Prairie Mobile / SaskTel Preview: Raiders vs. Pats
PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS VS. PATS | FEB. 12, 2016 | 7:00 PM
RAIDER REVIEW: The Prince Albert Raiders (30-18-5-1) begin their final big homestand of the season on Friday night as they host the Regina Pats. Friday’s game is a special evening for the Raiders and the City of Prince Albert as the team honours Dave Manson by retiring his number “4” jersey. Prince Albert will play four games at home in a stretch of seven days as they find themselves in a battle for playoff positioning in the East Division. The Brandon Wheat Kings lead the division with a six-point edge on the Raiders. The Moose Jaw Warriors sit in third place but moved within six points of Prince Albert with a win on Wednesday night against the Raiders.
VS. REGINA: Friday’s game is the sixth of eight regular season match-ups between the Raiders and Pats. Three of this year’s meetings have been decided in overtime or a shootout with Prince Albert winning on all three occasions. Raiders’ forward Reid Gardiner leads the season series with three goals and seven assists for 10 points. Regina forwards Austin Wagner (2g-5a) and Adam Brooks (1g-6a) each have seven points versus the Raiders.
2015-16 SEASON SERIES RECAP
Oct. 25/15 at REG | PA 2 REG 1 OT | I. Scott (38 svs), J. Lees (OT Winner), S. Stransky (1g)
Nov. 21/15 at PA | PA 4 PA 3 OT | R. Gardiner (1g-3a), A. Glover (4a), S. Stransky (2g)
Dec. 30/15 at PA | PA 6 REG 5 SO | J. Tkatch (1g-2a + SO Winner), A. Wagner (1g-2a), A. Brooks (3a)
Jan. 3/16 at REG | PA 7 REG 3 | R. Gardiner (2g-1a), M. Gennaro (1g-2a), P. Kelly (2a)
Jan. 23/16 at REG | REG 4 PA 2 | S. Steel (2g), T. Brown (31 svs), C. Stanford (1g-1a)
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: PA 179 REG 140 Power Plays: PA 4-22 (18.1%) REG 2-19 (10.5%)
DAVE MANSON WEEKEND: The Raiders will retire Dave Manson’s number “4” in a special pre-game ceremony on Friday as part of a weekend celebration honouring the Prince Albert legend. Following his jersey retirement, the Raiders will host the “Roast of Dave Manson” in front of a sold out crowd in the Ches Leach Lounge on Saturday night.
RAISING BANNERS: On Friday Dave Manson will become the second player in Raiders franchise history to have his number retired, joining Mike Modano’s number “9” in the rafters at the Art Hauser Centre. Modano’s jersey was retired on November 1, 2013 on a night when the Raiders also played the Regina Pats. Prince Albert came away with a convincing win that night, defeating Regina 7-1. Current Raiders Reid Gardiner, Brendan Guhle and Tim Vanstone all played that night with Gardiner recording three assists.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: Before Wednesday’s game in Moose Jaw, the Raiders called up Cole Fonstad and Carson Miller, their two first round selections from the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. The 2000-born forwards made an impact in their WHL debuts while playing on a line with 19-year-old forward Cal Babych. In the third period, Miller would wire a shot top shelf to score his first career goal.
FIRST IN GREEN: On Wednesday night, Raiders forward Layne Bensmiller recorded his first point since being acquired by Prince Albert from the Calgary Hitmen on January 10. The Rocky Mountain House, AB native has already set career highs this season with nine goals and 16 assists for 24 points.
UP NEXT: The Raiders are back in action at home on Monday, February 15 when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors in a Family Day affair. Puck drop is 3:00 PM. After the game, fans are invited to join the Raiders on the ice for a post-game skate with the players. The team continues their four-game home stand with games on February 17 and 19.
