The visiting Regina Pats served notice Friday that they won’t be an easy out for the Saskatoon Blades in the playoffs following a 6-1 triumph Friday.

Veteran Regina goaltender Drew Sim held the Bridge City Bunch off the scoresheet through the first two periods with 23 saves while the Pats scored twice in the second period and added a strange goal nine seconds into the third period to take control. After that, East Division first team all-stars Connor Bedard and Stanislav Svozil increased the advantage as Regina took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final series before 10,265 fans at SaskTel Centre. Bedard scored twice and added an assist while Sim made 27 saves, only allowing Lukas Hansen to get the better of him in the third period. The strange Pats’ goal came 22 seconds before Hansen’s tally as Riley Ginnell’s dump-in from neutral ice, took a bounce off the glass and went into the Blue and Gold net that Austin Elliott vacated in order to play the puck behind the Saskatoon goal. The Blades will attempt to gain a split of the series on Sunday when they host Regina at 4 o’clock. CJWW’s broadcast starts at 3:45. Following is the official game summary courtesy the W-H-L plus the audio highlights from CJWW’s broadcast and Post-Game Show comments from head coach Brennan Sonne and Hansen…..

Regina Pats 6 at Saskatoon Blades 1 – Status: Final
Friday, March 31, 2023 – SaskTel Centre – Saskatoon, SK

Regina 0 2 4 – 6
Saskatoon 0 0 1 – 1

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Bedard Reg (holding), 19:38.

2nd Period-1, Regina, Shantz 1 (Svozil, Barnett), 4:11. 2, Regina, Bedard 1 (Oremba, Bateman), 13:12. Penalties-No Penalties

3rd Period-3, Regina, Ginnell 1   0:09. 4, Saskatoon, Hansen 1 (Wiens, Watterodt), 0:31. 5, Regina, Svozil 1 (Suzdalev, Bedard), 9:54. 6, Regina, Bedard 2   13:27. 7, Regina, Spencer 1   17:29 (EN). Penalties-Brown Reg (hooking), 6:35.

Shots on Goal-Regina 8-4-13-25. Saskatoon 10-13-5-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Regina 0 / 0; Saskatoon 0 / 2.
Goalies-Regina, Sim (28 shots-27 saves). Saskatoon, Elliott (24 shots-19 saves).
A-10,265
Referees-Mike Langin (67), Austin Weisberger.
Linesmen-Brayden Glynn (96), Tanner McGregor (55).