Raiders score three straight powerplay goals in 7-3 win over Rebels
The Prince Albert Raiders got back into the win column on Saturday night, as they took down the Red Deer Rebels 7-3 at Marchant Crane Centrium. Seven different Raiders found the back of the net, while Dimitri Fortin stopped 15 shots in the win.
The Raiders opened the scoring 3:33 into the game, as Jonah Sivertson found the back of the net for the third time in five games. After Maddix McCagherty laid a big check on Aleksey Chichkin in the corner, the puck was freed up for Linden Burrett at the blue line. Unleashing a heavy slapshot, Burrett hit Sivertson in front of the net, as it redirected off the Raider forward and in the net for his ninth goal of the season.
Red Deer got their teddy bear toss goal with 9:35 left in the third period, as Landon MacSwain brought the bears to the ice. After Keith McInnis took a slapshot from the point, the puck bounced around in the blue paint, before MacSwain was able to bury the rebound for his eighth goal of the season.
The Rebels took their first lead of the game with 6:24 left in the first, as Nate Yellowaga scored a highlight reel goal. The defenceman skated his way through the neutral zone, before making moves around a couple of Raiders, including Daxon Rudolph in the slot. Yellowaga then finished his chance by beating Fortin far side over his glove. It was his second goal of the season, putting the home side up 2-1.
After 20 minutes, Prince Albert outshot Red Deer 18-9, but found themselves trailing by a goal.
Prince Albert put up 15 more shots in the second period, while holding the Rebels to just three shots. In the middle frame, the Raiders were rewarded with their offensive zone time, as they scored twice to take the lead. McCagherty scored in his second straight game as a Raider at the 1:31 mark to tie things up. The puck found him in the slot, and the forward was able to fire a shot off the far post and in past Matthew Kondro to make it a 2-2 tie.
At the 9:43 mark of the second, Ethan Bibeau scored his first goal of the season, playing in his fifth game after missing the start of the year to injury. Linden Burrett took a pass from Connor Howe, and skated all the way down to the goal line with the puck. The defenceman saw Bibeau wide open in front, and sent a hard pass to the crease. Bibeau was able to redirect a shot five hole past Kondro, giving the Raiders their second lead of the night at 3-2.
After 40 minutes, Prince Albert owned a 33-12 lead in shots, and took their one goal lead into the third period.
3:33 into the third period, the Raiders scored their first of three straight powerplay goals, taking a 4-2 lead. Daxon Rudolph played pitch and catch with Riley Boychuk rink wide, and Rudolph got a return pass from his winger. From the left circle, Rudolph beat Kondro with a snipe, scoring his eighth goal of the season.
Less than two minutes later, the Raiders struck again on the powerplay, and this goal on the man advantage was one of the prettier goals you will see all season. All five Raiders touched the puck in the offensive zone, where it eventually came back down low for Rudolph. The blueliner swung a pass to the slot for Max Heise, who quickly distributed a pass to his right for Aiden Oiring. Oiring had an open net after all of the puck movement, and he buried his 10th of the year to make it 5-2.
Prince Albert’s third powerplay goal of the period came at the 9:07 mark of the third, as Heise scored his 12th goal of the season. Rudolph made a nice play inside the Red Deer blue line to step around a Rebel, and dished a backhand pass into the slot for Heise. He was one on one with Kondro with no traffic in front, and he released a heavy wrist shot by the netminder. That was Prince Albert’s third powerplay goal in less than six minutes, as they jumped out to a 6-2 lead.
There was a fourth straight powerplay goal scored, but this time it came from the Rebels, as Matej Mikes found the back of the net. After Yellowage fanned on a shot in the slot, Mikes gathered the rebound and beat Fortin glove side for his second goal of the season. That made it a 6-3 game.
The Raiders were able to kill of a late penalty with Red Deer’s net empty, and Owen Corkish sealed the game, scoring into the empty net to put the green and gold up 7-3.
That would stand as the final score, as Prince Albert snapped a three game losing streak with the win in Red Deer.
The Raiders wrap up a three game in three night stretch tomorrow in Edmonton, where they visit the Oil Kings on their teddy bear toss night. Puck drop is schedule for just after 5pm Sask time.
