Pats Host Tigers

Tonight the Pats start there 5- game home stand before heading out on the road 8 of 9. The time is now for the Pats if this team is as good as they say there are then show us don't just tell us that. Because there are a lot of people not buying it and who can blame them with the Pats siting dead last in the East Division so far this season. This team has struggled out of the gate with a lot of that coming on the road having only picked up 1 win so far. The home shows have not aways been easy so far as well only being average I would have to say. But if a team is going to struggle I guess it's best to do it early as opposed to late in the season.


Hopefully they find away to turn it around only time will tell. Because back to the road games troubles. After they come back from there swing through the U.S. Division the Pats have short 3-game home stand before embarking on a five game jaunt through Alberta. Then comes an eight-day Christmas break,after which the Pats hit the road again for four more stops in the Central Division.


That adds up to nine straight games away from the Brandt Centre,Which will be occupied during their absence by the World Junior Championship. In total,Regina plays 17of21 games on the road from Nov.14 to Jan.2

The flip side of the equation is that the Pats play 17 of it's final 29 games at the Brandt Centre,beginning with an 11 of 13 stretch. The trouble is, a favourable second-half schedule won't matter if the Pats are already so far in the rear view mirror that they have little to no chance catching up.



Medicine Hat (9-6-2-2) AT Regina (6-9-2-0)

Today,7 p.m. Brandt Centre

Radio:620 CKRM(Rod Pedersen)

Key injuries:Regina-None to report,Tigers-None to report

Overview: The Pats are getting reinforcements with F Matt Struby(concussion) and D Brandon Davidson(knee) slated to return after missing three games apiece. A flu virus has been making it's way through the Pats dressing room. The lastest to be affected were LW Graham Hood and D Myles Bell,both of whom missed Friday's 4-1 loss to the host Prince Albert Raiders.Hood skated Monday and is expected to play tonight but Bell is still day to day. The Pats have a record of 5-4-1 on home ice.The Tigers are 3-5-1-1 on the road.Coming off an 11-2 pasting of the flu-ravaged Seattle Thunderbirds,Medicine Hat was slated to meet the Everett Silvertips on Tuesday.Prior to beating Seattle,Medicine Hat had lost three straight.Heading into Tuesday's game,the Tigers led the league with an average of 4.6 goals per game but had allowed 4.0 per game,ranked 18th out of 22 teams.Regina has scored at a clip of 3.4 goals per game while giving up 3.7 per game.Tigers RW Bretton Cameron(17-11-28) was tied with Swift Current's Cody Eakin for the league lead with 17 goals.C Emerson Etem,a 17-year-old California native,was the top-scoring rookie in the WHL(15-7-22). Pats RW Jordan Eberle (12-13-25,12 GP) leads the league with an average of one goal per game and 2.08 points per game. Regina's G Damien Ketlo is ranked in the top 10 among starting goalies with a 2.89 GAA and a .913 save percentage. Medicine Hat's G Tyler Bunz is among the league's lowest-ranked starters (3.50 GAA,.884 SP)

Eberle climbs the Charts:

Since coming back from Edmonton Oilers training camp,Jordan Eberle has scored in all but one game,and is now 7th in the WHL in scoring with 25 points.


A few more game notes that are from the Rod Pedersen blog.

-Eberle is 7th in WHL scoring with 25 points

-Eberle is currently the Pats active leader in goals(117)

-Eberle(229) points

-The Pats power play is rank 4th in the WHL at 26%

-On the road it is at 29% which is rank at 3rd

-3 of the Pats top ten scorers are on the Pats blue line Tuebert(13points)Davidson(11points)Delaney(7points)


Streaking:

-Jordan Weal has points in 12 of his past 14 games(9g 11a)
-Jordan Eberle has points in 11 of his first 12 games(12g 13a)
-Brandon Davidson has assists in 7 of his last 9 games
-Colton Tuebert has points in 6 of his last 7 games(4g 4a)

Leaders:

Goals-Jordan Eberle(12)
Assists-Jordan Eberle(13)
Points-Jordan Eberle(25)
Plus/Minus-Brett Leffler(+8)
PIM-Brett Leffler(25)
PPG-Jordan Eberle(5)
SHG-Jordan Eberle(3)
GWG-5 tied with(1)
Wins-ketlo,Guhle(3)
GAA-Damien Ketlo(2.89)
Sv.%-Damien Ketlo(.913)