Bedard show carries Pats to upset win

REGINA - Greetings from Regina, where all the talk at the hotel restaurant this morning was about the show Connor Bedard put on last night.

Trailing 3-0 in the second period, Bedard posted five points - four goals and an assist - to lift the Regina Pats to a 5-3 win over the CHL No. 1 ranked Winnipeg Ice at the Brandt Centre. His fourth goal was an empty netter that came off a nice shot block by teammate Tanner Howe.

TSN's "Bad for Bedard" song, which was created for Friday's NHL trade deadline, was shown on the big screen during the second intermission on Friday.

Bedard now has 58 goals and 119 points in just 46 Western Hockey League games this season. He leads the entire CHL in points and goals. He is sixth in assists (61).

A lock to be the top pick in this year's NHL Draft, Bedard could reach the 60-goal mark this weekend with two more big upcoming games. After hosting Winnipeg on Friday (first in the Eastern Conference with 97 points), they host the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday (third, 82 points) and Saskatoon Blades on Sunday (second, 85 points).

It was a bit of a statement victory for the Pats on Friday. Winners of five straight, Regina sits sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 30-24-2-1 record. They have 11 games remaining in the regular season.

A few other notes...

• TSN broadcasted Friday's game - and it really delivered. What a contest.
• Halifax's Jordan Dumais sits second in the CHL in points with 112. Halifax's Alexandre Doucet sits second in goals with 48. Sarnia's Ty Voit is the assist leader with 71.
• Bedard's hat trick on Friday was his seventh of the season.
• I saw Bedard play a couple times in the first half - including a big game in Kamloops against the Memorial Cup hosts. He was noticeable in those games, but Friday was a different level. It really feels like he's taken it up a few notches since the world juniors.
• The Ice have lost back-to-back games, falling to Medicine Hat and Regina. Friday's game was their ninth straight on the road. They play in Brandon on Saturday before finally returning home. They play seven of their final 10 games in Winnipeg.
• The Edmonton Oil Kings, who competed at last year's Memorial Cup in Saint John, are just 8-47-3-0 this season for 19 points. Saint John (20-36-1-1), Shawinigan (25-28-3-2) and Hamilton (29-26-4-0) are all having much better seasons than Edmonton.