The intense rivalry between the Swift Current Broncos and Regina Pats continues in what may be the most competitive first round series in the Western Hockey League this season.

The Broncos come into the series with the second best record in the WHL and have to face the third best team in the Eastern Conference.

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It's a wrinkle in the WHL divisional playoff formula that results in two top teams facing off in the opening round of the post-season.

"It's really close," said Broncos Coach/Director of Player Personnel Manny Viveiros. "They've made considerable changes after the trade deadline, so have we also, and both teams have greatly improved their roster. It's going to be a real good series here. There's not a favourite... we know how good they are and how good they can be. It's a very, very even series."



With a 15 point gap between the two teams in the standings you would think the Broncos were a distinct favourite. Swift Current had eight more wins than Regina, scored 39 more goals and allowed 23 fewer. The Broncos also roll into the playoffs with 3 of the top 6 scoring forwards in the WHL and a significantly improved depth from their own trade deadline moves. However, the first half doesn't really tell the tale of what the Pats can offer as an opponent.

Swift Current has been among the top teams in the league from the drop of the puck this season, but the journey for Regina was a little rockier. The Pats hovered around the .500 mark before the Christmas break before significantly upgrading their roster at the January 10th trade deadline.

The chemistry didn't come instantly.

"Our team last year we had 10-11 guys that had played somewhere from two and a half to three years together," said Pats Coach/GM John Paddock. "We changed maybe half our playing roster over the course of this season and it takes time. I do believe we've made some steps in getting there so they know each other in a strange way just about intimately."

Since January 10th the teams are as close as can be in the standings. The Pats ran off a 20-6-2-1 record over that time, while Swift Current went 19-7-2-2.

Special teams also evolved over that time. The Broncos finished with the league's top power play at 29.4%, but Regina clicked at 28.8% since the additions they made at the trade deadline. Both teams saw their penalty kill improve significantly after their trade deadline upgrades with each club hovering over 80%.

The Broncos know Regina is a different team than they saw early in the season.

"They've just got more skill and more depth," Viveiros said. "Goaltending has improved and young Paddock has played extremely well. Their defence was at one point something they were concerned about, but they've got 6-7 defenceman really can play. Up front their depth as a group here is not a one line team. Their depth right through four lines and their 6-7 defencemen are as good as anybody."

Those late season changes even play out in individual players. Broncos captain Glenn Gawdin was far and away more productive than Regina's Sam Steel in the first half. Since January 10th he has continued his torrid pace with 50 points in 26 games, but Steel picked up his game with 49 in 27.

The Broncos do still appear to have the higher end scoring ability as their top 6 forwards and top 2 defencemen have combined for 259 points since January 10th compared to 215 for Regina's.

Either way goals won't be easy to come by as the Broncos were the stingiest team in the Eastern Conference with Regina finishing third in goals against. That's not to even mention how much tighter the games can get come playoff time.

"You have to defend first," Viveiros said. "Your scoring opportunities a lot of time are from the rush or quick transition. The attention to detail from both teams is magnified even more. It's tougher to score in the playoffs no question about it, but if we do the right things and do what we're supposed to be doing, which is not a lot different than in the regular season, we're hopeful we can create some scoring opportunities."

Goaltending would appear to be an edge for Swift Current as Stuart Skinner brings 24 games of playoff experience into the series against none for either Max Paddock or Ryan Kubic in the Regina goal.

Skinner's shaky experience in his first playoff at 17 taught him some lessons that helped him take Lethbridge to an Eastern Conference final last season.

"Instead of getting too low or too high you've got to stay even keel," Skinner said. "My first time in playoffs we went down a couple games in the first round and kind of started to freak out and get a little intense. It was a good learning experience to go through that when I was 17 so I was able to relax and do my best... that's what I did last year. That's how the mental game goes."



Skinner has been very good since joining Swift Current from Lethbridge. He has a 0.914 save percentage in 25 games and has fit in very well with his new club.

"I'm having so much fun with the guys," Skinner noted. "It's an incredibly positive atmosphere here... I can't say enough good things about Swift Current."

Regina may not have the experience edge in goal, but both their goaltenders have played well with the new look Pats in front of them. Max Paddock has posted a 0.916 save percentage in 17 games since the trade deadline, while Ryan Kubic managed a 0.914 save percentage in 12 games in between injuries. Paddock appears to have the edge after a really strong run down the stretch.

"He's handled it well," Coach Paddock said about his nephew. "He has a lot of poise and doesn't get rattled easily. Good athlete. He's taken advantage of that clearly our team is a better bunch of players since Christmas time so it helps somewhat. We feel comfortable that our goaltending is better than it was in our first half of the year."

This is the third time in four seasons the two teams have met in the playoffs with Regina winning 4-0 three years ago and 4-3 in the second round last season. That experience against one another means there aren't many secrets.

"I don't think you go out changing a bunch of things," Paddock said. "We know each other well. Maybe more so in how the teams play than the individual make up of the team. I think Manny has done a tremendous job the last two years. They play a certain way very consistently so I don't think that's going to change."

The Broncos shouldn't lack for motivation when playing Regina this season. In addition to the usual desire to win in the playoffs comes perhaps a push for redemption. In addition to eleven players left from the Broncos team that lost to the Pats in the second round last season, they added three players from Lethbridge who had lost to the Pats in back-to-back seasons and three from a Calgary team that Regina eliminated in the first round last season.

"That's one of the first things I thought about," said former Hurricane Giorgio Estephan. "Knowing that we were playing against them stuff like that never leaves the back of your mind. It stings and it's going to be a key contributor to our motivation for sure."

This is the ninth meeting between Swift Current and Regina in WHL playoff history. The Pats have won five of the eight series to this point.

Swift Current won this season's series 5-1.

All the stats will be thrown out the window when the puck drops tonight at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex. Both Games 1 and 2 tonight and Saturday are sold out. You can listen live on The Eagle 94.1 FM with Robertson Family Group Broncos Hockey at 6:30pm.