Raiders Move Into Tie for Final Playoff Spot with Win Over Broncos
Swift Current, Sask. – The Prince Albert Raiders (27-35-4-1) bolstered their chase for the 2022 WHL Playoffs on Friday night with a 4-1 win over the Swift Current Broncos (26-35-5-2) at the Innovation Credit Union i-plex.
Carson Latimer had a goal and two assists in the win for the Raiders. Evan Herman, Vladislav Shilo, and Sloan Stanick also scored. Nolan Allan picked up a pair of assists.
The win moved the Raiders into a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings with the Broncos. Both teams have 59 points on the season. However, the Broncos played their final game of the regular season on Friday night.
The Raiders thought they opened the scoring with 9:13 to play in the opening frame. Stanick put the puck towards goal. Evan Herman was able to dig the puck out of the skates of a Bronco in front and tuck a backhand past Isaac Poulter. However, the play was waved off by the referees.
Stanick was able to break the deadlock on the power play with 6:17 left in the first. He took a pass to the right of the Broncos goal. His centering pass went off two Broncos in front of the goal and past Poulter for his 22nd goal of the year, putting the Raiders up 1-0.
Sloan Stanick opens the scoring after his pass goes off a Bronco and in for his 22nd of the year!#GoRaidersGo pic.twitter.com/TsvDiepjX6
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) April 16, 2022
The Broncos tied things up 27 seconds into the second frame during a period of four-on-four play. Cole Nagy received a pass in the slot and his shot through traffic beat Tikhon Chaika to make it a 1-1 game.
Latimer restored the Raiders’ lead exactly four minutes later off an offensive zone faceoff. Keaton Sorensen got the puck in the corner and found a cutting Latimer at the right faceoff circle. The Ottawa Senators prospect picked the short-side corner over Poulter’s glove for his 17th of the year, giving the Raiders a 2-1 advantage.
Carson Latimer snipes over Poulter’s glove for his 17th of the season!#GoRaidersGo pic.twitter.com/2QtFURhoLy
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) April 16, 2022
The Raiders doubled their lead on the man advantage with 6:50 to play in the second frame. Remy Aquilon set up Shilo with a one-timer feed at the right hashmarks of the right faceoff circle and the Belarusian forward blasted the puck past Poulter’s glove for his ninth on the campaign, putting the Raiders ahead 3-1 after two periods.
Vladislav Shilo blasts a one-timer past Poulter on the power play for his ninth of the season!#GoRaidersGo pic.twitter.com/ChhPbGaX9p
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) April 16, 2022
In the third, the Raiders were able to protect the lead as the Broncos pressured to get back into the contest. Chaika turned aside all 16 shots faced in the in third period to keep the Broncos off the scoresheet in the final frame.
Herman iced the contest with 2:24 to play in the contest. Latimer forced a turnover at the Raiders blueline that Herman was able to collect. He skated just across the red line and found the back of the empty net for his team-leading 26th goal of the season.
Evan Herman finds the empty net from centre ice to pick up his 26th goal of the season!#GoRaidersGo pic.twitter.com/dJJekLgDSI
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) April 16, 2022
Chaika earned his 21st win of the season with a 32-save effort on the evening. Poulter made 24 saves in the loss for the Broncos.
The Raiders return to the Art Hauser Centre tomorrow night for their final game of the 2021-22 Regular Season when the Brandon Wheat Kings come to town. If the Raiders beat the Wheat Kings and the Regina Pats lose to the Winnipeg ICE on Saturday night, the Raiders will clinch the final Eastern Conference spot in the 2022 WHL Playoffs.
Game time is 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Raiders Box Office and at SaskTix.ca. The box office opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning.