It's been nearly two years — 729 days to be precise — since the last Pandas hockey playoff game; a 2-0 shutout over the Mount Royal Cougars in Game 2 of the 2020 Canada West Final. 

The 14-time Canada West Champion Pandas will snap that 729-day drought this weekend, when they welcome the Regina Cougars to Clare Drake Arena for a best-of-three quarter-final series. 

For the Pandas. the two-time defending conference champions, it's their first quarter-final series since 2018, when they swept the same Cougars at home, before falling to the Manitoba Bisons in the semifinal. The Pandas earned first round playoff byes in both 2019 and 2020, en route to capturing the conference crown. 

If their two meetings during the 2021/22 regular season is any indication, this weekends series should also be a thrilling one. The Pandas earned a pair of double overtime victories over Regina on the road in late October. 

PLAYOFF SERIES SCHEDULE

Friday, February 25
GAME 1 - #3 Alberta Pandas vs #6 Regina Cougars (8-10-2), Clare Drake Arena, 7:00 p.m. MT
Saturday, February 26
GAME 2 - #3 Alberta Pandas vs #6 Regina Cougars (8-10-2), Clare Drake Arena, 7:00 p.m. MT
Sunday, February 27
GAME 3 - #3 Alberta Pandas vs #6 Regina Cougars (8-10-2), Clare Drake Arena, 2:00 p.m. MT (*If necessary)

Scorching Second Half

The Pandas, ranked No. 7 in the U SPORTS Top 10, were arguably the best team in Canada West down the stretch. Once as low as sixth in CW, the Pandas won six-straight, and eight of their last ten, to jump into third in the conference standings. 

One factor in the Pandas strong second half was a smothering defence that allowed just 10 goals over the final 10 games, and a penalty kill that ranks third in CW with a 89.1% success rate. 

Madison Willan

The other major factor in the Pandas play down the stretch was the stellar play of 2020 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, Madison Willan. 

Willan went on a tear in the second half, which included nine points during a five-game point streak in February. After recording 25 points as a rookie in 19/20, Willan added another 21 in 20 games this season, tied for second in the conference scoring race. 

Lilla Carpenter-Boesch

Looking to match that offensive production is Cougars star Lilla Carpenter-Boesch. Carpenter-Boesch led Regina with 19 points in 20 games, the fourth highest point total in the conference. Her 19 points also shattered her previous career-high of 11 points she set as a rookie in 2016/17. 

Tale of the Tape
 

	ALBERTA (CW RANK)	REGINA (CW RANK)
GOALS PER GAME	2.25 - 4th	1.90 - 7th
GOALS AGAINST PER GAME	1.50 - 3rd	2.70 - 6th
POWERPLAY %	14.1 - 7th	14.9 - 6th
PENALTY KILL %	89.1 - 3rd	85.7 - 5th
LEADING SCORER	Natalie Kieser - 9 Goals	Lilla Carpenter-Boesch - 10 goals
PROBABLE STARTER	Halle Oswald - 8-2-2 / 1.15 GAA / .948 SVP	Adren Kliewer - 7-6-2 / 2.31 GAA / .921 SVP
WIN STREAK	6-0-0	0-1-0