By Jeff D'Andrea

Raiders shatter slump with 5-1 win over Warriors

Jan 7, 2015 | 9:13 PM

It was a different Prince Albert Raiders hockey club than we’ve seen in recent weeks.

The Raiders snapped a five game losing streak with a big 5-1 win over the Moose Jaw Wednesday at the Art Hauser Centre.

The Raiders had struggled mightily to score heading into Wednesday’s game, averaging 1.54 goals in their last 11 games, in which they posted a 1-9-1 record.

Tim Vanstone eclipsed that average by himself as he scored two goals in the game, the second time in his career he’s done that.

The 18-year-old from Swift Current opened the game’s scoring with a shorthanded goal, storming up the ice to poke home a rebound after Matteo Gennaro created the rush opportunity. Vanstone then scored the Raiders’ fourth goal, beating Warriors goaltender Zach Sawchenko shortside midway through the third.

Court proceedings

Drugs and weapons bust in Stanley Mission, results in two year sentence

19h ago

health care

La Loche recipient of new portable blood analyzer, printer kit

20h ago

Crime

Dangerous driving report at Red Wing, leads to arrest of man with gun

23h ago

Vanstone was inches away from completing a hat trick on the empty net, but was thwarted at the last second by Warriors defenceman Dustin Perillat.

“It would have been nice for him to get that third one. We had the door locked, we weren’t letting him off the ice,” said Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid with a smile. “He’s a heart and soul kid, you pull for him. He tries so hard to do the right things.

“He had two goals and you couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. He brings a lot to the team and a lot of times, he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.”

You couldn’t wipe the smile off of Raiders goaltender Rylan Parenteau’s face either, as he made 44 saves on 45 shots in the Raiders win. He’s been dynamite on home ice, with a .951 save percentage in his last four starts at the Art Hauser Centre.

“It just gives you loads of confidence,” said Raiders assistant captain Reid Gardiner, on playing in front of Parenteau. “Mistakes will happen throughout the game, so if a guy falls down or a puck bounces over a stick, he’s always there to make a save and be big.”

Now that the Raiders finally put a ‘W’ up after the Christmas break, coach Habscheid believes the team will regain their confidence pretty quickly.

“In my experience, when you’re on a losing streak, the toughest win is that win during that losing streak to snap it,” said Habscheid. “I guarantee ya tomorrow at practice, they’ll feel 20 pounds lighter, they’ll make better passes just because the weight of the world is off and the streak is snapped.”

Gardiner eclipses the century mark

Raiders assistant captain Reid Gardiner got over the 100 point mark for his career with his goal and assist effort against the Warriors. Gardiner came out of the Raiders dressing room holding his 100^th point puck, hoping to give it to someone special to him.

“My dad (Shaun) is at the game, so I’m probably going to give it to him,” said Gardiner. “It’s a pretty cool feeling.

“Lots of thanks to my linemates over the years and hopefully I can keep building off it and score a few more.”

Summary

Vanstone and Jordan Tkatch both scored in the first to give the Raiders a 2-0 lead. Warriors forward Jack Rodewald scored early in the second to make it a 2-1 game, but Craig Leverton restored the Raiders’ two-goal advantage heading into the final frame. Vanstone got his second while Gennaro added the empty netter. Tkatch and Gennaro each finished with a goal and an assist. Gennaro was also a game-best +3.

Quick hitters

Warriors captain Brayden Point was held in check for the most part by the Raiders, registering an assist on the Warriors’ lone goal by Jack Rodewald. Heading into Wednesday’s game, Point had demolished the Raiders with nine points in four games. Point was a member of Team Canada’s gold winning team at the World Junior Championships and received a warm ovation from Raiders fans prior to the game as he was presented with an award.

Kris Schmidli and Dalton Yorke, who came to the Raiders in the Leon Draisaitl deal on Tuesday, made their Raider debuts. 

Raiders forward Craig Leverton scored, ending a 12-game goalless drought. It was also his fifth goal against the Warriors in seven games this season.

Makin’ moves

Like the Raiders, the Warriors also made a pair of trades a day before Wednesday’s matchup. 

The Warriors acquired towering Swede Axel Blomqvist, a third round draft choice in 2015 and fifth rounder in 2017 from the Victoria Royals in exchange for Alexey Sleptsov, Justin Paulic, and a sixth rounder in 2015.

They also acquired Connor Clouston from the Kamloops Blazers for a fifth rounder in 2017. Clouston is the nephew of former Raiders head coach Cory Clouston. Neither Blomqvist nor Clouston were available for the Warriors on Wednesday.

See ya on Friday

The Raiders are hosting the Swift Current Broncos on Friday before heading to Regina on Saturday to face the Pats.

The Raiders will then get five days off before a pair of home games, Jan. 16 against the Kootenay Ice and Jan. 17 against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

jdandrea@panow.com

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea