By Jeff D'Andrea

Raiders blow 3-0 lead in 4-3 loss to Warriors

Feb 16, 2013 | 9:41 PM

The City of Prince Albert may have to do some maintenance of the home penalty box at the Art Hauser Centre, it was used so much the hinges might fall off.

The Prince Albert Raiders were shorthanded a whopping 10 times in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Warriors scored the last four goals of the game, their last three coming on the power play.

“That’s no secret, we have to be a disciplined hockey club, we can’t let things get out of hand,” said Raiders head coach Steve Young. “I think as players we have to understand with three 5-on-3’s tonight, regardless of what we thought of the calls, it puts you back a lot.”

When asked what Young and the Raiders thought of those 12 total penalties against his team, compared to just six Warriors penalties, all he offered was a wry smile and a slow shake of his head.

It started to turn into a gong show when the Raiders, who were leading 3-0 midway through the game and 3-1 late in the second, took two unusual penalties leading to a near two minute 5-on-3 advantage.

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Raiders assistant captain Anthony Bardaro was crosschecked from behind by Sam Fioretti, and when there was no call, he barked at referee Nathan Wieler from the bench in retaliation. Bardaro was issued an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, his fourth minor of the game. He entered the game with just 32 penalty minutes in 56 games played.

On the ensuing penalty kill, Mike Winther fell on the puck and was whistled for a delay of game penalty for closing his hand on the puck.

With the two-man advantage, Warriors defenceman Morgan Rielly scored his first of two power play goals of the game with just 28 seconds left in the second period. Young said that was the turning point of the game.

“I thought it was for sure,” said Young. “I thought we had good momentum going as a hockey club 5-on-5, the score’s 3-1.

“If we could have kept that momentum going, but I thought we slowed it down tonight with the penalties that were called.”

Rielly has scored four goals this week against the Raiders, with another pair in Tuesday’s 4-1 Warriors win Tuesday in Moose Jaw. Through seven games this year against the Raiders, Rielly has piled on 12 points and was able to take advantage of all the extra ice out there on the countless power play and 4-on-4 situations in Saturday’s game.

“I think I’m just trying to play my game,” said Rielly. “They’re a great team and we’re aware that every time we play them, we have to play well. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.

“It’s always nice when you have a chance on the power play with some open ice. You have to take advantage of that and I think as a team today, we did a good job of that.”

The other player in the game to score two goals was Raiders forward Jayden Hart. Hart ended an 18 game goalless drought as the last team he scored was Jan. 4 in Saskatoon.

“It was nice, I haven’t been scoring I don’t know why,” said Hart, who has nine goals and 22 points this season. “Don’t know if it’s just the bounces or if I’m not working hard enough but hopefully I can build on this and keep it going.”

Hart started the game playing on the fourth line with Chance Braid and affiliate call up Gage Quinney, but found himself on the first power play unit and getting 5-on-5 shifts on the top line with Raiders captain Mark McNeill.

Quinney is playing for the Las Vegas Storm U18 program in the Midwest Elite Hockey League. Young said Quinney, a 1994-born signed Raider, learned the Raiders systems quickly after only two days with the team. He’ll be sent back to Vegas.

Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for the Raiders and now has four points in his last two games.

The Raiders, now tied at 69 points with the Saskatoon Blades for the WHL East Division lead, will go on a four game road trip starting with Medicine Hat on Wednesday. Their next home game is Feb. 27 against the Regina Pats.

The Prince Albert Pirates jersey night

Saturday was Canadian Tire Pirate Night at the Art Hauser Centre as the Raiders wore special jerseys with a pirate ship logo. The jerseys were auctioned off post game, with proceeds going to the team's WHL Education Fund.

jdandrea@panow.com

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea