The Kelowna Rockets came away with a 5-4 road win over the Regina Pats as they started a five-game eastern road swing.
Gabriel Szturc (13) opened the scoring at exactly the one-minute mark of the first period, putting the Rockets up 1-0, with assists to Andrew Cristall, and Caden Price.
Regina tied the game at 19:39 on a short-handed marker from Parker Berge.
At 1:34 of the second period, the Rockets went up 2-1 as Hiroki Gojsic netted his fifth goal of the season, assisted by Ethan Neutens and Marcus Pacheco.
Taj Iginla (21) increased that lead to 3-1 at the 12:47 mark, with Price and Szturc notching the assists.
The Pats would make it 3-2 with a goal from Borya Valis at 14:35 of the second frame.
Two quick goals early in the third period put Kelowna up for good.
Gojsic got his second of the game at 2:58 with assists from Dylan Wightman and Landon Cowper. Iginla netted his second at 3:21 making it 5-2.
Regina mounted a rally about halfway through the third with Berge scoring his second of the game, on the power play, at 8:27.
Berge completed the hat trick, earning him first-star honours, at 19:45 but that was all the Pats could manage as the Rockets won 5-4.
Iginla and Szturc took second and third stars respectively.
As of Dec. 11, the Rockets are in seventh place in the Western Conference with a record of 12-14-2-0 and 26 points.
Kelowna continues their road trip in Moose Jaw on Dec. 12 to play the Warriors.
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