Game 7 showdown to close epic Bedard and Pats/Blades series

Connor Bedard has an incredible 19 points in six post-season games.

Connor Bedard is having the time of his life in his first and only run through the WHL Playoffs.

The Regina Pats 17-year-old phenom centre and captain has seemingly tasted the best of what WHL post-season hockey can bring in his team’s best-of-seven first round playoff series with the Saskatoon Blades. The series is tied 3-3 and will be decided in Game 7 on Monday at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

With the host Prince George Cougars posting a 5-4 overtime victory over the Tri-City Americans in Game 6 on Sunday to take that series 4-2, the only first round series that still hasn’t been decided in the WHL Playoffs is the one between the Pats and Blades.

The Blades entered the series as favourites having finished fourth overall in the WHL standings with a 48-15-4-1 record and were rated 10^th in the final CHL Top 10 Rankings. The Pats finished sixth overall in the Eastern Conference with a 34-30-3-1 mark.

Egor Sidorov has eight points in six post-season games.

The series has seen big swings including the Pats winning the first two contests and the Blades claiming three straight contests taking Games 3 to 5. The Pats posted a 5-3 victory in Game 6 before a sellout crowd of 6,499 spectators at the Brandt Centre to force a series deciding Game 7. At one point in the series, three straight games were decided in overtime.

“It has been some of the most fun hockey I’ve ever been a part of just the intensity,” said Bedard. “Every play, every little mistake matters so much.

“I think for me finally getting that experience obviously last year with disappointment of not making it and getting here now it has been a lot of fun.”

During the regular season, Bedard topped the WHL in goals (71) and points (143) to go with a plus-39 rating in the plus-minus department. His 72 assists equaled Prince George Cougars star centre and Saskatoon area product Riley Heidt, who turned 18-years-old in March, for the league lead.

So far in the post-season, Bedard has been magical. The North Vancouver, B.C., product has been in on 19 of the Pats 25 goals recording 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points to go with a plus-10 rating. His goal and point totals in the post-season lead the WHL.

Stanislav Svozil has 12 points in six playoff games.

Barring something unforeseen, Bedard will be the first overall selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft set for June 28 to 29 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Even with that in his future, Bedard is looking forward to Game 7 against the Blades like child getting a much wanted gift on Christmas Day.

“It is my first ever Game 7, but I think I’ve been in a lot of those types of situations with world juniors and that stuff,” said Bedard. “It is definitely different.

“We’ve played them six times in nine days. It was definitely different. For me obviously, my first time will be on Monday.”

Bedard added it only seems right that the series between his Pats and Blades goes to a Game 7.

Trevor Wong has eight points in six post-season games.

“It has been such a back and forth series,” said Bedard. “It really does deserve to go to a Game 7.

“They are a great team. I think for us to be playing the way we are with them I think it should end in a Game 7 with just how tight everything has been. We’ll watch video and what not and see where we can do better and see where we did well.”

The Pats enter Game 7 with star import defenceman Stanislav Svozil sitting second in WHL post-season scoring with 12 points coming off three goals and nine assists to go with a plus-nine rating. Pats star import right-winger Alexander Suzdalev is third in WHL post-season scoring with 11 points coming off three goals and eight assists to go with a plus-five rating.

Star import right winger Egor Sidorov and star centre Trevor Wong lead the Blades in post-season scoring with eight points each. Sidorov has his eight points coming off five goals and three assists to go with a plus-four rating, while Wong has his eight points coming off two goals and six assists to go with a plus-one rating.

Alexander Suzdalev has 11 points in six post-season contests.

Star offensive-defenceman and 21-year-old captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere tops the Blades in blue-line scoring with seven assists to go with a minus-three rating. The Blades have been trying to match up De La Gorgendiere against Bedard.

Drew Sim has gone the distance in goal for the Pats in the series posting a 3-3 record, a 3.37 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. Ethan Chadwick has seen the bulk of work for the series in the Blades net posting a 3-2 record, a 3.23 goals against average and a .847 save percentage. Chadwick has remained between the pipes for the Blades since replacing Austin Elliott in the second period of Game 2.

Since March 5, the Pats and Blades have gone head-to-head nine times between the regular season and playoffs, and the Blades have won five of those encounters. Blades head coach Brennan Sonne said there will be no secrets in Game 7.

“Our focus is us,” said Sonne. “We’ve now played this team nine times in the last however many weeks.

Aidan De La Gorgendiere has seven assists in the playoffs.

“We know each other well. We know what they’re bringing. They know what we’re bringing.

“It is all about the war. For only half the game (in the Game 6 loss on Saturday), we brought that. That is our main focus.”

In the Blades 4-2 victory in Game 5 at the SaskTel Centre, they got out to a fast start jumping out to a 2-0 lead by the 5:26 mark of the first period recording the contest’s first six shots on goal. Saskatoon never trailed in that encounter.

Sonne wants his squad to repeat that effort but with being a touch better.

“I want 60 minutes of Blades hockey, and we’re good,” said Sonne. “If we do that, then we’re fine.

“We did a really good job in Game 5. It was about 90 to 95 per cent. We need 100, because our season is on the line and family is on the line and I sure hope we get it.”

Drew Sim has been the workhorse in goal for the Pats.

Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock said both clubs had played each other so well that the series deserved to go to a Game 7. After talking to some scouts, Paddock believes the Pats and Blades have delivered a treat of a series to the fans.

“From scouts’ scuttlebutt that have seen other games or who have seen all these games, I think it has been the best series that has gone on in the league,” said Paddock. “I think that in itself it signifies what is going on.”

The Pats last played in a Game 7 on April 2, 2018 when they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Broncos in Swift Current in a first round series. The Broncos advanced on to win the WHL championship. Regina as the host squad played in the title game of the Memorial Cup tournament that year falling 3-0 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, who claimed the CHL title.

The Blades last played a Game 7 on April 1, 2009 when they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the SaskTel Centre in a first round series. The Hurricanes were then swept by the Calgary Hitmen 4-0 in Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Ethan Chadwick has been the Blades main goalie in the playoffs.

If the Pats win on Monday, they will advance to play the Winnipeg Ice in an Eastern Conference semifinal series. 

The Ice finished first overall in the regular season with a 57-10-1 record and were rated third in the final CHL Top 10 rankings.

If the Blades win on Monday, they will advance to play the Red Deer Rebels in an Eastern Conference semifinal series. 

The Rebels topped the Central Division and finished fifth overall in the WHL standings with a 43-19-3-3 record.

Bedard expects Game 7 between the Pats and Blades to be a classic, because the players on both sides have a huge desire to keep playing.

“Both teams want it really bad,” said Bedard. “Both teams are going to be out there giving it their all playing as hard as they can.

The Pats and Blades are set for one last showdown on Monday.

“I think both teams are going to be desperate and really wanting that win.”

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