VIGR RECAP: PATS FORCE GAME 7

Facing elimination for a second straight night, the Pats jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Saturday on Austin Wagner’s 7th goal of the playoffs, coming 7:24 into the game.  However the Broncos’ Artyom Minulin tied it at 1-1 midway through the period and it stood that way after 20 minutes.

The home team came out flying in the second, as Arthur Miller put the Broncos up 2-1 just 29 seconds in. Less than two minutes later, Swift Current’s Glenn Gawdin gave the Broncos a 3-1 lead.

Things were tense for the Pats at that point, but the Broncos laid off late in the frame and Regina battled back to tie it with goals from Josh Mahura and Wyatt Sloboshan in the final 90 seconds to send it to the third period in a 3-3 deadlock.

And in the third, the Pats returned to the form we’d seen all season long. Austin Wagner potted his second of the game just 1:15 in for the eventual game-winner. Filip Ahl added the insurance marker – his first of the playoffs – at the 5:48 mark.

From there, the Pats played Katy-bar-the-door and held off a furious late Broncos’ attack.

Game over: Pats 5 Broncos 3.

And we’re going back to Regina.

Swift Current won the shotclock battle 37-28 while the Pats were 0/2 on the powerplay and 3/3 on the penalty kill.

Tyler Brown collected the win in the Pats net with 34 saves while the Broncos’ Jordan Papirny suffered the loss with a 23-save outing.

NOTES: All eight goals in the game were even-strength … Pats captain Adam Brooks dressed for the game for a second straight night but did not see the ice as he continues to suffer from a lower-body injury … All the Broncos’ wins in the series have come in overtime … Regina has scored the opening goal in five of the six games in the series.

Game 7 goes Monday night at the Regina Brandt Centre in a 7:00 faceoff on 620 CKRM, Access 7 and Shaw.

RP

@rodpedersen