Pats/Tigers Preview

From Greg Harder's Slap Shots....

Tigers-Pats preview
By Greg Harder Sat, Feb 12 2011 COMMENTS(0) Slap Shots

MEDICINE HAT (36-16-3-0)
at REGINA (19-30-6-1)
Today, 7 p.m., Brandt Centre
Radio: 620 CKRM
Key injuries: REGINA — D Artem Bidlevskii (undisclosed), C Colin Reddin (undisclosed). MEDICINE HAT — RW Tyler Pitlick (concussion), F Sam Dezman (concussion, indefinite), D Alex Theriau (ankle, day-to-day), D Scott Ramsay (concussion, day-to-day).
Overview: It’s the third of four meetings between Regina and Medicine Hat. The Tigers won the first two — 6-4 in Medicine Hat on Nov. 13 and 4-3 on Jan. 25 at the Brandt Centre. The teams conclude their season series next Saturday in Medicine Hat . . . WHL scoring leader Linden Vey (38-52—90, 53 GP) has two goals and four assists in two games against Regina this season while rookie Hunter Shinkaruk and sniper Emerson Etem have two goals and two assists apiece. Pats captain Garrett Mitchell has two goals and two assists against the Tigers . . . Medicine Hat is coming off a 6-5 overtime loss on Friday to the host Brandon Wheat Kings, who tied the game with 12 seconds left in regulation on a goal by Matt MacKay, then won it in OT on a penalty-shot marker by Michael Ferland . . . In the midst of a three-game losing streak, Regina’s playoff aspirations are dwindling by the day. A tough portion of the schedule — four games in five nights — doesn’t get any easier with another of the WHL’s elite teams in town tonight. With 16 games left, the Pats sit four points behind the Prince Albert Raiders and Swift Current Broncos, who are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Regina is five points behind the seventh-place Brandon Wheat Kings and two back of the 10th-place Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Pats have two games in hand on Swift Current and one each on P.A. and Brandon.