'Taking it one day at a time': Pats cautiously eyeing game 3 after taking 2-0 series lead over Blades

The Regina Pats have taken a 2-0 series lead over the Saskatoon Blades in the first round of the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs after a 6-5 overtime win on Sunday.

“We still have that kind of 0-0 mentality at every game from here, so to win Tuesday would be big for sure. But we’re taking it one day at a time and trying to win every game we play obviously,” Pats’ captain Connor Bedard said.

Bedard has five goals, three assists, for eight points so far in the postseason.

The Pats’ “against all odds” team motto for the playoffs is holding true after their strong start to the postseason. The team came out flying on Friday night with a 6-1 victory over Saskatoon. Despite their overtime victory in game two, it had a different look as the Blades outshot the Pats 47-19.

“It really didn’t feel like that. I mean once I saw that after the game, I didn’t know, obviously that can’t happen again. I mean [Drew] Sim has been unreal for us, those two games he was so good. We have to try and make his job a little easier,” Bedard said.

“Obviously game two was not as pretty as game one, but they don’t ask how this time of year,” Pats goaltender Drew Sim said.

“It didn’t feel that way at all. We gave them some territorial advantage. I thought it was an entertaining game, probably more entertaining than coaches would like in a playoff game. I thought in our end we’ve done a good job of protecting the last three feet of our net. Drew’s made some good saves of course, but we’re doing a good job of protecting it,” Pats’ head coach and general manager John Paddock said.

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The overtime win in game two was a thriller for the Pats who trailed 5-4 in the third before Bedard tied it up with just under nine minutes to go. Zach Stringer would finish the job with the overtime winner.

“It was a fun game. It was a game to get two [wins] obviously and to get that lead is huge. I mean, two more to go. So we’ll keep pushing,” Stringer said.

“Normally most times people say you got to take at least one [game] on the road. So to get out of Saskatoon and come back home with a 2-0 lead, we couldn’t be happier,” Sim said.

On Tuesday night fans will flock to the Brandt Centre to take in some playoff hockey for the first time since 2018.

“I’m sure it’ll be pretty good. It could be louder than the last [postseason] game we played in here because a Quebec team didn’t let us have the puck so they [the fans] didn’t have anything to cheer about, so hopefully, we better have the puck a little more than we did in that game, or else we’ll be in big trouble tomorrow,” Paddock. who was referring to the 2018 Memorial Cup Final, said.

“It’s exciting for us. None of our guys have been in a playoff game in the Brandt Centre so we’re really excited for that. You know our fans have been great all year, so can’t wait to see what they bring tomorrow and Wednesday night,” Bedard said.

Puck drop for game three is 7 p.m. on Tuesday.