Bernhardt scores once, adds two assists as Prince Albert beats Regina 6-3

REGINA - Justin Bernhardt had a goal and two assists to help the Prince Albert Raiders beat the Regina Pats 6-3 in WHL action Thursday afternoon.

Prince Albert (18-22-2-0) got the scoring started midway through the first when Bernhardt and Nathan Deck set up Matt Robertson on the power play for his 14th of the season.

Four minutes later Bernhardt was in on the action again, this time converting nice feeds from Blaine Tendler and Brandon Herrod for his 21st of the season.

Regina (19-18-1-4), sorely missing sniper Jordan Eberle, defenceman Colten Teubert and Czech Rudolf Cerveny to the world junior hockey championship and rookies Jordan Weal and Dominick Favreau to the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in Port Alberni, relied solely on Brett Leffler for offence on the afternoon.

Leffler got Regina on the board with just over three minutes left in the first when he whacked in a rebound for his 20th of the season.

Seven minutes into the second, Leffler struck again when he snuck a wrist shot through Prince Albert goalie Steven Stanford to tie the game 2-2.

Leffler then put Regina ahead 3-2 and earned himself a natural hat trick at the 14:04 mark of the second when he buried a nice feed from call-up Andrew Reider. But perhaps due to a -21 C temperature outside, not one of the 5,054 in attendance threw a hat on the ice.

Prince Albert, owners of one of the best power plays in the league, got the goal back just over three minutes later when Regina's Tomas Hricina was busted for slashing and Igor Revenko tied the game up with his third of the year and the Raiders' second power play goal of the night.

Four minutes into the third Prince Albert's Dustin Cameron notched the eventual game winner when he hustled down the left wing and rang a wrist shot off the far post and in for his 20th of the season.

Prince Albert's James Dobrowolski and Ryan McDonald added two more, Dobrowolski with his fifth of the year and McDonald with an empty netter for his 24th.

Stanford (9-15-2-0) made 28 saves for the win. Regina goalie Damien Ketlo (5-4-0-0) didn't get much help while making 27 saves in the loss.