WHL playoffs: Saskatoon Blades host Regina Pats in Game 1


“The first 40 minutes were structurally sound and a little clinical, but we’ve got to get out of the clinic and onto the street a little bit.”

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Pats 6, Blades 1

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An unlikely source provided the spark.

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A most likely source lit the fire.

The end result was a 6-1 victory for the Regina Pats over the Saskatoon Blades in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Western Hockey League Eastern Conference quarter-final series Friday night at SaskTel Centre.

It all started with Zackary Shantz scoring his first-ever WHL goal at 4:11 of the second period to break a scoreless deadlock.

From there, Connor Bedard — the league’s top scorer and consensus No. 1 pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft — sliced through the Blades defence not once but twice to burn the hometown Blades before an announced crowd of 10,265 fans.

“Sometimes that’s what happens in the playoffs — or any time — some sort of unsung hero or whatever comes up big,” said Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock.

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“Zack getting the goal — he’s got a fair amount of skill but he got hurt early and then he had a really bad collarbone break; he was out for 15 weeks with it — so it was nice that way and it was big.”

Bedard added two goals and an assist for Regina, which got outshot 28-25 yet scored two goals on only four shots in the second.

“We’re happy with the win tonight (but) it’s one game,” stressed Bedard. “It’s a seven-game series. We have to win three more. There’s a long way to go.”

After Shantz and Bedard gave the Pats a 2-0 lead after two periods, Regina received a gratuitous bounce just nine seconds into the third when Riley Ginnell’s shot off the boards, from the neutral zone, took a wicked bounce off the stanchion to change direction, and the puck skipped past a bewildered Blades goalie Austin Elliott.

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A lucky bounce, indeed, in a game of bounces.

“We didn’t get one off the stanchion, so I guess so,” said Blades head coach Brennan Sonne.

“I’m not sure how that went in,” admitted Paddock.

Lukas Hansen answered right back, just 22 seconds later, to get the Blades on the scoreboard but the Pats took over with goals by Stanislav Svozil at 9:54 and Bedard’s second of the night at 13:27.

Saskatoon product Tye Spencer added an empty-net goal with 2:31 remaining to round out the scoring.

The Blades were 0-for-2 on the power play. The Pats did not get a power play chance.

Drew Sim made 27 saves for Regina. Elliott turned aside 19 shots.

“We played well,” said Bedard. “Simmer was unbelievable. He was a rock for us back there.”

And Shantz?

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“It was awesome to see,” said Bedard. “He’s such a good guy. We’ve seen his talent. Obviously he had an unfortunate injury for a lot of the year, but him coming back, he’s been such a spark for us. He’s playing so good.”

On Friday, Bedard showed why he is expected to be a No. 1 overall NHL pick.

“He scored a couple of goals like we know he can score,” said Paddock. “He gave them the one (Blades goal) back in the third. I thought our team game was real solid. We got good performances from all the forwards, but it’s only one game.

“I don’t know if 6-1 was indicative of the score, but I thought we played a pretty game in all three zones from start to finish.”

Saskatoon finished the regular season with 101 points and a 48-15-4-1 record. Regina was 34-30-3-1, good enough for 72 points.

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Game 2 of the series goes Sunday afternoon (4 p.m.) at SaskTel Centre with Blades  coach Sonne wanting “more” from his players.

“The first 40 minutes were structurally sound and a little clinical, but we’ve got to get out of the clinic and onto the street a little bit, in my opinion,” said Sonne.

“I just think we have another level, to play desperate. While it’s great to be structured and detailed and follow the plan, there’s also got to be a little bit of desperation.

“When I say we have another level, that’s what I mean.”

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