Boston Pizza Game Recap: Broncos Fall to Raiders in Fifth Meeting of the Season
The Swift Current Broncos fell 8–0 to the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday night, marking the fifth meeting between the two East Division rivals this season.
The Broncos had difficulty generating offence through the opening 10 minutes of the first period, but remained strong defensively early, limiting quality chances and keeping the game scoreless. Momentum shifted when Swift Current was assessed a double-minor for high sticking, giving the Raiders an extended power play. Prince Albert capitalized, as Aiden Oiring opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 9:47, which proved to be the game-winning marker. The Raiders followed up just over a minute later when Alisher Sarkenov added a power-play insurance goal at 11:20.
Despite the setback, Swift Current responded well at even strength late in the period. The Broncos began to generate pressure, finding some quality shot opportunities toward the end of the first and showing signs of momentum heading into the second period.
Swift Current carried that energy into the opening half of the second period, producing solid zone entries and several good scoring chances. However, the Broncos were unable to convert, and the sustained effort began to wear them down as the period progressed. Prince Albert took advantage with back-to-back goals, as Daxon Rudolph scored at 11:11, followed by Justice Christensen at 12:09 to extend the Raiders’ lead.
The third period belonged to Prince Albert, who added four more goals to put the game out of reach. Three of those tallies came on the power play, as the Raiders continued to capitalize on their special-teams opportunities to seal the 8–0 final.
Prince Albert outshot Swift Current 48–12, including a 19–4 edge in the third period. The Broncos finished 0-for-1 on the power play, while the Raiders went 5-for-7. Faceoffs also favored Prince Albert, 35–21.
Broncos goaltender Joey Rocha stopped 40 of 48 shots and made several big saves throughout the night.
With the loss, Swift Current’s record drops to 8-25-1-0 on the season. The Broncos will look to bounce back in their next game on Tuesday, Dec. 30, when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings at InnovationPlex.
