In another packed‑house playoff night at the Co‑operators Centre, the Regina Pat Canadians battled to the end but fell 3–2 in overtime to the Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors in Game 3 of the SMAAAHL Final. Despite the setback, Regina still holds a 2–1 series lead in the best‑of‑five championship.
More than 1,500 fans filled the rink — another sellout — and the building was buzzing well before puck drop. By the time warm‑up began, every seat was already taken, setting the stage for another intense chapter in this growing rivalry.
Regina struck first at 13:18 of the opening period thanks to Liam Pue, who continued his outstanding postseason.
Pue picked up a loose puck at the Moose Jaw blue line and immediately turned it into a dangerous 2‑on‑1 with Nathan Gardiner. With the defender caught between options, Pue made a slick move to beat him cleanly, then snapped a shot glove‑side past Steven Wawryk to give the Pat Canadians a 1–0 lead.
Moose Jaw responded late in the period with a goal from Carson Park, sending the teams to the intermission tied 1–1.
The Warriors grabbed their first lead of the night midway through the second on the power play when Ryan Gibbs snapped a one timer past Adam Muntain. Regina generated plenty of pressure — outshooting Moose Jaw 28–25 through two periods — but Wawryk turned aside several high‑quality chances to keep the Pat Canadians from pulling even.
The Moose Jaw goaltender was a major storyline throughout the night, making key stops at critical moments to keep his team in front.
Regina kept pressing in the third, and once again it was Pue who delivered.
At 9:08, he collected the puck in the offensive zone, circled behind the net, walked out and used the Moose Jaw defender as a screen. With Wawryk unable to track the release, Pue fired home his second of the night to tie the game 2–2 and put the teams on the path to another OT.
The Pat Canadians continued to push, finishing regulation with a 47–34 edge in shots, but the winner would have to wait for overtime.
Just 3:54 into the extra frame, Moose Jaw found the deciding goal. Despite a strong performance from Regina goaltender Adam Muntain, who stopped 31 of 34 shots, the Warriors capitalized on their first real OT opportunity when Declin Larmer put one past Muntain on a 2 on 1 feed from Riley Brown. The goal gave Moose Jaw the win and extended the series.
Series Shifts to Moose Jaw for Game 4
The Pat Canadians still control the SMAAAHL Final with a 2–1 series lead and now look to close things out on the road.
Game 4 goes Friday at 7:00 PM in Moose Jaw. If necessary, Game 5 returns to Regina on Saturday at 12:30 PM at the Co‑operators Centre.
