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Frantic February fades, March madness begins!

Mar 1, 2016 | 8:49 AM

The Prince Albert Raiders have just completed a hectic 16-game run in 30 nights with their sights still clearly set on second place in the eastern division and home ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.

The team turned in a more than respectable 8-5-3 record during the adversity ridden run which included injuries to defensemen Brendan Guhle and Dalton Yorke.

Other memorable moments fraught with frustration included two failed video reviews of potential goals, one of which featured a technical malfunction (but the batteries worked this time) and questionable calls by the officials which also factored into final results.

There were defining moments for a team that battled fatigue and the numerous bumps and bruises that melted many an ice bag.  Reid Gardiner, the Raider’s leading scorer, blocked shots during a successful 5-on-3 penalty kill for 1:52 in overtime against Moose Jaw, whose manpower advantage unit included the league’s top goal and point producer (Dryden Hunt) and arguably the WHL’s best playmaker and captain of the Canadian National Junior team (Brayden Point).  

Another was the 3-2 come from behind win over the eastern division leading Brandon Wheat Kings while playing their third game in three nights and fifth contest in seven evenings. The Raiders also beat the Wheat Kings 6-3 in Brandon getting four of their five unanswered goals in the third period.

The tumultuous and sometimes therapeutic thirty period also featured the Dave Manson jersey retirement ceremony which was topped off with a 3-2 win over Regina, Gardiner’s 100th career goal, defenseman Jesse Lees topping the 20 goal plateau for the first time in a season and the registration of his 50th career lighting of the red lamp, in addition to the official clinching of a playoff spot.

A furious February also saw the establishment of Rylan Parenteau as the Raiders number one goaltender and his ascension into premier puck stopping prowess among his WHL peers.  Parenteau posted a 7-4-1 record for the month and heading into the February 27th game in Moose Jaw, had a 2.26 goals against average and save percentage of .925 for the manic month.   

The Raiders trail the first place Wheat Kings by eight points and with only nine game remaining for both, it appears surpassing Kelly McCrimmon’s crew is unlikely, especially with no more head to head matchups (Raiders won the season series 4-2).

The more realistic goal is securing second with the most likely opponent being Hunt, Point, Zach Sawchenko and the rest of the Moose Jaw mob. Regina likely fell out of contention for a top three spot after losing three straight games, including Friday’s 3-1 setback to the Raiders, leaving the Pats seven points behind the Warriors and nine back of the Prince Albert posse with nine games to go.

If the first 63 games of the 2015-15 Prince Albert Raiders regular season is any indication, the “mad March” toward the playoffs will be anything but boring.

dwilson@panow.com

On Twitter: RaidersVoice