Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look back at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list ...
After a full week and a half of tension had built up in Prince Albert, Friday night the Prince Albert Raiders finally got their first crack at revenge against the Medicine Hat Tigers from last year’s playoffs.
This time it was the Raiders with home ice advantage in the WHL Eastern Conference final series, and a full sellout crowd of 3,299 people pushed their way through over a foot of fresh snow to cheer their team on to a statement 8-3 win.
Read more:
- Saskatoon’s Bruce Korte rink ready to make World Senior Curling Championship debut
- Regina Pat Canadians beat the Okanagan Rockets 5-4 at Telus Cup
- Saskatchewan Rush look for home floor advantage in quarterfinal
The Raiders got on the board first at the 6:23 mark with a classic move from Brayden Dube. First, Alisher Sarkenov stripped the puck from the Tigers at the redline, then curled a pass behind him to Aiden Oiring in the middle of the ice. Oiring quickly found Dube streaking down the right at full speed, and Dube sped past the defence, cut in front of the goal, then tucked in his fourth of the playoffs on the backhand.
Despite the Raiders scoring first, it did feel like the Tigers had the momentum early in the period. Then things flipped in the second half of the period, the Raiders started to take over but the Tigers scored to tie it instead when Markus Ruck was sprung on a breakaway, then fired a wrist shot to make it 1-1.
Less than two minutes later, the Raiders capitalized on that second half momentum and took the lead right back on a play where all five guys on the ice were involved.
First Ben Harvey started the play on a 2-on-1 rush when he fired a shot, but it was stopped and rebounded to the slot. Evan Smith got a good shot away, but he was stopped by the blocker, and Riley Boychuk got the first assist when he collected the rebound in the corner. He passed it back to the right point for Daxon Rudolph, and he put it across the blueline right into the wheelhouse for Justice Christensen’s patented onetimer, and he scored his first of the playoffs at 17:16.
After 1: Raiders 2-1 Tigers, shots 15-7 Raiders
To start the second, the Raiders Ben Harvey and Evan Smith got the points they deserved on the goal at the end of the first period. Smith was able to knock a puck off the stick of one of the Tigers, and Harvey collected it while backing up to the left point. Harvey waited for Smith to form the screen, then Harvey fired and scored his second of the playoffs just 2:43 into the period.
Shortly after the Raiders got their first power play of the game, but they had a hard time getting the puck into the zone with possession and never really got set up. On their second power play at the 13:53 mark, the Raiders power play found its groove when Brock Cripps won a puck battle down low, then sent it to Braeden Cootes wide open in the corner. Cootes waited a moment for the play to develop, then put a pass right on the tape for a Max Heise one-timer and his second of the playoffs.
The Tigers did answer again at the 16:58 mark when they were able to work the puck across the ice back and forth a couple of times. From the left wall, Dayton Reschny sent the final pass of the play to the slot for Schaeffer Gordon-Carroll, and he tipped it in to get the Tigers back within two.
After 2: Raiders 4-2 Tigers, shots 11-10 Raiders, 26-17 Raiders overall
At the 3:37 mark, the Raiders power play went back on the offensive. This time Brock Cripps worked the puck from the middle of the blueline to the right side for Braeden Cootes, and Cootes put a ridiculous pass down low to Aiden Oiring’s stick on the crease, and Oiring tipped it in for his fourth of the playoffs.
On their fourth power play, the Raiders scored again at 6:46. This time Daxon Rudolph on the right point worked the puck down the wall for Max Heise, and he looked to shoot. That drew the attention of the defender’s attention, Heise moved it to Alsiher Sarkenov, and he wristed home his fourth of the playoffs.
At the 8:01 mark though, Bryce Pickford found his way on to the scoresheet. He collected a pass while backing up towards the middle of the left wall, then fired his ridiculous wrist shot into the wide side top corner to try and spark something for the Tigers.
Instead, the play moved to 4-on-4 and the Raiders scored again at the 15:40 mark. Brayden Dube moved out of the corner and gave the puck back to Brock Cripps at the right point. Cripps moved in like he was going to shoot, then passed to the middle for Aiden Oiring, and he fired for his second of the night and fifth of the playoffs.
Finally to finish the game, Jonah Sivertson entered the zone down the right wall and he fired a shot from a sharp angle. He was stopped, but Evan Smith dug for the rebound and buried it for his second of the playoffs at the 19:41 mark.
FINAL: Raiders 8-3 Tigers, shots 13-7 Raiders, 39-24 Raiders overall
After missing the whole first round due to an injury and being held scoreless through the first three games of the second round, Max Heise now has goals in the last two games.
Also with his first goal of the playoffs, Justice Christensen is now the 18th different Raider to score in 10 games during the playoffs. The lone Raider that has skated in a game that does not have a goal yet is defenceman Benett Kelly.
The Raiders play Game 2 against the Tigers tonight at 7 p.m.
Read more:
