Raiders top Pats 4-3 in shootout
Tomas Mrsic scored a powerplay goal and would go on to score the only goal in the shootout, as the Prince Albert Raiders took down the Regina Pats 4-3 on Tuesday night.
The Raiders took a 1-0 lead 9:24 into the first period, as Ty Meunier scored his third goal of the season, finding the back of the net for the second straight game. Lukas Dragicevic showed off his skating ability, walking along the blue line before toe dragging around a Pats defenceman and firing a shot on goal. His shot hit Jonah Sivertson in the chest and fell to the ice, and Meunier buried the rebound to put Prince Albert up midway through the opening frame.
Ty's third of the season gets us started! https://t.co/EyZt98SdqW pic.twitter.com/kfalU1W5yY
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) November 6, 2024
Krzysztof Macias lowered the boom shortly after, as he levelled Aleksey Chichkin behind the Pats net. After a dump in, Chichkin went to grab the puck behind his net, and Macias met him from the other side, coming from the right wall to below the goal line to drop his shoulder into a massive hit on the Regina defenceman.
Krzysztof Macias with a HUGE HIT pic.twitter.com/x1TfIGnAGH
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) November 6, 2024
A funny moment happened with 1:46 left in the first period, as the Pats dumped the puck out of their own end. After Corbin Vaughan cleared the puck, it hit Oli Chenier in the skate and got stuck. Officials blew the play dead, and tried to get the puck removed from Chenier’s blade holder. After a long effort, the rubber eventually came free, and play resumed on the following faceoff.
Oli Chenier had the puck stuck in his skate😂😂has anyone ever seen this happen before??? pic.twitter.com/7PWHPh5kuG
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) November 6, 2024
Regina was able to tie the game up with 40 seconds left in the first right after an offensive zone faceoff. After the Pats won the draw, Cole Temple came into the circle to pick up the puck. From the right hashmark, Temple fired a shot that deflected off a stick and beat Max Hildebrand five hole. The late goal meant the game went into the second period tied 1-1.
1:37 into the second period, the Pats scored one of the weirdest goals you will see all season. After Justice Christensen took his man out behind the net, the puck bounced to Braxton Whitehead below the goal line. Whitehead tried to send a pass in front, but it hit Tyrone Sobry’s stick. The puck bounced high in the air, hit the top of the net, bounced down to the goal line, and went off of the top of Hildebrand’s pad and trickled over the goal line. The crazy goal gave Regina a 2-1 lead, as Whitehead was credited for his second of the season.
Luke Moroz tied the game with a powerplay goal for the Raiders with just under eight minutes left in the middle frame. Taking a cross ice pass from Brayden Dube, Moroz blasted a perfectly places one timer from the right faceoff dot, beating Kelton Pyne, and making it a 2-2 game with his second goal of the season.
Mo with a 🚀 https://t.co/gNKuOxQlfT pic.twitter.com/FORJGJaWCZ
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) November 6, 2024
With 4:18 left in the second, the Raiders scored their second powerplay goal of the game to take their second lead of the night. Tomas Mrsic skated into the Pats zone, working his way nearly to the goal line before button hooking back to the point. Mrsic sent a pass to Dragicevic at the point, who quickly put it back on Mrsic’s tape. The Raider winger stepped in and sniped a shot blocker side past Pyne from the top of the left circle. Mrsic scored his eighth goal of the season, with seven of his eight goals coming on the man advantage.
Mrsic is a machine on the man advantage! Seven of his eight goals this season have come on the powerplay🫣 https://t.co/wCSpLYm4Os pic.twitter.com/be1XkcoIkf
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) November 6, 2024
Back to back goals from the Raiders gave them a 3-2 lead heading into the third period.
Regina tied the game 3:52 into the third period with a powerplay goal of their own courtesy of Zackary Shantz. Breaking down the right wing, Shantz worked his way in on Hildebrand, and beat the Raider goaltender with a nice shot, chipping it over his glove. Shantz picked up his fifth goal of the season, making it a 3-3 game.
Six goals in regulation, three each way, meant that the game would need overtime to find a winner.
Jaxsin Vaughan had a chance to win the game early in overtime coming out of the penalty box. He was sprung on a breakaway by Whitehead, but Hildebrand made a huge blocker save to keep the game alive. That was the best chance from either side in overtime, as the game would advance to a shootout.
Hilty with a game saver! pic.twitter.com/D9VprCMVxm
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) November 6, 2024
Hildebrand stopped all three shooters he faced in the shootout: Spencer, Howe, and Shantz, while Mrsic scored the only goal in the shootout for the Raiders, giving the green and gold a 4-3 win for their second win in six days in Regina.
Prince Albert is back in action on Saturday night in Brandon.
