Raiders Pick Up Point in Overtime Loss to Winnipeg
Prince Albert, Sask. – The Prince Albert Raiders (24-29-4-1) grabbed a point but fell 3-2 in overtime to the Winnipeg ICE (44-9-3-2) on Tuesday night at the Art Hauser Centre.
Reece Vitelli and Vladislav Shilo scored the Raiders’ goals in the loss. Nolan Allan added a pair of assists.
While gaining a point in the standings, the Raiders trail the Swift Current Broncos by two points for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Raiders sit alone in ninth place, two points ahead of the Regina Pats.
Vitelli got the scoring started 6:26 into the opening period. He avoided a check at the Winnipeg blue line then cut across the top of the zone. He loaded and fired a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that beat Daniel Hauser over the blocker to give the Raiders a 1-0 advantage with his 23rd goal of the year.
[related_links] Winnipeg was able to tie it up 3:20 into the second period. Cole Muir dumped the puck behind the goal from the top of the zone. Jakin Smallwood got the rebound and put it towards net. It went off a Raiders skate before Tikhon Chaika made the save, but Muir followed the play to deposit the loose puck to make it 1-1.
Midway through the second, Winnipeg took the lead. Muir got the puck off the left halfboards to Alessandro Segafredo at the centre of the left faceoff circle. Segafredo blasted the puck past Chaika to put the ICE up 2-1 after 40 minutes.
In the third period, the Raiders tied things up at the 7:22 mark. Allan’s stretch pass to Sloan Stanick created a two-on-one rush with Shilo. Stanick made a saucer pass across the zone to Shilo and the Belarusian winger one-timed the pass by a sprawling Hauser for his sixth of the year, tying the game at 2-2.
Chaika turned aside six shots in the final frame to help the Raiders get to the extra frame. His best came as he stretched to get his pad on a Connor McClennon attempt at the side of the goal. The Raiders’ best chance to end it before overtime came when Evan Herman dangled around Tanner Brown, but his shot went off the mask of Hauser.
In overtime, Chaika made a great pokecheck on McClennon to knock the puck away from the Philadelphia Flyers prospect. He then slid to his left to deny Mikey Milne’s redirection on another rush into the zone.
The ICE eventually broke through with 15.3 seconds left in the overtime period. McClennon found Jack Finley alone in front of the net. Finley had time to pick his spot and shovelled a backhander through Chaika’s five-hole to end the game.
Chaika finished the game with 39 saves in the overtime loss. Hauser stopped 25 shots at the other end for Winnipeg.
The Raiders hit the road for a three-in-three weekend in Manitoba, beginning on Friday night in Brandon against the Wheat Kings at Westoba Place. Puck drop is 6 p.m. CST. Then, the Raiders head to Winnipeg for a pair of games against the ICE on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The next Raiders’ home game is on Wednesday, March 30 when the Brandon Wheat Kings visit the Art Hauser Centre on “This Girl Can” Night Presented by Prince Albert Memorial Gardens and River Park Funeral Home. Game time is 7 p.m. CST. Tickets are available at SaskTix.ca and at the Raiders Office.
