Raiders Fall to Pats in Regina
Regina, Sask. – Evan Herman struck twice, but the Prince Albert Raiders (26-35-4-1) lost a 5-3 game to the Regina Pats (26-34-3-2) on Saturday night at the Brandt Centre in Regina.
The goals were Herman’s 24th and 25th of the season, bringing him into a tie with Reece Vitelli for the team lead. Cale Sanders also scored for the Raiders. Vitelli had a pair of assists in the contest to reach 50 points on the season.
The Raiders are now tied with the Pats for 10th place in the Eastern Conference at 57 points, trailing the eighth-place Swift Current Broncos by two points for the final playoff spot.
The Pats got the first goal of the game with 3:56 left in the opening period. Tanner Howe blocked a shot on a Raiders power play to spring himself on a breakaway. Tikhon Chaika got a piece of his shot attempt but it wasn’t enough as the puck bounced over the line to make it a 1-0 game.
Sanders tied things up for the Raiders with a shorthanded marker of his own early in the second. He charged into the Pats’ zone, fighting off Cole Dubinksy. Sanders was knocked to his knees but regained his footing before roofing a shot over Kelton Pyne’s blocker for his 13th of the season, tying the score at 1-1 at the 2:45 mark of the middle frame.
Cale Sanders fights off a Pat and roofs it over Pyne for the shorthanded strike!#GoRaidersGo pic.twitter.com/e2G08dcqKM
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) April 10, 2022
Connor Bedard restored the Pats’ lead at the 6:19 mark. He had time and space at the left hashmarks of the right faceoff circle and wired a shot past Chaika to give the Pats a 2-1 advantage.
With 3:24 to play in the second, the Pats extended the lead. Braxton Whitehead faked going around the back of the net before stopping and leaving a pass for Borya Valis who caught Chaika looking the other way to put the Pats up 3-1 at the second intermission.
The Raiders got back within one early in the third period. Vitelli carried the puck through the neutral zone and into the Pats’ end, drawing all of the attention. He found Herman on the left wing and the The Pas, Man. product found the top corner over a sliding Pyne to make it a 3-2 game.
Reece Vitelli weaves through the Pats defence before setting up Evan Herman for his 24th of the season!#GoRaidersGo pic.twitter.com/ne0nqQLGpU
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) April 10, 2022
Shortly after, Keaton Sorensen had a chance to draw level after he was tripped up on a breakaway attempt to give him a penalty shot. His backhand attempt on the penalty shot beat Pyne but found the crossbar to keep to a 3-2 contest.
Regina restored its two-goal lead on the power play at the 6:46 mark of the third. Chaika got a piece of Bedard’s shot from the top of the right faceoff circle but not enough to give the Pats a 4-2 lead.
The Raiders brought it back within one just 40 seconds later. Herman carried the puck down the left wing and his shot from the left faceoff circle beat Pyne low on the glove side for his 25th of the year to make it a 4-3 game.
Evan Herman tallies his second of the game and 25th of the season to bring us back within one!#GoRaidersGo pic.twitter.com/bpfaFprJ9k
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) April 10, 2022
Midway through the frame, Nolan Allan nearly tied it but his point shot found the crossbar and went out of play.
The Raiders continued to push for the equalizer with the empty net, but their shots from the point were blocked by the Pats. One of those blocks set up Logan Nijhoff to find the empty net from centre ice with 1:40 to play to wrap up the scoring at 5-3 for the Pats.
Chaika made 13 saves in the loss for the Raiders. Pyne stopped 24 Raider attempts to pick up the win for the Pats.
The Raiders play their final road game of the 2021-22 regular season on Friday night when they travel to Swift Current for a crucial game in the push for the WHL Playoffs against the Broncos at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex. Game time is 7 p.m. Catch the game on 900 CKBI with Rob Mahon, watch on WHL Live, or head to either The Rock and Iron or Original Joe’s.
The next Raiders’ home game is also the Raiders’ final game of the regular season when the Brandon Wheat Kings come to town on Saturday. The game is a rescheduled contest from Saturday, January 29. Tickets purchased for the original date will be honoured for the game.
To purchase new tickets, head to the Raiders Office during working hours or go online to SaskTix.ca. Puck drop is 7 p.m.