REGINA -- The Regina Pats scored four goals in the first period and goaltender Taylor Tabashniuk took it the rest of the way for the shutout as Regina defeated the Moose Jaw Warriors 5-0 in Western Hockey League pre-season action on Tuesday night.
It’s the first shutout of the pre-season for the 18-year-old netminder, who turned aside nine shots in the first and eight in each of the second and third periods for 25 total.
Tabashniuk was acquired by the Pats from the Red Deer Rebels at the trade deadline last season and would go on to backstop the Regina Pat Canadians to the Telus Cup national U18 AAA championship.
Mathis Paul opened scoring for Regina at the 2:38 mark of the opening period, with 15-year-old Maddox Schultz picking up an assist for his fourth point in as many pre-season games.
Caden Brown then made it 2-0 at 11:42 before Ephram McNutt and Ellis Mieyette scored 2:41 apart late in the period to give the Pats their four-goal edge.
Mieyette then added his second marker of the game with 3:21 remaining in the second period to close out scoring.
Kolten Bridgeman and Connor Bear each had two assists for Regina.
Both Schultz and Brown are among a group tied for 10th in WHL exhibition scoring with four points. Julien Maze -- who didn’t play in Tuesday’s game -- is tied for second with two goals and five points in two games.
Kyle Jones went the distance in goal for Moose Jaw and turned aside 34 shots.
The Warriors are now 2-1 in the pre-season, Regina improves to 2-2.
Regina is back in action on Thursday when they host the Prince Albert Raiders at the Brandt Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw returns to action on Friday night when the Saskatoon Blades are at the Temple Gardens Centre, with puck drop also at 7 p.m.
