By Drew Wilson

Schmidli strikes again in Raider win in Regina

Jan 11, 2015 | 2:34 AM

It was the kind of game the fans love but also causes coaches blood pressure to rise. 

The Raiders held off a late rally by Regina to post a 6-5 win.

The first period produced seven goals on just 21 shots with Raider newcomer Kris Schmidli leading the way. The 18-year-old swiss national sent fellow former Kelowna Rocket Austin Glover away on a shorthanded breakaway and he would snipe his second goal on consecutive nights hitting the top corner on Pat goalie Tyler Brown.

After the Pats tied it, Schmidli would hit the highlight reel with an end to end rush at high speed and finished it with a forehand-backhand-five hole goal, the Raiders second shorthanded tally of the period. With the score tied 2-2, Schmidli struck again with a sneaky snap shot that went in off Pat defenseman Connor Hobbs.

Tim Vanstone’s deflection of a Dalton Yorke shot would make it 4-2 Raiders before Taylor Cooper’s second power play goal at 18:43 would cap a wild first period with the Raiders leading 4-3.  The opening 20 minutes saw the Raiders score two shorthanded goals, and the Pats post two power play goals.

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The second period started with new goaltenders at both ends of the ice. Tyler Fuhr replaced Tyler Brown who gave up four goals in twelve shots and Rylan Parenteau relieved Nick McBride who surrendered three goals in nine shots.

The Raiders rallied again in the second period scoring back to back goals just 23 seconds apart. Jayden Hart jammed in his 20th of the season from close range, converting a three-way passing play with Jordan Tkatch and Jesse Lees on a Prince Albert power play at 13:11 and Craig Leverton batted in a Matteo Gennaro rebound at 13:33 to give the Raiders a 6-3 lead after the second period.

The second period featured the save of the game as Parenteau robbed Rykr Cole of a sure goal scrambling across the crease to get his trapper on a back door wrist shot.

The Raiders looked poised to close out the game keeping the charging Pats at bay until a goofy goal by Adam Brooks with 3:14 remaining. A weak shot fluttering wide of the net went off Parenteau and through the crease and right to Brooks moments after Parenteau was having trouble with a loose strap on his goal pad which he repaired after the goal.

Pats coach John Paddock then lifted Fuhr for a sixth attacker leading to the wild finish. A hustling Kris Schmidli won a race for the puck in Pat territory and was denied a hat trick on a quick backhander by a goal post with about 90 seconds left. The Pats would make it a one goal game when Cooper completed his hat trick with a tap in off a Sam Steel rebound after Parenteau scrambled across the crease again to stop the first shot. 

Glover completed a solid solo effort in all three zones earning third star honours by blocking a shot in the dying seconds just outside the Raider goal crease to secure the 6-5 victory, the third win of the week for a Raider squad battling to get back into the playoff picture. Schmidli was named first star for the second straight night for his second consecutive three point performance filled with dazzling dangles at high speed.

The Pats were 2-8 on the power play which included two long 5-on-3 advantages. The Raiders were 1-5 with the man advantage while being outshot 18-5 in the third period and 39-26 overall. In addition to picking up an assist, newcomer Dalton Yorke was plus-4 on the night.

The win pulls Prince Albert to within 4 points of Kootenay for the final wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as the Ice lost 6-4 to Saskatoon and are within 6 points of Swift Current for the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Division as the Broncos fell 3-1 to Everett.

The Raider host the Ice Friday night. All Raider games can be heard on 900 CKBI.

dwilson@panow.com

On Twitter: @RaidersVoice