PATS LOOK FOR REDEMPTION
Face off against Broncos tonight
Max Paddock lost a game but not his perspective — or his sense of humour.
The Regina Pats netminder was quick to lighten the mood when asked how he was recovering from his team’s most-recent game at the Memorial Cup — an 8-6 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
“Well, the sun came up today, so that’s a bonus,” Paddock said with a smile. “Obviously I would have liked to come up with a few more saves but I just wasn’t good enough. You have to forget about it. I feel like I can do that.”
Assuming he gets the nod, Paddock’s mettle will be tested in Wednesday’s round-robin finale against the Swift Current Broncos — a game with huge implications.
It’s a lot of pressure for a rookie goaltender, but the spotlight at the Memorial Cup hasn’t been too bright so far.
“I love all the pressure from the media and being on national TV every game,” said Paddock, 17. “I love that part, with it being such a big stage. Not everyone gets to play in it. All of us are just enjoying the ride.”
Paddock was the big story on Day 1 after his spectacular 31-save effort in Regina’s 3-2 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs. He experienced the other side two nights later after giving up six goals on 32 shots versus Acadie-Bathurst.
Paddock was replaced for the third period by veteran Ryan Kubic, who deflected the first shot into his own net and was nearly fooled by a subsequent crazy bounce. Kubic spent the rest of his time watching an improbable comeback as Regina turned a 7-2 blowout into a 7-6 nail-biter.
“It was good to see the guys battle back,” said Paddock, who was victimized by a combination of bad goals, bad luck and an impressive display by the QMJHL champions.
“Maybe I was the difference but we came back and scored six goals. If you look at the black and white, I probably should have stopped three more but maybe we’d still lose 5-2. You just never know.”
Kubic played well in a first-round playoff matchup with the Broncos after Paddock suffered a hip-flexor injury in practice just three days before Game 1. The youngster thinks it would be “a great opportunity” to get another shot at them Wednesday.
“It sucks being sidelined with an injury at any time … but especially during playoffs when it’s crunch time,” he said. “With (the series) being so close, you feel like maybe you could have made a difference. Maybe I couldn’t have. Maybe we would have lost in five or six. There’s lots of what-ifs.”
None of which matter now. Although head coach/GM John Paddock declined to reveal his starter, he did state repeatedly there are “zero concerns” about the mental state of his nephew, whose unflappable nature has become a theme this season.
Don’t be surprised if he gets another chance to show it Wednesday.
“I’ve always been that way — able to bounce back and not let things bother me too much,” Max Paddock said. “The guys in the room have belief in me or Ryan, whoever they go with. Come Wednesday we’ll be better and we’ll be playing better defensively as well.”