Pats’ Stringer delivers OT winner for 2-0 series lead

Bedard piles up five points in 6-5 win over Blades

The Pats celebrate an OT winner from Zack Stringer (#13).

Connor Bedard loves to talk up his teammates and a playoff overtime win provides ample opportunity to do just that.

On Sunday, the 17-year-old phenom centre’s Regina Pats found themselves locked in a 5-5 tie in overtime with the host Saskatoon Blades in Game 2 of a best-of-seven WHL first round playoff series. Just 2:05 into the overtime, Blades star right-winger Conner Roulette was given a tripping minor sending the Pats to the power play.

On the ensuing power play, Blades veteran defenceman Charlie Wright blocked a shot off his knee and tried to continue to play looking visibly hobbled. Pats import star rookie right-winger Alexander Suzdalev got the puck along the right wing after the shot block.

Zack Stringer (#13) scores the OT winner for the Pats.

Suzdalev worked his way into the right corner of the Saskatoon zone and started to skate around the Blades net. As he approached the right post of the goal, Suzdalev fed a backhand pass to gritty 19-year-old power forward Zack Stringer, who was parked in front of the Saskatoon net.

Stringer quickly slid home the winner at the 2:58 mark of the extra session to give the Pats a 6-5 victory to the disappointment of most of the 10,598 spectators at the SaskTel Centre. A sizable contingent of Pats fans soaked in the final result.

Bedard was in on all of the Pats five goals during regulation netting a hat trick and two assists, but he was more pumped to see Stringer net the winner than anything else that happened that night.

The Blades react to their overtime loss.

“Whenever he has been playing, he has been a difference maker,” said Bedard. “He has been so great for us in every area.

“To him get rewarded like that and do what he does, it is awesome.”

Stringer turned heads as a 16-year-old rookie with the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 2019-20 recording 11 goals, 23 assists and a plus-13 rating in the plus-minus department in 48 regular season appearances. A Lethbridge product, Stringer was selected in the first round and eighth overall in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft.

Connor Bedard breaks out of a scrum with the puck.

The Pats acquired Stringer in a trade on August 18, 2021. Stringer couldn’t escape the injury bug in his first season with the Pats appearing in 27 games during the 2021-22 campaign registering 10 goals and eight assists. Regina posted a 14-11-02 mark with Stringer in the lineup, but were 13-25-3 without him and missed the post-season.

Stringer missed the first 32 games of this season recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. He ultimately appeared in 31 regular season contests for the Pats posting five goals and 11 assists.

Bedard said it was tough to see Stringer dogged by injuries, and that he gives the Pats a boost every time he takes the ice for games. Stringer finished the night with two power-play goals.

Connor Bedard had a hat trick and two assists for the Pats.

“I think he is one of the best guys in front of the net in the league,” said Bedard. “You watch him, and he will block anything (in the defensive zone).

“It is pretty crazy some of the shots he blocks. I don’t know how he does it. I think just kind of his complete game and willingness to do what it takes for the team is big for us.”

Thanks to the effort of Stringer and Bedard, the Pats took a 2-0 lead in the series against the Blades. The series now shifts to Regina for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively at the Brandt Centre for a 7 p.m. start both nights.

The Blades dropped the one-goal extra time decision in a 1980s firewagon style contest despite outshooting the Pats 47-19. Blades head coach Brennan Sonne said his squad was looking to get back out on to the ice to play right away.

Alexander Suzdalev (#91) set up the OT winner for the Pats.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed in the result,” said Sonne. “If we can play with that kind of war, then there is nothing to get down about.

“This is a tighter series than 2-0 right now I’ll tell you that.”

Sonne didn’t think his squad played with a playoff sense of urgency in a 6-1 series opening loss in Game 1 on Friday at the SaskTel Centre. He thought his squad brought a playoff type intensity on Sunday.

“I liked our desperation today,” said Sonne. “I thought our desperation was really good.

“That is how we need to play now for the rest of the series. In Game 1, woof. That one that is how we need to play the rest of the series.”

Stanislav Svozil scored the Pats first goal on Sunday.

The Blades came out with a good initial start getting the first four shots on goal of the game. Saskatoon’s best chance to score from the opening flurry came from a shot from the right slot by offensive-defenceman Tanner Molendyk, who was turned away by Pats netminder Drew Sim.

The Pats proceeded to kill that early momentum seemingly out of nowhere. At the 5:08 mark of the first, Pats star import defenceman Stanislav Svozil blew home a midrange shot from the top of the left faceoff circle to give the visitors 1-0 edge. The teams were playing some four-versus-four action thanks to offsetting penalties at the time of Svozil’s goal.

At the 13:33 mark of the first, Svozil made a sweet pass from the right point to find Bedard alone in close by the left side of the Saskatoon net. Bedard lifted home a shot to the top left corner of the Blades goal to give the visitors a 2-0 edge.

The Blades celebrate a first period goal by Justin Lies (#43).

When it seemed the breaks were going the Pats way, the Blades got a key traction goal with 1:59 remaining in the first. Blades import right-winger Egor Sidorov passed the puck to gritty winger Justin Lies at the left side of the Regina goal. Lies potted his first of the post-season to cut the Pats lead to 2-1.

Just 2:48 into the second, the Blades pulled even at 2-2, when gritty left-winger Lukas Hansen potted his second of the post-season from the right slot.

At the 4:31 mark of the second, Bedard drew a high-sticking penalty on Blades hard working right-winger Vaughn Watterodt. On the ensuring power play, Bedard got the puck down low with a slick pass to Stringer down low to the right side of the Saskatoon goal.

Lukas Hansen had the Blades second goal on Sunday.

Stringer put the puck home between the legs of Blades netminder Austin Elliott to put the Pats back out in front 3-2.

“He (Stringer) is a real key player for us,” said Pats all-time great head coach and general manager John Paddock. “For me and I am biased because I see it all the time, he is the best net front guy in the league.

“He has the ability to tip pucks and make plays in small areas.”

Just 70 seconds later, Blades star 21-year-old centre Josh Pillar drove home a shot from the left slot to even the score again this time at 3-3.

With 7:29 remaining in the second, the Pats went back out in front with a smart double shift for Bedard. With Regina’s fourth line working the puck deep in the Saskatoon zone, left-winger Brayden Barnett had the puck in the left corner of the Blades zone.

Alexander Suzdalev had four assists for the Pats on Sunday.

He centred a pass to a streaking in Bedard, who roofed home his second of the contest to the top right corner of the Saskatoon net to give the visitors a 4-3 edge.

Following that tally, the Blades pulled Elliott, who stopped 9-of-13 shots fired his way and 28-of-37 shots to that point in the series.

Saskatoon product Ethan Chadwick turned away 4-of-6 shots sent his way playing the rest of the way in relief and ultimately taking the setback in goal.

Chadwick was tested early as he stopped Bedard and Suzdalev on back-to-back chances shortly after entering the crease of the Saskatoon net.

Jayden Wiens (#9) had the Blades fourth goal on Sunday.

Shortly after the 8:30 mark of the third, the Blades scored twice in a span of 18 seconds to go ahead 5-4 with tallies coming off the sticks of veteran centre Jayden Wiens and Watterodt. That marked the first time the Blades held a lead in any of the first two games of the series.

The line of Hansen, Wiens and Watterodt combined for three goals and two assists for the Blades on Sunday.

“They have been our best line so far this series,” said Sonne. “They’re just playing with their hearts on their sleeves, and that is why.

“They’re just absolutely desperate all three of them.”

Vaughn Watterodt scored to give the Blades a 5-4 lead in the third.

The Pats didn’t go away. Bedard completed his hat trick potting the rebound of a shot that deflected off the post the Saskatoon net to force a 5-5 tie and ultimately overtime. That set up the dramatics for Stringer’s winner.

Sim stopped 42 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Pats. Suzdalev collected four assists for the visitors.

Bedard said his Pats were pleased to be up 2-0 in the series, but they now have to refocus for Game 3. He expects the Blades keep battling hard.

The Blades came into this series finishing fourth overall in the WHL with a 48-15-4-1 record and being 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.

Connor Bedard’s hat trick goal forced a 5-5 tie.

“I think for us there is still lots of work to do,” said Bedard. “You have to win four games not two.

“We know the last two are going to be the hardest to win. Obviously, we are going to be happy about tonight and the weekend, but we have to really shift our focus to Tuesday.”

Sonne said the Blades plan to make some tweak type adjustments, but they want to focus on bringing the same intensity for Game 3 like they did in Game 2.

“There are a whole bunch of different words you can use a lot of synonyms – grit, desperate, playoff mode, competitive,” said Sonne. “Whatever one you want to use, that is our main focus.

The Pats celebrate their win on Sunday.

“That is the main thing we have to bring now. There are adjustments we need to make obviously special teams wise here and there. The main thing is us being gritty like we were tonight.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

-------

If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.