'How I think it should end': Pats force Game 7 with Blades

The Regina Pats forced a Game 7 in their first round series against the Saskatoon Blades Saturday night after a 5-3 victory at the Brandt Centre.

“It’s been such a back and forth series. It really does deserve to go to a Game 7. They’re a great team and for us to be playing the way we are with them, it’s kind of how I think it should end,” said Pats’ captain, Connor Bedard.

The Pats came out strong in Game 6 with ample chances in the Blades’ zone. However, Saskatoon would open scoring just over halfway through the first period after Jayden Wiens capitalizes from a rebound off Pats’ goalie, Drew Sim.

The Blades would take their first penalty of the game with just over seven minutes remaining in the first after Bedard was hauled down forcing a tripping call on Blake Gustafson.

Regina would have plenty of chances but would not find the back of the net until just after the penalty ended. The team was able to keep control of the puck shortly after Gustafson exited the box. Alexander Suzdalev would fire a shot past Ethan Chadwick after a stick to tape pass from Connor Bedard.

Suzdalev would keep the momentum going in the second period with a powerplay goal five minutes in, once again off a feed from Bedard.

Bedard’s passes would prove to be key on the night as another one of his line mates, Tanner Howe, would extend Regina’s lead to 3-1 with seven minutes to go in the second.

“I thought the first two games (of the series) were pretty aggressive and I thought we got away from that a little bit so yeah that was obviously the message (to be more physical) before the game and I thought we did a pretty good job,” said Howe on the team’s performance.

But the Pat’s would play cautiously optimistic after gaining the lead Saturday night since the team blew 3-1 leads in both Game 3 and Game 4 in the series.

“Obviously a couple leads we let slip away. That’s big for our group to be able to hold onto that. We’re learning to play with those and everything obviously with guys haven’t been in the playoffs much, myself included,” said Bedard.

With just under two and half to go in the second, the Blades would cut the lead to within one after Tyler Wong finds his way through the Pats’ defence.

Wong would not be done yet, as just one minute into the third period he would tie the game.

It would be a race to four goals once again for the two teams. So far in the series, the team to score four first would win the game.

But just one minute later, Bedard would capitalize on a cross ice pass from Stanislav Svozil to take the lead back once again. Now the Pats would wait to see if the race to four would hold true.

Just over eight and half minutes to go, a cluster in front of the Blades net would land Zackary Shantz his second goal of the playoffs. However, the play would be reviewed and the goal would then be called back after it was deemed a kicking motion. But the call would not end there, as it would be reviewed once again and this time called a good goal.

“We were watching on the Jumbotron and we know that it was going to be a good goal, so we were confident but still a little nervous going in,” said Bedard.

“Even when the goal was disallowed they were chanting, ‘Goal!’. I just thought that was awesome. That was huge for us,” described Howe on the fans impact in Game 6.

However, the Pats will have to win on the road in Game 7 if they hope to advance to the second round. Despite not having home ice advantage, the team is gearing up for the opportunity to move on to the next round.

“I think it’ll be great!” exclaimed Howe.

“Obviously we know that the job’s not done. We have to go in there Monday and get a win. It’s my first ever Game 7 but I think I’ve been in a lot of those types of situations with World Juniors and that stuff. But it’s definitely different we’ve played them six times in nine days or something,” described Bedard.

Game 7 will go Monday in Saskatoon. Puck drop is 7:00 pm.