Friday night was never going to be easy for the Calgary Hitmen.
Playing host to the CHL’s No. 1-ranked Regina Pats, the Hitmen were facing, arguably, the biggest challenge the WHL schedule serves up.
And for the most part, the Hitmen proved they could hang with the best. It just wasn’t quite enough and the Hitmen (17-21-9) came away from the first game in a busy three-games-in-three-days stretch with a 6-5 overtime loss to the Pats (32-6-7).
Late-January is no time for moral victories, and Friday’s game marked the third straight game where the Hitmen have forced overtime before ending up on the losing end of the scoreline.