Crunch time arrives as Pats face their first rough patch
So much for the Pats on the back.
For a change, the Regina Pats are not being showered in praise by some fans and media types — observers who have been critical of the team’s performance during the first half of the 2017-18 season.
The Pats are emerging from the Christmas break with a 16-17-3-0 record. That would be a cause for concern under any circumstances, but the alarm bells ring like Big Ben when a sub-.500 slate is associated with a team that is to compete in the Memorial Cup as the host squad.
Considering the recent travails of the Pats, most of the debate surrounds the deals head coach and general manager John Paddock will inevitably make leading up to the Jan. 10 trade deadline.
How many players do they need? Three? Four? Five?
But here’s another question: How will the Pats handle the criticism and all the extra scrutiny?
The first three years under Paddock and the team’s ownership quintet — Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group — were a joyride.
After advancing to Round 2 of the playoffs in back-to-back years with young teams that exceeded expectations, the Pats posted a franchise-record 52 regularseason victories in 2016-17.
They proceeded to capture the team’s first Eastern Conference title since 1984, while playing a wide-open brand of hockey that was thoroughly entertaining.
Another highlight of the 201617 season was the day on which the CHL awarded Regina hosting privileges for the 2018 Memorial Cup, to be held May 18-27 at the Brandt Centre.
The announcement was greeted by merriment among Pats employees and followers alike, but there is an accompanying burden.
A Memorial Cup host team must be of a calibre that justifies its presence. However, a 16-17-30 squad does not radiate greatness.
Win or lose, the Pats have exuded class throughout the 3 1/2 years of the current regime. They pride themselves on being accessible to the fans and to the media, and are first-class ambassadors in the community.
Paddock, in particular, is exceptional. His responses to reporters’ questions are candid and thoughtful.
The team’s players take after their coach. They are endlessly accommodating.
Will the culture of cordiality change in any discernible manner now that the media coverage and fan feedback are not as consistently laudatory?
Will the Pats fire back at the critics — and it is certainty their prerogative to do so — or simply make the changes that will alter the performance and perception of the team?
The strong suspicion here is that the latter philosophy will prevail, as will the wisdom exercised by Paddock.
Surely, there are cards that he can and will play in effective, timely fashion. Will the Pats be as adept handling adversity?
They have been tested at times — remember the 3-1 series deficit against the Swift Current Broncos in the 2017 playoffs? — but the 2017-18 season will be a pressure cooker into late May.
The stakes are such that the Pats will be under the microscope not only locally, but on a national basis. And if they can’t roll with the punches, they might end up hitting the canvas.