Column: Raiders resemble Jekyll and Hyde on opening weekend
The Prince Albert Raiders regular season opening weekend split with the Saskatoon Blades swung severely to both ends of the junior hockey pendulum.
On Friday night in the bridge city, the Raiders controlled the first five minutes of the first and second periods, and in fact, fought back with two goals late in the first to tie the game before the buzzer. However, the game progressively went south after a Connor Gay goal on a mid-point screen shot was the first of five unanswered Saskatoon goals that turned opening night into opening “nightmare on Thatcher Street”.
The Raider home opener on Saturday night was all you could ask for if you were one of the 2,627 Art Hauser Centre fans on hand. A fast physical game that featured a lot of scoring opportunities at both ends, spotty officiating (I’m being kind), and high drama. It ended at 3:54 of three-on-three overtime with 17-year-old sophomore centreman Sean Montgomery converting a Jordan Tkatch pass to send the crowd into frenzy, the PA players pouring off the bench in celebration and the Blades “Running back to Saskatoon”.
Tkatch had a goal and three assists in the 6-5 victory and told us during the 900 CKBI post game show the last four-point game he could remember was back in midget. He also scored in Friday’s season opener making a huge statement in the fou- way race for the three post October 15 20-year-old spots on the team.