Raiders start three in three weekend with 7-4 win over Broncos
The Prince Albert Raiders continue to have the Swift Current Broncos’ number this season. The Raiders beat the Broncos for the third straight time this year, winning 7-4 on Friday night.
Owen Corkish put the Raiders on the board 4:45 into the game, capitalizing on a nice pass from Maddix McCagherty. From the right corner, McCagherty dug up a loose puck and sent a pass to the tape of Corkish in the slot. Corkish zipped a shot home past Aiden Eskit for his sixth goal of the season, scoring for the second time in three games.
With 6:37 to go in the first, Benett Kelly scored his second goal of the season to put the Raiders up 2-0. McCagherty won a battle for the loose puck in the offensive zone, and put on the brakes at the bottom of the right circle. Turning around to face the blue line, he saw Kelly entering the zone, and gave him a pass at the point. Kelly stepped into a one timer, beating Eskit with traffic in front to make it a two goal lead.
Prince Albert outshot Swift Current 12-7 in the opening frame, taking their 2-0 lead into period two.
Not stopping their offensive surge, the Raiders scored twice more just past the midway mark of the second period to jump ahead 4-0. Max Heise scored at the 10:56 mark of the frame, taking a pass from Aiden Oiring and sniping a shot top corner over Eskit’s glove. Heise added on to his team lead in goals, scoring his 14th of the season.
Less than three minutes later, the Raiders struck again, as Daxon Rudolph scored for the third straight game. Affiliate forward Malaki Martin helped Connor Howe free the puck up behind the Broncos net, and banked a pass off the right wall to the point for Rudolph. The Raiders defenceman took a low shot, which beat Eskit glove side just over his left pad. Rudolph’s 11th goal of the year put Prince Albert up 4-0, chasing Eskit out of the crease. Joey Rocha took over in goal for the Broncos the rest of the way.
Swift Current would get one goal back late in the second period, as they cashed in on their fourth powerplay of the night. After a shot came on goal from Hudson Darby, the puck was loose in the crease, where Parker Rondeau scored the home side’s teddy bear toss goal, poking in his fourth goal of the season. With 36 seconds left in the second period, both teams would head to the second intermission, as the teddy bear toss goal came in the final five minutes. They would come out to finish the final seconds of the period, and then start the third right after.
The Raiders scored twice with just over five minutes gone in the third period, as Corkish scored his second of the night, while Brayden Dube potted home Prince Albert’s sixth goal of the game. Corkish took a lead feed from Linden Burrett and skated down the left wing. He made a strong move around a Bronco inside the left circle, before sniping a shot home off the far post and in.
Dube’s goal came 1:55 later, as Heise gave him a beautiful backdoor pass. Right in the crease, Dube redirected the pass home by the right post, beating Rocha to pick up his 10th goal of the year to make it 6-1.
The Broncos would try to mount a comeback later in the third, as they scored three straight goals to make it interesting. Trae Wilke scored twice, while Jaxen Gauchier scored between him to make it 6-4 with 1:38 left in regulation.
In the final minute of the game, Swift Current pulled Rocha for the extra attacker, but the Raiders were able to take advantage of the empty net. From his own end, Rudolph fired the puck the length of the ice, missing the net wide, but Aiden Oiring was the first man down the ice. He was able to shovel a backhand shot home for his 11th goal of the season, sealing a 7-4 Raiders win.
Prince Albert comes back home for a meeting with the Lethbridge Hurricanes tomorrow night at the Art Hauser Centre. It’s Prince Albert’s teddy bear toss game, so make sure to bring your bears, toques, and mitts to throw on the ice when the Raiders score their first goal of the game. Puck drops at 7pm, but make sure to show up early to make sure you’re in your seat in case the Raiders score early!
