nivek_wahs
03-03-2007, 04:43 PM
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=668ce3dd-8664-4d9e-8ff9-28b0c5de87dc&k=79769
Message sent loud and clear
Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Saturday, March 03, 2007
The Regina Pats are abusing the WHL's East Division like a rental car.
Regina continued its dominance of inter-divisional opponents on Friday night by dissecting the Prince Albert Raiders 8-2 before 4,888 observers at the Brandt Centre.
The Pats improved to 22-9-1-3 in games within their own division this season. Each of their final eight regular-season contests is against an East opponent.
"I'd love to win every game like that all the way through," offered Pats head coach Curtis Hunt, whose team clinched a playoff spot with the victory. "We just want to get better every day. That's our mandate. We're preparing for that second season."
Friday's blowout was a pretty good place to start.
"We wanted to send a message to let them know we're for real and if we do end up meeting them in the playoffs that it's going to be a war," said Pats centre Garrett Festerling, who led the attack with four assists. "It was just one of those games where we kept the pace the whole game and never gave up. We just kept driving them into the ground."
Pats No. 1 goalie Linden Rowat returned after missing five games with a recurring back injury. He got off to a rough start, allowing the game's first goal at 7:39 on a long slap shot by Jarrid Dowhay.
It didn't matter.
Regina's Michael MacAngus evened things up with a power-play marker at 13:15. He was back for more just 1:16 later -- this time shorthanded -- thanks to a gorgeous breakaway feed from Logan Pyett, who fired the puck up the middle from his own goal line. MacAngus took the pass in stride at Prince Albert's blueline and went top shelf on David Aime for a 2-1 lead.
The goals were coming fast and furious in the second period, starting with Brett Leffler's deflection off a point shot by Kyle Deck at 6:27. Jared Jagow made it 4-1 at 6:54, but Ryan DePape brought the Raiders back within two a mere 23 seconds later.
Regina blew the doors off in the third period on goals by Kyle Ross, Deck, Josh Elder and Mike Reich. Elder's marker -- his first as a member of the Pats -- also came in his first game against his former team. He was acquired from P.A. on Dec. 6 for Ryan McDonald but missed 27 games with a wrist injury.
Elder tested out his wrist in the second period when he hung a licking on veteran defenceman John Flatters, the first of four tilts in the contest.
"It always feels good to have a good game, but against your old team it feels a little bit better," Elder said with a smile. "It feels good to be back. It was a great team effort."
The Pats finished a mind-boggling 5-for-6 on the power play while holding the Raiders to an 0-for-9 effort.
Rowat settled down nicely to finish with 20 saves. Aime allowed all eight goals on 27 shots for the Raiders (25-33-3-3), who still hold a five-point lead over the Moose Jaw Warriors in the battle for the final playoff spot.
However, Prince Albert has lost nine of its last 10.
"We have the jump but it's kind of like a turtle race," said head coach Peter Anholt. "We have eight games left. We have to try to squeeze our way into the playoffs."
EXTRAS: Pats leading goal-scorer Jordan Eberle had two goals and one assist in Team Alberta's 4-3 win over Colten Teubert and Team B.C. in Friday's bronze-medal game at the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse. Both players are expected back in Regina's lineup Sunday against the Saskatoon Blades. Eberle finished with six goals and five assists for 11 points in five games. Teubert contributed four assists ... Both of Regina's scratches on Friday were healthy: Forwards Niko Snellman and Levi Lind ... The Pats lead the season series against Prince Albert with a 4-1-0-2 record. They wrap it up on March 14 in P.A.
Scouting Report
SASKATOON (23-36-2-2) at REGINA (31-27-2-4)
Sunday, 6 p.m., Brandt Centre
Radio: 620 CKRM
Key injuries: REGINA -- None to report; SASKATOON -- D Tiegan Zahn (jaw, week-to-week); RW Kenton Dulle (concussion, week-to-week); D Bohdan Visnak (shoulder, out for season); D Ryan Funk (groin, out for season); LW Rastislav Konecny (jaw, week-to-week).
Overview: The Pats and Blades wrap up their season series with a home-and-home set beginning tonight at Credit Union Centre and concluding Sunday at the Brandt Centre . . . Regina has won the past two meetings with Saskatoon, tying the season series at 3-3. The Blades are the only team in the East Division who don't have a losing record against the Pats . . . Saskatoon is coming off a 4-0 loss the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday. The Blades still have a slim hope of making the playoffs. They sit six points behind fourth-place Prince Albert . . . A Jan. 10 trade between the Pats and Blades continues to pay dividends for both teams. Derek Hulak has 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 22 games with the Blades. Michael MacAngus has 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 22 games with Regina, including four game-winners.
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007
Message sent loud and clear
Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Saturday, March 03, 2007
The Regina Pats are abusing the WHL's East Division like a rental car.
Regina continued its dominance of inter-divisional opponents on Friday night by dissecting the Prince Albert Raiders 8-2 before 4,888 observers at the Brandt Centre.
The Pats improved to 22-9-1-3 in games within their own division this season. Each of their final eight regular-season contests is against an East opponent.
"I'd love to win every game like that all the way through," offered Pats head coach Curtis Hunt, whose team clinched a playoff spot with the victory. "We just want to get better every day. That's our mandate. We're preparing for that second season."
Friday's blowout was a pretty good place to start.
"We wanted to send a message to let them know we're for real and if we do end up meeting them in the playoffs that it's going to be a war," said Pats centre Garrett Festerling, who led the attack with four assists. "It was just one of those games where we kept the pace the whole game and never gave up. We just kept driving them into the ground."
Pats No. 1 goalie Linden Rowat returned after missing five games with a recurring back injury. He got off to a rough start, allowing the game's first goal at 7:39 on a long slap shot by Jarrid Dowhay.
It didn't matter.
Regina's Michael MacAngus evened things up with a power-play marker at 13:15. He was back for more just 1:16 later -- this time shorthanded -- thanks to a gorgeous breakaway feed from Logan Pyett, who fired the puck up the middle from his own goal line. MacAngus took the pass in stride at Prince Albert's blueline and went top shelf on David Aime for a 2-1 lead.
The goals were coming fast and furious in the second period, starting with Brett Leffler's deflection off a point shot by Kyle Deck at 6:27. Jared Jagow made it 4-1 at 6:54, but Ryan DePape brought the Raiders back within two a mere 23 seconds later.
Regina blew the doors off in the third period on goals by Kyle Ross, Deck, Josh Elder and Mike Reich. Elder's marker -- his first as a member of the Pats -- also came in his first game against his former team. He was acquired from P.A. on Dec. 6 for Ryan McDonald but missed 27 games with a wrist injury.
Elder tested out his wrist in the second period when he hung a licking on veteran defenceman John Flatters, the first of four tilts in the contest.
"It always feels good to have a good game, but against your old team it feels a little bit better," Elder said with a smile. "It feels good to be back. It was a great team effort."
The Pats finished a mind-boggling 5-for-6 on the power play while holding the Raiders to an 0-for-9 effort.
Rowat settled down nicely to finish with 20 saves. Aime allowed all eight goals on 27 shots for the Raiders (25-33-3-3), who still hold a five-point lead over the Moose Jaw Warriors in the battle for the final playoff spot.
However, Prince Albert has lost nine of its last 10.
"We have the jump but it's kind of like a turtle race," said head coach Peter Anholt. "We have eight games left. We have to try to squeeze our way into the playoffs."
EXTRAS: Pats leading goal-scorer Jordan Eberle had two goals and one assist in Team Alberta's 4-3 win over Colten Teubert and Team B.C. in Friday's bronze-medal game at the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse. Both players are expected back in Regina's lineup Sunday against the Saskatoon Blades. Eberle finished with six goals and five assists for 11 points in five games. Teubert contributed four assists ... Both of Regina's scratches on Friday were healthy: Forwards Niko Snellman and Levi Lind ... The Pats lead the season series against Prince Albert with a 4-1-0-2 record. They wrap it up on March 14 in P.A.
Scouting Report
SASKATOON (23-36-2-2) at REGINA (31-27-2-4)
Sunday, 6 p.m., Brandt Centre
Radio: 620 CKRM
Key injuries: REGINA -- None to report; SASKATOON -- D Tiegan Zahn (jaw, week-to-week); RW Kenton Dulle (concussion, week-to-week); D Bohdan Visnak (shoulder, out for season); D Ryan Funk (groin, out for season); LW Rastislav Konecny (jaw, week-to-week).
Overview: The Pats and Blades wrap up their season series with a home-and-home set beginning tonight at Credit Union Centre and concluding Sunday at the Brandt Centre . . . Regina has won the past two meetings with Saskatoon, tying the season series at 3-3. The Blades are the only team in the East Division who don't have a losing record against the Pats . . . Saskatoon is coming off a 4-0 loss the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday. The Blades still have a slim hope of making the playoffs. They sit six points behind fourth-place Prince Albert . . . A Jan. 10 trade between the Pats and Blades continues to pay dividends for both teams. Derek Hulak has 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 22 games with the Blades. Michael MacAngus has 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 22 games with Regina, including four game-winners.
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007