Early lead disappears as Raiders fall 6-4 in Victoria
The Prince Albert Raiders saw a 4-1 lead vanish on Friday night, as they fell 6-4 to the Victoria Royals. The Raiders scored all four of their goals in the first period, solving Royals netminder Jayden Kraus early and often, but a goaltending change to start the second period helped swing the momentum for Victoria. Spencer Michnik took over between the pipes for the second and third period, stopping all 17 shots he faced in relief.
Prince Albert struck first at the 8:08 mark of the first period, as they scored on their first powerplay chance of the game. Lukas Dragicevic sent a pass to the left circle for Tomas Mrsic, and Mrsic sniped a shot far side past Kraus’s glove. Mrsic and Dragicevic extended their point streaks to four games, giving the Raiders a 1-0 lead. Picking up a secondary assist was Krzysztof Macias, who extended his point streak to three games, as he now has a point in every game he’s played in this season.
Exactly a minute and a half later, the Raiders doubled their lead, as Dragicevic found the back of the net. Bringing the puck into the Victoria zone, Riley Boychuk sent a pass ahead to Brayden Dube near the right circle. Dube didn’t hold on to it for long, as he tapped a pass across the crease, where Dragicevic buried his first goal of the season, and his first as a Raider to make it a 2-0 game.
The Royals got one back with 4:34 left in the opening period, as Markus Loponen scored. Crashing to the net, Loponen took a pass from Reggie Newman, and slipped a shot five hole past Cooper Anderson to make it a 2-1 game.
With 3:12 left in the first, the Raiders took their two goal lead right back, as Aiden Oiring joined in on the scoring. After a shot by Macias was blocked, Oiring batted the rebound out of midair, and the puck went over the goal line for his fourth goal of the season, giving Prince Albert a 3-1 lead.
Niall Crocker wrapped up the first period scoring, finding his fourth goal of the season with 1:52 left in the frame. After an aggressive drive to the net by Brayden Dube was stopped by Kraus, Crocker followed up and buried a second chance. Crocker was parked in front, and was able to flip the puck top shelf with his backhand.
Near the end of the period, Vojtech Vochvest dropped the gloves with Newman. The two exchanged some healthy blows with one another, before Vochvest took his counterpart down to the ice. Both were handed five minute majors and game misconducts.
After a busy first period, the Raiders went into the intermission with a comfortable 4-1 lead.
Victoria struck first in the second period, as Vaughn Watterodt cut into Prince Albert’s lead. Simply skating down the right wing, Watterodt let a rocket of a shot go, beating Anderson top corner over his blocker. He picked up his first goal of the season, as it became a 4-2 game. After a long video review, possibly for an offside, the goal stood, and it became a two goal game.
57 seconds after Watterodt’s marker, the Royals made it a one goal game. A nice play by Cole Reschny to steal the puck at center ice let him send a breakaway pass ahead to Escalus Burlock. All along on Anderson, Burlock stuffed a shot low glove side past the Raider netminder. All of a sudden, a three goal lead shrunk down to one, as it became a 4-3 game.
Victoria tied the game 1:59 into the third period, as Burlock scored his second goal of the game. After a defensive breakdown by the Raiders, Burlock was able to steal the puck and bury it, with bodies crashing into the crease. A 4-1 Raider lead vanished, as it became a 4-4 deadlock early in the final regulation frame.
Teydon Trembecky gave the Royals their first lead of the night with 14:49 to go in the third. Brayden Boehm sent a pass to Trembecky in the slot, and he did a great job to outwait Anderson, skating towards the left post and burying a shot past the lunging goaltender’s stick. Trembecky picked up his third goal of the season, as Victoria came all the way back to take a 5-4 lead.
Reschny would go on to add an empty net goal with 1:10 left in the third, as the Royals won by a 6-4 final.
The Raiders are back in action tomorrow night to wrap up the BC road trip in Vancouver. Puck drops at 8pm Sask time.
