Damien Ketlo doesn't get tired of winning.

The Regina Pats' netminder has started nine consecutive games since returning Jan. 13 from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss seven in a row. Based upon the urgency of Regina's playoff plight, there was no time to slowly massage Ketlo back into the line-up.

Not that he's complaining.

"It's fun playing lots of games; that's what I want to do," offered Ketlo, who believes the heavy workload has helped him find a rhythm. "That's definitely part of it. The other thing is just confidence. The last month has been a big turnaround. It's definitely the most confidence I've played with for a longer streak. Hopefully I keep it going."

Since returning from injury, Ketlo has posted a 5-1-0-3 record with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.

Head coach Curtis Hunt credits the recent success to a combination of things, including the fact that Regina's skaters have done a better job of getting back and eliminating second chances.

Ketlo is taking care of the rest.

"He has done a good job of having that, for lack of a better term, predator mentality," said Hunt. "He has made some huge saves when we need it. In the last two games we've allowed three goals, all on the power play, and two of them were 5-on-3. That's pretty good goaltending. He just looks confident. He's making better decisions with the puck, but that comes along with better communication with our defencemen. And he's working hard. That's the bottom line. You can't improve if you don't work."

Being healthy doesn't hurt, either. Ketlo says his shoulder is back to 100 per cent, even though he still does regular maintenance exercises "just to stay on top of it."

Ketlo also isn't resting on his laurels. He and goalie coach Ryan Cyr have been putting in extra hours this week to fine-tune his game, including an emphasis on rebound control. That's the main area Ketlo wants to improve, in addition to "staying on top of the crease, being aggressive and being patient."

"Hopefully that will carry over (to the games)," said Ketlo, whose team meets the Saskatoon Blades tonight at the Brandt Centre. "You can never be good enough. You can always improve and get better."

As for the fatigue issue, Ketlo isn't concerned about a heavy workload as long as he continues to look after his body and get lots of rest. Hunt agrees, noting that Ketlo is simply fulfilling the role he covets.

"He's our No. 1 goalie," said the veteran head coach. "The thing is, he has responded to pressure. He's a mature young player and he's our guy. It's not uncommon anywhere to see No. 1 guys play those consecutive minutes. I wouldn't think what has gone on here is any kind of a big surprise to anyone."

The challenge for Ketlo is to keep the momentum going.

"There is definitely a lot of pressure; we have to play every game like it's our last," added the 18-year-old netminder, who has a 16-12-2-3 record this season with a 3.21 GAA and a .900 save percentage. "I really want to make the playoffs and as a team we want to make the playoffs. I just put (the burden) in the back of my mind and try not to worry about it too much. I know there is pressure on me but I just play my game and play confident and hopefully keep things going."

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