Raiders open Eastern Conference Championship with statement 8-3 win over Tigers
The Prince Albert Raiders were firing on all cylinders in game one of their Eastern Conference Championship series. The green and gold picked up a massive 8-3 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers to take a 1-0 series lead.
Brayden Dube opened the scoring in the series, striking at the 6:23 mark of the first period. After Aiden Oiring made a great stick check in the neutral zone to force a turnover, the puck came to Alisher Sarkenov, who quickly fed a pass back to Oiring. Skating down the middle of the ice, Oiring saw Dube gathering speed towards the blue line, and gave his fellow 20-year-old a pass down the right wing. Dube turned on the jets, cutting from the right circle to the crease, tucking a backhand shot five hole past Carter Casey. It was Dube’s fourth goal of the playoffs, putting the home side up 1-0 early.
Medicine Hat tied the game with 4:23 left in the first, as two thirds of their top line connected. Andrew Basha sprung Markus Ruck on a two on one rush with his brother Liam, but Matyas Man blew a tire trying to chase them down the ice. That allowed Markus to come in alone on a breakaway down the left wing, and he sniped a shot far side past Michal Orsulak. His third goal of the playoffs made it a 1-1 game.
Less than two minutes later, the Raiders took the lead back, as Justice Christensen found the back of the net. Taking a pass at the blue line from Daxon Rudolph, the captain unloaded a Juice Bomb that was too strong for Casey. The Tigers goaltender stopped most, but not all of the shot, as it trickled by him over the goal line.
After 20 minutes, Christensen’s first goal of the playoffs was the difference at that point, as Prince Albert took a 2-1 lead into the second.
Prince Albert scored two straight goals to start the second period, soaring ahead to a 4-1 lead. Ben Harvey beat Casey from long range with a shot through his five hole, while Max Heise ripped a one timer from the slot on the powerplay. Both Harvey and Heise picked up their second goals of the playoffs, putting the Raiders up by three.
The Tigers got one back with 3:02 to go, as Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll tipped one home. Rudolph had him tied up in the slot, but he was somehow still able to get his stick on a shot from Dayton Reschny.
The middle frame allowed the Raiders to double their lead, as they were up 4-2 heading into the third.
Like the second period, the Raiders started off the third with two straight goals, going up 6-2 now. Aiden Oiring scored his first of two of the night on the powerplay, as Cootes found him wide open for a backdoor tap in. Alisher Sarkenov also scored on the man advantage for Prince Albert, as he wired home a snap shot from the slot after taking a pass from Heise to make it a four goal game.
Bryce Pickford ruined the fun with 11:59 left, as he beat Orsulak for his sixth goal of the playoffs to make it a 6-3 game.
The joy would be brought right back to the Art Hauser Centre crowd, as Oiring scored his second goal of the night, ripping a wicked snap shot blocker side past Casey to make it 7-3. Evan Smith scored in the final minute as well, burying his own rebound chance to make it an 8-3 final.
The statement win gives Prince Albert a 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference Championship series. They’ll look to go up 2-0 in game two tomorrow night at the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drops at 7pm.
