VIGR RECAP: BRONCOS 5 PATS 4, 3OT (BRONCOS LEAD 3-1)

Photo by Darwin Knelsen

For the first time this season, the Regina Pats are facing elimination.

Glen Gawdin’s powerplay goal at 9:54 of the third overtime was the winner Tuesday evening as the Swift Current Broncos outlasted the Pats 5-4 at the Innovation Credit Union I-Plex.

With the victory, the Broncos now have a commanding 3-1 series lead in this WHL Eastern Conference Semifinal.

Trying to tie the series up 2-2, the Pats came out flying Tuesday evening and assumed a 2-0 lead in the first period on a pair of goals by overage forward Dawson Leedahl. The Pats outshot the Broncos 15-6 in the opening stanza.

However the Broncos slugged back in the middle period, netting goals from Ryley Lindgren and Artyom Minulin to tie it up. The Broncos outshot the Pats 19-8 in the middle frame, and it was tied 2-2 after 40 minutes.

A wild third period ensued, as Leedahl notched the hattrick goal 4:12 in to give his club a 3-2 advantage.  Swift Current responded with a pair of goals – from Tyler Steenbergen and Lindgren – to put the Broncos back up on top with less than three minutes to go.

Leedahl continued his heroic evening and tied the game at 4-4 with his fourth of the night with just 21 seconds to go in regulation.

Two overtime periods solved nothing and although the Pats were able to kill off a penalty in the first OT, the weary crew could not kill off another midway through the third OT and that’s when Gawdin ended it with his fourth of the postseason.

Game over: Broncos 5 Pats 4

The shots ended tied 69-69 as Regina went 1/3 on the powerplay and 2/3 killing penalties.

Regina was again playing without injured forwards Adam Brooks and Filip Ahl who went down in Game 2 and have yet to return to the series.

Tyler Brown took the loss in the Pats goal making 64 saves while Jordan Papirny collected the win with a 65-save outing. Papirny is now 11-1 in career WHL overtime playoff games.

The Pats will try to avoid elimination when they host the Broncos in Game 5 Friday evening in the Brandt Centre.  Faceoff is 7:00 on 620 CKRM, Access 7 and Shaw.


RP
@rodpedersen