production from the young guys has been quite impressive in the early goings for the Pats. Paddock is playing them all with consistency and it’s paying off. Just three players on the roster, excluding Klimchuk who has yet to join the team, do not have a point. Sounds like a winning recipe to me.

4.) One area the Pats will look to improve on as the games go on is the number of times they are shorthanded. The team has been down a man 26 times in four games and given up 7 goals. That’s half of their goals against. Their PK is at 73.1% efficiency.

5.) The Pats are tied for the second most goals scored in the Eastern Conference with 14 however. Only the Brandon Wheat Kings have scored more with 21. Out West, Kelowna (21) and Kamloops (18) are the only teams ahead of Regina in that category. Who would have thought that after the players that are not here from last season??

6.) The Brandon Wheat Kings acquired forward Reid Duke, defenceman Macoy Erkamps and prospect Tak Anholt from the Lethbridge Hurricanes for Ryley Lindgren, Kord Pankewicz and Brett Kitt on Tuesday. On paper its another lopsided trade in favor of Brandon.  What’s even more incredible is that it’s not the first or even the second time that Kelly McCrimmon has come out on top in a trade with the ‘Canes. At the 2013 draft the Wheat Kings acquired the 6th overall pick (Cale Klague) for 20 year old netminder Corbin Boes and the 17th overall pick (Stuart Skinner). Then they traded Taylor Cooper, Nick Walters and the rights to Tanner Brown to Lethbridge for stud defenceman Ryan Pilon. Three trades and the Wheat Kings are the best team on paper in the Eastern Conference and maybe the entire league and Lethbridge doesn’t have a whole lot to show for it. I don’t think Brandon will lose 10 games this year and good on Kelly McCrimmon.  He has built an unbelievable team and hasn’t had to sell the farm. It’s not only because of the Lethbridge trades but that’s a good part of it.

7.) The Swift Current Broncos don’t look to be getting Dallas Stars 14th overall pick Julius Honka back this year. The defenceman is being allowed to play in the AHL or Europe if he doesn’t make the NHL even though he was drafted out of the CHL. Usually that’s not allowed for a 19 year old but it has been ruled that Honka was loaned to the Broncos and not transferred so the rule does not apply. Its a loss for Swift for sure but if any team has the depth on the back end to deal with it, it’s them.

8.) The Regina Thunder dropped to 4-2 on the season Sunday with a 20-13 loss at home to the Calgary Colts. Give full credit to Calgary whose defence played really well but the Thunder are probably thinking they let one get away. The offence was set up with great field position time after time in the second half but couldn’t put points on the board. A tough one but they are still tied for first in the PFC. Things are sure cluttered though with 2 games left to play. The Thunder play in Edmonton Sunday against the Huskies and then close things out at home against the Winnipeg Rifles.

9.) Missed the Rider game on Friday due to the Pats playing in Moose Jaw. From the sounds of things I did not miss much.

10.) I would start Tino Sunseri on Friday against the Calgary Stampeders. Everything aside I think you would agree he gives the team the best chance to win.

11.) I don’t think the Riders will panic and bring in a quarterback if it means giving up a significant asset the other way. Not worth it for the final games of the season.

12.)  Roddy wrote in the Monday Morning Goalie that the hype around Pats forward Sam Steel has people saying maybe he should start at quarterback for the Riders. Well I asked Sam if he could throw a football and he said no haha.

13.) Darian Durant will begin throwing in a couple weeks the team has said. Maybe that’s true, maybe it isn’t. If it’s not true or if he does throw but has no chance of playing then good on the Riders for making the other teams think. If he is progressing nicely and could play then all the more reason to battle through these last games until he gets back with the guys that are here.

14.) Baseball playoffs!!! What a game Tuesday night in Kansas City in the American League Wild Card. The Royals looked dead in the water with 2 innings to play but the scratched and clawed and forced extras. 7 stolen bases is unreal. The Royals just didn’t give in and move on. That is why playoff baseball is among the best spectacles in sport. Can’t wait for the Pirates and Giants tonight.

15.) Be sure to check out Pats TV Thursday night on Access 7 and 7 PM. My guests this week are forwards Connor Gay and Pavel Padakin as well as assistant coach Darrin McKechnie.

That’s it from me today. Have a great week, talk to you from the rink on Saturday when the Raiders visit the Brandt Centre at 7 PM.

Phil 
@PhilTheThrill18

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