Raiders Use High Energy Game to Upend Oil Kings
Prince Albert, SK – The Prince Albert Raiders (24-14-5-3) used three different goal scorers and another strong effort from Max Paddock to take out the Edmonton Oil Kings (31-8-6-3) 3-2 on Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre.
Aliaksei Protas had a pair of assists in the win for the Raiders. Matthew Culling, Landon Kosior, and Brayden Watts all found the back of the net in a physical contest. The game also wrapped up the season series against the Oil Kings, with the Raiders winning three of the four meetings.
The Raiders have also now picked up a point in seven consecutive games.
Culling got the scoring started 7:29 into the contest. Protas kept the puck alive in the zone and left a pass for a charging Kaiden Guhle. His shot was stopped by Beck Warm, but Culling was able to bang home the rebound from the top of the crease for his fifth goal of the year.
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Four minutes later, the Raiders doubled their lead. Spencer Moe forced a turnover in the neutral zone. He entered the zone and dropped a pass for Kosior. The Regina product skated into the slot and snapped a shot that beat Warm through his five-hole for his fourth of the season, giving the Raiders a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
The Raiders came out with the same energy in the second period. Moe was sprung on a partial breakaway, but put his shot over the cross bar. Kosior also had a couple of chances on Warm, but wasn’t able to solve the Edmonton netminder for the second time on the evening.
With 5:13 to play in the middle frame, the Oil Kings got back within one on the power play. Josh Williams put a puck towards goal. The puck deflected off a Raiders stick in front of the net and past Paddock to make it a 2-1 game heading into the third.
Midway through the final frame, the Raiders restored their two-goal advantage. Protas, who had his stick broken earlier in the play, kicked the puck ahead to Watts to start a two-on-one rush. Watts kept and shot, but it was blocked by an Oil King. He followed up the play and batted the rebound out of the air and past Warm for his 19th of the year to put the Raiders up 3-1.
Late in the third, the Oil Kings got back within one with the net empty. Jake Neighbours had a partial two-on-one rush and put a pass over to Dylan Guenther, who tipped it past a sliding Paddock to make it 3-2.
It was as close as Edmonton came. The Raiders locked won the Oil Kings for the remaining 1:55 to preserve the win.
Paddock stopped 30 shots to pick up the win for the Raiders. Warm made 32 saves in a losing effort for the Oil Kings.
The Raiders are back in action on Saturday night when the Medicine Hat Tigers visit the Art Hauser Centre on RE/MAX Presents WHL Suits Up to Promote Organ Donation Night. The team will be wearing special Hockey Night In Canada jerseys and fans will have a chance to win one of 1,000 bobbleheads. Puck drop is 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Box Office starting at 10 a.m. and online here.
