Pats fall to Raiders in regular-season finale

The Regina Pats are heading into the WHL playoffs on a mini-losing streak.

Regina lost 5-3 to the visiting Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday, one night after falling 3-2 to the host Saskatoon Blades.

The Pats, who went 3-6-1 in their final 10 games of the regular season, finished the campaign with a 34-30-3-1 record.

Regina finished fourth in the East Division, behind the Winnipeg Ice, the Blades and the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Pats were sixth in the Eastern Conference, behind the Ice, Red Deer Rebels, Blades, Warriors and Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The Pats and Blades are to tangle in a first-round playoff series. That best-of-seven affair is to begin Friday in Saskatoon.

In Saturday’s contest, former Pat Sloan Stanick had three of Prince Albert’s goals as the Raiders built up a 5-1 lead.

Aiden Oiring and Evan Herman also scored for the Raiders, who missed the playoffs with a 28-37-3-0 record.

Tanner Howe had a goal and an assist for the Pats, who got their other goals from Stanislav Svozil and Connor Bedard. Alexander Suzdalev drew a pair of assists for Regina.

Bedard’s goal was his 71st of the season, the most in the WHL by a 17-year-old since Pavel Brendl had 73 for the Calgary Hitmen in the 1998-99 season.

Bedard won the WHL scoring race with 143 points, the highest point total in the league since Stu Barnes had 144 for the Tri-City Americans in the 1989-90 campaign.

In 29 games with the Pats after returning from the 2023 world junior hockey championship, Bedard had 44 goals and 35 assists.

In Saturday’s contest, Tikhon Chaika made 29 saves for the Raiders. Kelton Pyne stopped 25 shots in the Pats’ net.