By Trevor Redden

Redden on the Raiders: Playoffs clinched, Fonstad helps, Stallard snipes

Mar 16, 2018 | 12:00 PM

One month ago I wrote about the hole the Raiders found themselves in.

The team sat six points back of Saskatoon for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference following a three-loss weekend at Swift Current, at Saskatoon, and at home against the Broncos. Since then, Prince Albert has flipped the switch with a 10-2-1-1 record over the last fourteen games, and have clinched a playoff spot while the Blades have been eliminated from contention.

“We’re proud of them. All the experts picked us to be last in the conference, and now we’re in the playoffs,” Head Coach Marc Habscheid said the day after the Raiders secured their spot in the postseason. “They put in a lot of hard work, kept our heads above water throughout the season and got in. Now, they want more.”

The buzz has continued to build around this group with fans across Prince Albert, across the WHL, and even across the country taking note as the green and gold rattled off nine straight wins, and now eleven straight games without a regulation loss heading into the final weekend.

“The postseason, that’s when the real hockey starts, so we’ve just gotta be ready,” Forward Nikita Krivokrasov said. “I’m excited, I know the team’s really excited, and it should be lots of fun.”

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Last weekend the Raiders got a glimpse into the type of atmosphere that awaits them in the coming weeks, as over 2,300 fans filed into the Art Hauser Centre on Friday and Saturday to cheer the home team to a pair of victories over Moose Jaw and Calgary.

“Playing in front of a crowd that goes electric every time you score is so much more fun, and so much easier for us to get that momentum back and play hard,” Captain Curtis Miske said. Miske has been playing some of his finest hockey over the last couple months, with 37 points in the last 28 outings.

“It seems like when we get one [goal], and the crowd is into it, we get two or three right after it and we’re scoring in buckets,” he said. “It’s definitely a confidence booster for us.”

Making meaningless games meaningful

With the Raiders locked into a first round matchup against Moose Jaw beginning next Friday, the final two games this weekend against the Blades serve no purpose in the standings, but the coaching staff has stressed the importance of keeping the momentum they’ve built.

“We’ve been able to get some points, but most of all we’ve played some solid hockey, and going into the playoffs that’s what you want is to be into is a rhythm with your game,” Associate Coach Dave Manson said. “We’ve got guys looking after each other; they’re diving in front of pucks. Our goaltending is solid, giving us a chance to win, and those are the things that you look for heading into the playoffs.”

Manson said the team has no intention of slowing down, despite the fact the games won’t affect the standings.

“We might move some guys in and out, we’ll see how that goes, but these are points that we want to get any time, and especially going into the playoffs. We want our game to be A-1, so we’ll be looking for a big effort.”

Fonstad lending a helping hand

Raider forward Cole Fonstad has continued to make an impression in his NHL draft year.

Through 70 games, the second-year forward has put up 73 points, which is good for second on the team behind 20-year-old forward Jordy Stallard’s 90.

The growth of Fonstad over the past two years has been the result of hard work, trust, and patience, according to his head coach.

“We didn’t want to give him too much too early, [we wanted to] develop him properly, and he bought into that,” Habscheid said. “He understood what we were trying to do, and now this year he’s worked himself into a position where he’s garnered more ice time.”

Of Fonstad’s 73 points, 52 are assists. The last Raider to record 50 or more assists in a single season was Leon Draisaitl, who had 67 helpers and 105 points as an 18-year-old in 2013-14 before being selected third overall by the Oilers.

The last 17-year-old Raider to have 50 or more assists was Scott Hartnell.

Stallard sniping like few others

With his 44th goal of the season Wednesday night in Regina, Jordy Stallard reached the third-highest single-season goal total by any Raider in the last 24 seasons.

In that span, only Jonathan Parker (45, 2010-11) and Seth Leonard (50, 2003-04) have surpassed Stallard’s production. Beyond that, you’d have to dig back in the annals to 1993-94 when Dennis Pederson scored 53 and Van Burgess had 44.

While 24 seasons is admittedly an arbitrary reference point, it’s not fair to compare modern day production to what happened prior to that point. In 11 seasons from 1982-1994, the 44-goal threshold was met or surpassed 24 times by a Raider, topped by Dan Hodgson in 1984-85 who still holds the franchise record at 70. Since then, Stallard is one of just three to reach the 44-goal mark.

Although he may be overshadowed league-wide by players like Jayden Halbgewachs and Ty Ronning, who have both reached 60 this year, Stallard has done something that very few Raiders have done before him.  

trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden