Veteran power forward Pratt finds instant chemistry on Pats’ top line
Austin Pratt had mixed feelings after a weekend of mixed results for the Regina Pats.
The veteran forward tied his career high with three points on Friday night, recording two goals and one assist in Regina’s first win of the season — a 6-5 decision over the Swift Current Broncos.
Pratt added another goal 24 hours later but it came in a 7-3 loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings, putting a damper on his most productive weekend as a member of the Pats.
“(Friday’s game) was easy to enjoy — finally getting a win,” said Pratt, 19. “In the moment it was nice but now it’s just kind of whatever because we lost (the next night). It doesn’t mean too much.”
Pratt’s big weekend coincided with a promotion to Regina’s top line with centre Jake Leschyshyn and left-winger Nick Henry. The trio combined for eight points in Friday’s win before contributing two of the club’s three goals versus Brandon.
“My game fits in well with Leschyshyn,” said Pratt, a 6-foot-2, 206-pound power forward. “Me and him are definitely hard workers and so is Hank. He’s really skilled. They both are. Hank has a great shot and, the way me and Lesch play, it makes it easy to get it to (Henry). We definitely work good down low. So far it has been a good fit. We’re just hoping we can keep it up so we can get more offence and hopefully win a few more games.”
Pratt lost about 25 pounds in the off-season after being informed by the coaches that a larger role awaited him if he returned in peak condition. His efforts paid off with a strong showing in the pre-season — three goals and two assists in five games — but he was limited to one helper in Regina’s first four regular-season contests.
After experimenting with a few different line combinations, Pratt’s breakthrough came when head coach Dave Struch moved him to the No. 1 unit.
“It’s something we probably won’t change up,” Struch said of the new trio. “We liked the way it looked the first night. There comes a time when you feel a little bit of chemistry within the lineup. You want to keep these lines together and give them some time together and learn from each other.”
The move wasn’t just good for Pratt, it also helped jump-start his linemates. Leschyshyn had a twogoal game versus Swift Current while Henry added three helpers.
Henry followed up with his first goal of the season against Brandon.
“They all shoot the puck (well), they see the ice and they work hard,” Struch said. “We hope we can grow them (as a unit) and give them a chance to succeed.”
The Pats had high hopes for Pratt when they acquired him midway through last season from the Red Deer Rebels.
However, he was admittedly out of shape and struggled to find a place in one of the league’s elite lineups, recording just four assists in 21 regular-season games. He improved his conditioning before the 2018 Memorial Cup in Regina and found himself in a top-six role during the tournament, scoring once in five contests.
Pratt used that experience as motivation heading into this season.
“I always looked up to the guys that were on the first line and wanted to be them,” said Pratt, who had 16 goals and 34 points in 70 games with Red Deer in 2016-17. “Now that I get the chance, there’s a little pressure but I try not to think about it. I just try to go out and perform every night, whether it’s blocking a shot or scoring a goal or getting an assist.”
The Pats are looking for all of the above as they prepare to hit the road for a three-game Central Division trip, beginning Wednesday against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Saturday’s loss to Brandon wasn’t the sendoff they wanted, but it’s the one they got.
“It’s hard to just brush it aside,” Pratt said. “That’s not what you want to do. You want to learn from it, regroup and do whatever you have to do to get back and ready for this little road trip.”