Pats working hard but still not getting wins
Robbie Holmes looked like he’d seen enough.
The Regina Pats were down 5-3 to the Lethbridge Hurricanes late in the second period on Sunday when Holmes took matters into his own hands, blasting one of the league’s best players, Dylan Cozens, with a textbook open-ice check (shoulder to chest) while he stickhandled through the neutral zone.
As is the custom in today’s game, Holmes had to answer for his clean hit by dropping the gloves with Jett Jones. The Pats’ 20-year-old forward took care of business in short order, earning kudos from his teammates as he headed to the dressing room.
After Jones received an extra minor penalty, Regina capitalized on the ensuing power play when Ty Kolle scored with 4.5 seconds on the clock to make it a onegoal game. The Pats would come no closer en route to their ninth straight loss, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying from Holmes & Co.
“We were just looking for a spark,” he explained. “I’m trying to help my team in any way possible, if that’s playing the body, fighting somebody, or helping out offensively. We’re all here and we want to win some games.”
The Pats haven’t won since a 3-2 opening-night decision over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Sept. 20.
Regina’s league-worst 1-9-0 record is an eyesore, but the effort level hasn’t been indicative of a free-falling team.
In fact, the WHL club played two of its best games on the weekend despite losing 4-2 to the Vancouver Giants and 5-4 versus Lethbridge.
Holmes contributed just one assist in those two games, but his play was more conspicuous after moving to centre. The team lacks depth in the middle, so it’s important for someone — even a natural winger — to step up and fill a gaping hole in the lineup.
Like most of the team, Holmes has struggled offensively at times, but he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to help turn things around.
“It’s my last year, and I want to leave everything out there,” said Holmes, who has three goals and two assists in 10 games. “The outcome sucks, but there’s a lot of good things that have come out of this weekend. We’re just going to try to build off it.”
That’s the message being preached by head coach Dave Struch, who continues to emphasize the positives under very difficult circumstances. His words seem to have resonated with the players as they focus on smaller victories while trying to build toward the desired outcome.
“We’re playing that way (as a whole); everybody is doing their little part,” Struch said. “That (hit and fight) just becomes Holmes’ part in that situation.
“Kolle had two really good games this weekend. (The players) are feeding off each other. There’s no question they’re playing really, really hard and they’re not giving up on anything. We’re getting scored on at inopportune times, but we’re still fighting back.
“There’s so many positives to take from it. We just need to get that W.”
Holmes is hoping it’ll happen soon.
After all, a team can only survive on moral victories for so long.
“Nobody wants to lose hockey games,” he added. “If you don’t care, I don’t know why you’re playing. The next win that we get is going to feel really good.”