By Drew Wilson

Raiders crush the Ice

Oct 28, 2014 | 10:56 PM

The Raiders mixed together the ingredients for the recipe needed to win any any given night and didn’t need any “Ice” to post a 5-0 win to open a three game road trip in Kootenay.

It was a patient effort which paid dividents in a dominant third period which resulted in three unanswered goals including Josh Morrissey’s empty netter from 195 feet away on a shot out of the Raiders right wing corner.  Morrissey added a pair of assists and was named first star.

Morrissey’s work in the defensive zone also helped pave the way for Nick McBride’s 29 save shutout, the first of his WHL career. The 17-year-old sophomore’s biggest saves came in the opening minute of the second period while the Raiders were a man short and leading the game 1-0. He stopped Luke Philp’s point shot through a screen and made a great back door save on Jaedon Deschaneau’s rebound as McBride stretched while on his stomach to get his pad anchored against the post.

Tim Vanstone opened the scoring with his first goal of the season at 18:30 of the first period on a 50-foot wrist shot with MacKenze Stewart providing the screen. Craig Leverton got the insurance marker late in the second period on a 5-on-3 power play. Leverton lifted a shot into the top corner converting a deflected pass from Marcus Messier.

The Raiders finally got the fateful third goal just shy of the 14-minute mark of a dominat third period when Jayden Hart steered a perfect cross seam feed from Morrissey past Ice goalie Wyatt Hofflin. After Morrissey’s empty-netter, Dylan Stewart chopped in a Sean Montgomery rebound with Simon Stransky ending a strong game with the second assist on the final goal of the night.

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The Raiders outshot the Ice 45-29 while going 1/4 on the power play and killed off both Kootenay advantages.

Assistant Coach Kelly Guard told the 900 CKBI post game audience they stuck with the game plan despite missing several early opportunities. He also credited players for relentlessly getting into the tough areas to put the game away in the third period.

The win puts the brakes on a two game slide with game two of the three game road swing Wednesday night in Lethbridge. The Raiders also play Friday in Moose Jaw before returning home to host Saskatoon Saturday. All Raider games can be heard on 900 CKBI.

dwilson@panow.com

At Twitter: RaidersVoice