By Trevor Redden

Redden on the Raiders: Comeback kids, playoff picture and Mighty Miske

Mar 9, 2018 | 11:00 AM

It would have been easy to write off the Prince Albert Raiders halfway through the second period last Friday in Swift Current, as the team found themselves down 4-1 against the third-ranked team in Canada.

Against the odds, the Raiders clawed their way back and drew even before dropping the Broncos in a shootout. Reflecting on the game, Head Coach Marc Habscheid said the team maintained their composure, though he admitted it was a daunting hill to climb.

“They got the breaks; we didn’t. We didn’t know if we could come back, but we just thought we’d keep playing the way we were,” Habscheid said. “It wasn’t a 4-1 game at that time. I thought it should have been even, if not us ahead, so we thought we would just keep playing the way we were and see what happens.”

So far this season the Raiders have earned 13 points while trailing after two periods, which is sixth-best across the WHL. The team’s ability to keep working no matter the score has become a calling card for this year’s group. Habscheid said the game on Friday really showed what the Raiders are capable of when they’re facing a deficit.

“We’ve got a gritty bunch, a never-say-die attitude, but we were still going against a team that hadn’t lost at home in this calendar year, a team that’s ranked third in the country, and we were down 4-1,” Habscheid said. “To come back under those circumstances, the guys should be proud.”

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The road ahead

It’s become a dog fight down the final stretch between Brandon, who currently hold the top wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 75 points and sit three points behind Regina, Prince Albert, who are in the final wild card position trailing Brandon by four, and Saskatoon, who are four behind the Raiders. All three teams have six games remaining, but the Wheat Kings have the most difficult schedule based on their opponents’ average win percentage.

Brandon finishes their season with one matchup against Swift Current, two against Saskatoon, and three against Moose Jaw, with an average opposition win percentage of 0.676. For Prince Albert, it’s two matchups against Moose Jaw, one against Calgary, one versus Regina, and two against Saskatoon, an average opposition win percentage of 0.585.

By the numbers, the Blades have the most favourable remaining schedule as they face Calgary once, Brandon twice, Swift Current once, and Prince Albert twice, an average opposition win percentage of 0.556. Thanks to paNOW’s Jeff D’Andrea for crunching these numbers, and for providing outstanding colour commentary over the past month while Marty Ring was away enjoying the sun down south.

Pack the Hauser

Everywhere you go this week, people are talking Raiders. With playoffs around the corner and the team on a roll while looking to earn a spot, it seems the community has jumped on board with their local team. So far the buzz hasn’t translated into a rise in attendance, but the snowy conditions over the past week certainly haven’t helped. It’s been difficult to travel around town, let alone coming in from the surrounding areas for a game.

With snow removal crews working all week to clear roads, and the country’s number-four team rolling into the Art Hauser Centre tonight, I’m looking forward to seeing a lively crowd.

Leading the way

It’s been an outstanding second half for Raiders Captain Curtis Miske, who carries a seven-game point streak into this weekend’s action.

Since January 1st, Miske has been on a tear, logging 33 points in his last 29 games and setting a career high in goals (23), assists (34), and points (57). Even when the points weren’t coming, Miske was a valuable part of the team. The captain has an ability to play a ton of minutes in all situations, and there’s no doubt that both he and the Raiders have enjoyed the offensive output of late.

trevor.redden@jpbg.ca 

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden