Canes drop fifth straight

They battled back to make it interesting, but the Lethbridge Hurricanes still suffered their fifth straight loss Saturday.

The Canes were downed 5-3 by the Regina Pats in Western Hockey League action at the Enmax Centre to fall to 32-30-6-0 on the season.

Regina, which is 9-1-0-0 in its past 10 games, jumped to a 4-0 lead midway through the second before a Hurricanes surge pulled it to within one late in the game before this year’s Memorial Cup hosts scored an empty-netter to salt the win.

Koby Morrisseau got things going for the visitors 3:29 into the game and the Pats took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission on a goal from Jesse Gabrielle.

Nick Henry and Robbie Holmes padded Regina’s lead to 4-0 by 9:55 of the second before Lethbridge answered back.

It started with a goal that went under review for a few minutes before being ruled a goal and it went to Brad Morrison as the Hurricanes cut the lead to 3-1.

It was 3-2 exactly two minutes later as Calen Addison struck for his 10th of the season and passed his rookie season total of nine goals in the process to pull the Hurricanes within one.

Morrison added his second of the game and his 27th of the season with 2:42 left in the third, but Pats Sam Steel scored into an empty net with 56 seconds left in regulation to round out the scoring.

Hurricanes defenceman Igor Merezhko had two assists in Saturday’s setback, while goaltender Reece Klassen stopped 38 of 42 shots.

Lethbridge hits the road with stops in Edmonton Tuesday to face the Oil Kings before playing the Rebels Wednesday in Red Deer.

The Canes host their final home game of the regular season Friday when the Medicine Hat Tigers visit at 7 p.m. at the Enmax Centre.

See Hurricane award winners on B3.