Prince Albert Raiders advance to Western Hockey League final

For the first time since 2019, the Prince Albert Raiders are Eastern Conference champions in the Western Hockey League.

They punched their ticket to the WHL finals on Sunday night, with a 7-6 win in Game 6 against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Read more:

• Prince Albert Raiders fend off late comeback with 6-3 victory over Tigers
• Saskatchewan Roughriders announce suite of themed games ahead of June 13 home opener
• Canadian Para hockey development team aims to take next step after Saskatoon stop

Riley Boychuk scored two goals, including the game winner, while Aiden Oiring, Braeden Cootes, Daxon Rudolph, Jonah Sivertson and Brayden Dube had the others.

The Raiders will play on Friday in Everett for Game 1 against the Silvertips.

The Tigers took the first lead of the game when a puck dumped into the corner of the Raiders’ zone took a funny hop, and Andrew Basha was able to recover it. Out of the left corner, Basha made a pass to a trailing Jonas Woo in the slot, and Woo fired for the game’s first goal at 13:29.

Just over two minutes later, the Raiders had an answer. At the 15:43 mark, Connor Howe carried the puck into the offensive zone and took a big hit, but managed to stay on his feet and pass to the right to Evan Smith. He fired a shot on goal but was stopped, and Riley Boychuk went digging for the rebound and his second of the playoffs.

With the Raiders on the penalty kill to start the second period, the Tigers took the lead back at 1:15. A shot from Josh Van Mulligan at the right point was redirected in front by Noah Davidson into the back of the net, but that was the Tigers’ final lead of the series.

Just over two minutes later, and the Raiders tied it again. On their first powerplay of the game, Daxon Rudolph worked the puck to his right for Brock Cripps, and he sent it low for Braeden Cootes. He looked like he was about to go behind the net, but Cootes noticed a hole through a screen and instead fired a shot for his sixth of the playoffs at 3:47.

Then, the Raiders got their best luck of the night. Tigers goaltender Jordan Switzer came out of his net to play a puck out from behind, but he played it right to Daxon Rudolph on the wall. Rudolph put the puck to the front of the net where it bounced off a defender, and Rudolph’s ninth of the playoffs gave the Raiders their first lead of the game at 5:39. That goal ended Switzer’s night after three goals allowed on just 13 shots.

The Tigers struck back in the period on the rush at 8:31. This time it was Luke Cozens breaking down the right side wall when he fired on goal, and Michal Orsulak got a piece of with his stick, but it still snuck through five hole.

The Raiders took the lead back though at 13:12, and from there they never let it go. On the powerplay, Daxon Rudolph was able to get the puck to Braeden Cootes, and he worked it to the left wall for Aiden Oiring. He walked in with an open look at the net, and Oiring fired his seventh of the playoffs home to give the Raiders a 4-3 lead.

The Raiders then scored the next two goals in a row. At 17:59, Owen Corkish picked up an assist when Brayden Dube skated in on the rush down the right side wall on a two-on-one, and Dube fired a picture-perfect wrist shot under the bar for his sixth of the playoffs.

Then, at the 19:27 mark, the Raiders had the cycle going and Linden Burrett passed to Braeden Cootes. From the high slot, Cootes sent a backhand towards the goal that Jonah Sivertson tipped in for his second of the playoffs and a big lead heading into the third.

With their season on the line, the Tigers came out swinging in the final period. At 2:20 on their third powerplay of the game, the Tigers scored off a cross-ice shot from Kade Stengrim from the right side, making it a two-goal game.

Then at the 6:59 mark, the Tigers scored again to bring themselves back to within one goal. Andrew Basha entered the zone down the left side wall with speed and curled around behind the net, then sent a pass back for Josh Van Mulligan at the right point, who hammered home a shot, and suddenly the Tigers were a goal away from tying.

At 12:59, however, the Raiders got the all-important game winner. Evan Smith and Linden Burrett both picked up assists, but Riley Boychuk did most of the work on a great play where he toe-dragged around a defender into the slot, lost his footing and fell to a knee, kept the puck, stood up, then fired it in for his third of the playoffs and second of the night.

The Tigers pulled their goaltender, but didn’t score to make it a one goal-game until far too late. Liam Ruck fired a shot home from the middle of the slot, but with only six seconds remaining in the game, the Tigers’ celebration looked defeated. One faceoff later, and the Raiders sealed the deal and took out the defending WHL Champions.

FINAL: Raiders 7, Tigers 6