Anyone who expected a dull game between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Regina Pats had their expectations shattered within minutes of the game starting. When the smoke cleared, both teams had one point but the Pats had taken the second.
Dominik Petr, Nicholas Johnson, and Marcus Nguyen all scored, but it wasn’t enough as the Wheat Kings fell 4-3 in overtime. Carson Bjarnason made 27 saves in the loss.
The teams traded chances, rushes, and funny goals in the first period. Regina opened the scoring when Cohen Klassen flung it at the net and had his shot bounce off the chest of ex-Wheat King Anthony Wilson and in.
Petr provided the Wheat Kings answer with a picture perfect shot. From the bottom of the left circle, the left handed forward ripped a shot off the ear of Kelton Pyne and in to tie the score.
A net-front scramble gave the Pats the lead back, with a rebound popping free for Connor Bear. Bear had all the time he needed to slap home his third of the season.
Late in the first, however, Johnson brought the home side back to a tie. Protecting the puck as he drove it to the bottom of the right circle, he suddenly cut back out front and let the shot go for his fourth goal of the season in just his third game.
Another end to end period in the second produced only one goal, this one on the power play for the Wheat Kings. Petr broke in up the left side and sent a pinpoint pass to the far post for Nguyen to bat home.
Late in the third, the Pats tied the score off another scramble in front. This time it was Tanner Howe finding the loose puck out of the sea of bodies and lifting it home.
Overtime went against the Wheat Kings again, unfortunately for them. On the opening shift of OT, Cole Temple fed the puck across to Tye Spencer, who one-timed it home. The rematch goes tomorrow night at 7:00.
