By Jeff D'Andrea

Stallard’s snipes stymie second-ranked Swifty

Nov 3, 2017 | 10:23 PM

Jordy Stallard sure picked a great game to register his first WHL career hat trick.

Stallard’s three-goal performance led the way for the Prince Albert Raiders Friday at the Art Hauser Centre. The Raiders won 5-1 against the second-ranked team in the CHL, the Swift Current Broncos.

That improves the Raiders’ record to 7-5-3-0. All but one of those wins has been at the Art Hauser Centre as they have a 6-1-2-0 record at home. The win was also just the Broncos (10-3-1-0) third regulation loss, and their first loss on the road.

For Stallard, that extends his point scoring streak to eight games, giving him nine goals and seven assists in that span.

“I think it shows a lot about our team, we can beat any team in the league. We just have to keep pushing,” Stallard said in postgame interviews, before being joined in the scrum by linemate Parker Kelly and defenceman Max Martin who hilariously shouted questions at him.

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Statistically, the Broncos possibly one of the best lines in junior hockey to start the year. Steenbergen came into Friday’s game leading the league in goals (21) and points (35), and is joined with Broncos’ Aleksi Heponiemi, who was tied for second in league points and first in assists, and fourth best point getter in captain Glenn Gawdin (30 points).

Heponiemi scored the lone Broncos’ goal late in the second period to make it 4-1 at that point, with Gawdin registering the secondary assist. That’s all the offence that line generated.

Being at home, Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid had the advantage of last change and made sure his shutdown D-pairing of defencemen Brayden Pachal and Vojtech Budik were on the ice, as well as old man line of 20-year-olds Curtis Miske and Devon Skoleski and 19-year-old vet Sean Montgomery.

“That line has been wrecking the league so far, so I think it’s a big part when you play [the Broncos] to shut down that line,” Pachal said. “I think it shows that me and Buds, and the whole defensive core, can play against any line in the league. It’s definitely a confidence booster, for sure.”

The Raiders seemed to get under the Broncos’ skin, specifically that line. Both Steenbergen and Gawdin took two minor penalties each in the game, while Heponiemi took one minor.

“We had good discipline, stay out of the box. They retaliated and we got some power play opportunities that we cashed in on,” Habscheid said of his power play, which was 3-6 on the night.

The Raiders also chased the best goalie in the WHL in Logan Flodell from the game. He entered Friday’s game leading the WHL in save percentage (.928), shutouts (2, and was second in GAA 2.45 and third in wins with nine. Against the Raiders, Flodell surrendered five goals on 26 shots after getting pulled after 40 minutes.

One of those guys to beat him was Raiders rookie Justin Nachbaur, the first time he’s ever beaten a WHL goalie in his career.

If you want to know what it’s like to score your first WHL career goal, this is how Justin Nachbaur felt moments after. pic.twitter.com/WmkieZsCpT

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 4, 2017

“First goal, he’s excited about that. Those guys, they press so hopefully that helps his confidence and brings him to a new level,” Habscheid said. “We just want him to have more confidence in himself. We have confidence in him and we think he’s got potential to be a really good player. Sometimes, it seems like he isn’t sure of himself but we’re sure of him. We think he has a lot of upside.”

Game Highlights

First Period

1-0, Raiders, Justin Nachbaur from Brett Leason, 3:57

Here’s Justin Nachbaur’s first WHL career goal to give the Raiders an early advantage pic.twitter.com/5SisBqOCz6

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 4, 2017

2-0, Raiders, Jordy Stallard from Parker Kelly, 5:00

Stallard extended his point streak to eight games (7 goals, 7 assists) with this goal after Kelly made a great dive to get Stallard the puck pic.twitter.com/JVGzgQibR5

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 4, 2017

3-0, Raiders, Jordy Stallard from Cole Fonstad (power play), 16:31

Make that another for Stallard, 3-0 Raiders over the 2nd ranked Broncos late in the first period. pic.twitter.com/FrazsjavFx

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 4, 2017

Second Period

4-0, Jordy Stallard from Cole Fonstad and Curtis Miske (power play), 10:01

Great look at Stallard’s hat trick hero goal to put the Raiders up 4-0 at the media timeout. pic.twitter.com/5roZEsln6t

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 4, 2017

4-1, Aleksi Heponiemi from Colby Sissons and Glenn Gawdin (power play), 14:41

Raiders take back to back penalties and the Broncos make them pay. Heponiemi gets the Broncos on the board. 4-1 Raiders lead pic.twitter.com/BSwspaEnYy

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 4, 2017

5-1, Sean Montgomery from Brayden Pachal and Vojtech Budik (power play), 17:27

Snipin’ Sean Montgomery restores the Raiders’ 4 goal lead. They lead 5-1 after 40 minutes pic.twitter.com/G0QAwmMe7h

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 4, 2017

Third Period

No scoring.

Prince Albert Roaders

After the Raiders host the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday at the Art Hauser Centre, they won’t return for a home game until Nov. 24.

In between, they’ll embark on their biannual American road trip. They’ll stop in Kootenay on the way to face the ICE on Nov. 10, before battling the Portland Winterhawks Nov. 12, the Seattle Thunderbirds Nov. 14, the Everett Silvertips Nov. 15, the Tri-City Americans Nov. 17  and the Spokane Chiefs on Nov. 18.

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW