From worst to first, a statistical story.

An examination of the Raiders at the 27 game point this season as opposed to last is astonishing.

The team has tripled its win total from 6-to-18. An even bigger eye opener and the main reason for the transformation…goals against. Last season at this point the Raiders had given up 111 goals. This season it's 74.

A lot of the credit has to go to Luke Siemens. The 20-year-old starting goaltender picked up at the Bantam draft in a trade with Moose Jaw has a WHL high 17 wins in 25 starts with a 2.42 goals against average and a save percentage of .921.

No doubt confidence in your goaltending is a spark for the rest of the team. However, there is also more attention to team defense which starts in the offensive zone with an opportunistic forcheck. Shots against have fallen from 35 to 32 a game which doesn't sound significant, but over the course of a season those extra shots could mean wear and tear on your goaltenders.

Through 27 games last season the Raiders had given up 11 shorthanded goals against, opposed to 1 this season.

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A sign of an improved defensive zone effort is the plus-minus ratings of Josh Morrissey and Harrison Ruopp. The top two defensemen who routinely face other team's top lines are plus-14 and plus-11 respectively.

In addition to captain Mark McNeill who has caught fire over the past month and the steady contribution of Mike Winther (who is a team leading plus-17), players like Shane Danyluk, Chance Braid and Carson Perreaux are all playing another year better. In fact Braid is riding a five game point streak heading into Wednesday's Art Hauser Centre clash with Lethbridge. Last season as a 17-year-old rookie free agent Braid had a total of 4 points.

Other key acquisitions have also made significant contributions. Dakota Conroy (18-year-old winger obtained from Victoria for a 7th round draft choice) has surpassed last year's point total (21 through 24 games vs 18 all last season). Overage defenseman David Vandane who came over from Spokane for an 8th round pick has helped solidify a battling bunch of blue liners.

Speaking of whom, how about 18-year-old sophomore Sawyer Lange who leads the d-corps with 6 goals, all of which have been scored on the road. The P-A product also has a team leading 3 power play goals.

Not to be forgotten is Leon Draisaitl. The 2nd overall pick in the import draft is tied for the WHL rookie points lead largely due to pin point passing poised to make him a 1st round pick in the 2014 NHL draft.

All this has transformed a road record from 2-9-1-1 last season (8 wins all season), to 9-4. The Raiders were 4-9 at home through 27 games. A six game home ice win streak has raised the roof and the record at the raucous Art Hauser centre to 9-3-0-2.

Now if the Raiders could get the power play going (ranked last in the WHL at 13-percent), who knows how good this team could be.

All Raider games can be heard on 900 CKBI.

dwilson@panow.com

Twitter: RaidersVoice