Raiders win offensive shootout to end Tigers 19 game win streak
It wasn’t easy, but the Prince Albert Raiders got the job done on Saturday night, beating the Medicine Hat Tigers 8-5 at Co-op Place. The Raiders saw a three goal lead disappear in the third period, but late goals from Max Heise, Maddix McCagherty and Braeden Cootes sealed the deal.
There was a terrific pace to the first period, and the Raiders got the upper hand first, striking 5:18 into the first. McCagherty played the puck up to the point for Justice Christensen, who swung it across the blue line to Daxon Rudolph. Rudolph let a shot go intentionally wide from the point, looking for a Raider to crash the net for a rebound. Instead, it hit the end wall, bounced back in front, off the backside of Jordan Switzer and in. It was Rudolph’s 20th goal of the season, giving the Raiders a 1-0 lead early.
Medicine Hat tied the game with 11:17 left in the first, scoring shorthanded. Liam Ruck forced a turnover just outside the Tigers blue line, and had a clean two on zero rush with Josh Van Mulligen. The two exchanged passes, and Ruck got a return feed right in front of Michal Orsulak. Ruck roofed a forehand shot over Orsulak’s blocker side, giving him 25 goals on the season.
The rest of the period was back and forth, with great saves from both goaltenders. Prince Albert led 10-9 in shots through 20 minutes, but the game was tied at 1’s heading into he second.
The Raiders came out strong in the second period, scoring three straight goals to take a 4-1 lead. Just 34 seconds into the frame, Heise potted home his 20th goal of the season after a fearless block by Justice Christensen in front of his own net. The Raiders turned the puck the other way, as Braeden Cootes sent a lead feed ahead to Rudolph. From the right wing, Rudolph fired a shot, looking for a big rebound in front, and he got it. Switzer made the pad save, but the puck eventually came to Heise in the low slot. Reaching out to the right post, Heise slid a shot past Switzer to put the Raiders up 2-1.
With 8:18 to go in the middle frame, McCagherty sniped to put Prince Albert up 3-1. After Linden Burrett sent a stretch pass ahead to Evan Smith, Smith dropped a pass in the slot. Jonah Sivertson missed it, but that was no problem, as McCagherty picked it up, toe dragging and firing home his 12th of the season.
Less than four minutes later, Heise struck with his second goal of the frame to make it a 4-1 Raiders lead. Matyas Man slipped a hard pass to the Tigers blue line for Sivertson, who then played it ahead for Heise. It wasn’t a perfect pass, but Heise displayed his great skate to stick skills, kicking the puck onto his blade. The 19-year-old then slid a shot five hole home past Switzer to put the Raiders up by three.
It looked like Prince Albert was going to head into the intermission with their three goal lead, but the Tigers struck with just 15 seconds left in the frame. After a shot from Jonas Woo was blocked by Smith, Woo picked the puck up again, reloaded, and sniped his 23rd goal of the season far side past Orsulak.
With 40 minutes in the books, the Raiders held a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame.
Seven combined goals were scored in the third period. The Tigers scored the first two, tying things up at the midway mark. Kade Stengrim fired a shot far side past Orsulak’s right pad from in tight at the 4:46 mark to make it 3-2. At the 11:22 mark, Markus Ruck tied the game. He took a terrific feed from Josh Van Mulligen in the left circle, and had all sorts of room to fire home his 11th of the season. That brought the Tigers fans right back into it, as it was now a 4-4 game.
The Raiders took the lead back with 7:04 left in regulation, as Alisher Sarkenov found the back of the net in an unconventional way. After Sarkenov was cross checked in the back, Riley Boychuk threw a pass in front for his import winger. Falling to the ice, the puck hit Sarkenov in the face, deflecting in. He was credited with his 10th of the season after a long video review, putting the visitors up 5-4.
Refusing to go away, the Tigers tied the game once more, as newly acquired Luke Cozens scored. From the slot, Cozens beat Orsulak far side, under the blocker and over his pad. Cozens picked up his 19th of the season to make it 5-5.
Prince Albert killed off a questionable penalty to Brayden Dube in the late stages of regulation, and used that momentum to find the lead once again. Heise completed his hat trick giving and going with McCagherty in the offensive zone. Skating across the blue line, Heise pass it left side to McCagherty and drove to the net. Heise got a return feed in front, tapping home his third of the night backdoor past Switzer to make it 6-5.
The Tigers pulled Switzer for the extra attacker in the final two minutes, but both McCagherty and Braeden Cootes scored empty net goals to make it 8-5 Prince Albert.
The Raiders snap Medicine Hat’s winning streak at 19, while extending their own to three.
It’ll be a happy bus ride home tonight, before the Raiders get set to host the Victoria Royals on Tuesday night. Puck drops at the Art Hauser Centre at 7pm.
