NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Regina Pats centre Dayce Derkatch battles with Medicine Hat Tigers forward Carter Cunningham for a face off in the first period of a 4-2 Game 2 win for the Pats on Saturday at Co-op Place, to even up the first-round series 1-1.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Mission accomplished for the Regina Pats through the opening weekend of the WHL Playoffs.
The No. 7 seed Pats entered Games 1 and 2 of their first-round series with the No. 2 seed Medicine Hat Tigers looking for a series split. After allowing five unanswered goals to drop Game 1 6-2 Friday, they responded, holding onto a lead for a 4-2 Game 2 win Saturday.
“(The Tigers) are a top-five team in the country, they’ve probably scored more goals than anyone in the country, they’re good players and you can only hold them off for so long,” head coach Brad Herauf said. “We did a really good job in making them defend, making it difficult on them, and we dragged them into deep waters in the third period. We deserved the win (Saturday).”
Goaltender Marek Schlenker started Game 2, making 21 saves for the win after not getting the start in Game 1. Schlenker, who grew up in Medicine Hat until moving away at the age of 12, credited the team in front of him for the win.
“Our team played outstanding today, our game really fits a playoff style,” Schlenker said. “Had to be a record amount of block shots from our team today, they were letting me see the puck, and then when they weren’t, they’re blocking it. So they made my job really easy.”
The Pats came into the series with a combined 60 games of playoff experience, well short of Medicine Hat’s 329. Zach Lansard opened the scoring for the Pats and captain Ephram McNutt broke a 1-1 tie early in the second for a 2-1 lead through 40 minutes. Ruslan Karimov beat out an icing to score early in the third for a 3-1 lead, putting Regina in a spot to hold onto a lead.
They bent as the Tigers scored 52 seconds later, but didn’t break, holding off the defending WHL Champions to collect their first playoff win since 2023. Beyond picking up a win and tying the series, Herauf says the win is crucial for the Pats’ development.
“These games are important learning lessons and the way you have to play, you can be the inferior person and still win in the playoffs, but it takes character,” Herauf said. “It takes a lot of buy-in, a lot of selflessness, and hockey players don’t always have that in the regular season.
“For our guys to experience that and experience after the first period, we had a lot of power plays and we were getting discouraged and just went in the dressing room. This is not a hockey thing, this is a character thing. We’re being tested right now, let’s pass a character test and I really put it to the boys in the first period and they came up flying, passing character tests, being real good teammates, supporting each other. So even when we were having an onslaught, no one was getting down. We all stayed positive and kept believing that we were able to do it.”
All six of Regina’s goals have come at even strength as they’ve been held scoreless on 11 power plays. It’s a goose egg Herauf says will work itself out.
As the series turns back to Regina, with Game 3 tonight and Game 4 Wednesday, Herauf says momentum won’t carry over and so they’ll have to carry over their character from the weekend.
“Willie is a great coach, they’ve been through a lot of these experience, they understand that it’s the next game mentality, so that’s what I expect out of them,” Herauf said. “For us, we’re learning about that right now. We can’t go on our high horse and think that it’s going to be easier, because it’s not going to be easier. They’re going to be hungrier now. They understand how we’re playing them, they’re going to push back and I expect that Tuesday.
“For us, we’re going to take the next two days, rest up, heal up. We need to get some guys back in our lineup, but for us, we just need to keep the same team character mentality we played with the last two games.”
The Pats played both games with just 11 forwards, losing Connor Bear early in the first period of Game 2 after he was boarded.
They have an opportunity to play 2025 first and third overall picks Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue, both winning a SMAAAHL championship Saturday with the Regina Pat Canadians. Herauf wasn’t decisive when asked if they would suit up for Game 3 tonight, before the Telus Cup West Regionals begin on Thursday, hosted by the Pat Canadians.
“We won, so it’ll be probably hard to get them in the lineup,” Herauf said.
