Photo by Brandi Crowe
Regina, SK (CKLQ) – It was deja-vu for the Brandon Wheat Kings as they dropped their second consecutive 3-2 game to the Regina Pats on Friday night.
For the second straight night, the Pats opened the scoring. Brett Clayton poked the puck off the stick of Neithan Salame at the Pats line and raced in on a partial breakaway. Ethan Kruger made the initial stop but all three Wheat Kings back checkers overskated the rebound and Garrett Wright made no mistake for his second of the year.
Kruger, who was making his 4th consecutive start stopped 14 shots in the first period.
In the second, the Pats opened up a 2-0 lead on a seeing-eye shot from leading scorer Austin Pratt. The quick snapshot from the top of the circles fooled Kruger and gave the Pats some insurance.
With less than seven minutes to go in the period, Cole Reinhardt would spoil Max Paddock’s shutout bid as he grabbed a loose puck and buried the wraparound for his 2nd goal in as many nights.
In the third, the Pats made it 3-1 off the stick of Logan Nijhoff. A bobble at the Regina line sent the Pats in on a two-on-none breakaway and Nijhoff finished off a great pass from Duncan Pierce for his 2nd of the season.
In a similar fashion to Thursday night, the Wheat Kings would get within one but it was a close as they would come. Luka Burzan picked up his 19th of the year but it was all the offense the Wheat Kings could muster, sending just 20 shots towards the Regina goal.
Brandon will take tomorrow off before opening a home and home vs Moose Jaw on Sunday afternoon (4:00 on QCountry Radio).
SCORING SUMMARY
1st PERIOD
REG – Garrett Wright (2) (Clayton) 12:01
Shots: 15-4 Regina
2nd PERIOD
REG – Austin Pratt (14) (Streau, Krane) 9:09
BWK – Cole Reinhardt (7) (Higson) 13:56
Shots: 17-7 Regina
3rd PERIOD
REG – Logan Nijhoff (2) (Pierce, Mahovlich) 11:34
BWK – Luka Burzan (19) (Gutenberg, Salame) 17:19
Final Shots: 38-20 Regina