McDonald records first WHL head coaching win against the Broncos
The young guns were on display tonight for the Prince Albert Raiders, as a pair of goals from 17-year-olds gave the green and gold a 2-1 win over the Swift Current Broncos at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday night. Ryan McDonald picked up his first head coaching win, stepping in with Jeff Truitt away from the team as he recovers from eye surgery.
It took 13:37, but the Raiders finally found the game’s first goal in the first period 16 seconds after they killed off the first penalty of the game. Out of the penalty box, Brayden Dube was sprung on a breakaway, but he missed wide with his shot. Dayce Derkatch made a great play to keep the puck in the zone at the Broncos blue line, and sent a pass to the slot for Evan Smith. Smith saw Derkatch lurking behind him and gave his linemate a crisp pass. Derkatch gathered the puck on his forehand and sniped a shot over Reid Dyck’s glove hand, scoring his second goal of the season to put Prince Albert up 1-0.
The Broncos outshot the Raiders 9-6 in the opening 20 minutes, but Prince Albert took their one goal lead into the second period.
Swift Current scored the only goal in the second period, striking at the 4:01 mark on the man advantage. Luke Mistelbacher took a pass from Clarke Caswell and beat Max Hildebrand with a blocker side shot. It was his 20th goal of the season, leveling the score at 1-1.
Luke Moroz was the hero of the game with 4:56 left in regulation, as he scored the go ahead goal for the Raiders. After a shot at the point by Doogan Pederson was blocked, the rebound came to the right circle to Oli Chenier. The winger gathered the puck and slid a pass across the ice to Moroz, and he fired a shot blocker side past Dyck. The late tally put Prince Albert up 2-1, as Moroz picked up his fourth goal of the season.
Swift Current pulled Dyck to bring out the extra attacker late with time winding down in the third, but Vojtech Vochvest made a great play to pin the puck along the wall in the corner, winding down the last few seconds of the game to give the Raiders the narrow 2-1 win.
Hildebrand was phenomenal between the pipes, as he turned aside 31 of 32 shots in the win for Prince Albert.
The Raiders and Broncos are right back at it again tomorrow night, as they wrap up a home and home at the InnovationPlex. Puck drops at 7pm.
