Tkatch scores 2 late goals to give Raiders 4th straight win

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Tkatch snatched up a loose puck and filled the empty net with 7.1 seconds left. The two goals in the game give Tkatch four on the season, and seven points in five games played. Although it’s still quite early in the season, Tkatch is on pace to obliterate his numbers last year of 11 goals and 41 points.

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“I’m just trying to stick to my game—play the defensive side first and worry about the offensive side after,” said Tkatch. “I can say that pucks are jumping my way. That’s about it, I’m just going to ride the hot stick.”

Tkatch was able to provide a great finish for the Raiders after not much went right at the start.

The Raiders were down 2-0 in the first six minutes of the game as Bryan Allbee and Austin Wellsby scored for the Ice. To make things worse, Raiders forward Matteo Gennaro’s goal that would have made it a 1-1 game was disallowed due to a distinct kicking motion.

But like they have early in this season, the Raiders were able to make up the ground.

Luke Coleman got his third of the season to make a 2-1 game after the first frame, a far-side snipe past the glove of Ice goaltender Wyatt Hoflin. Reid Gardiner, the reigning WHL Player of the Week, tied the game early in the second. The Raiders took the 3-2 lead in style as Simon Stransky lofted one to the net off a deflection and Jesse Lees tapped a waist-high puck into the net to finish off hockey’s version of the alley-oop.

Habscheid went back to the Coleman’s goal that made it 2-1, saying it was crucial for the

“That next goal, it’s either 3-0 or 2-1. We were a little bit flat, especially after the two goals so if they get the third, it’s going to make it more difficult,” said Habscheid. “[Coleman] made a great play, right inside the post. You could feel the energy lift after that.”

Coleman is off to a flying start to the year as well. That goal gives him three already in the season, tripling the single he scored in his 14-game call-up to finish off last season.

Although Coleman is off to a great start, he deflected the success back to the team.

“It’s good for the team, it’s not about who scores the goal, it’s about the score. That’s all that matters.”

Raiders rookie Ian Scott got his second WHL career win in as many starts, making 27 saves.

Ice star Jaedon Descheneau collided with Coleman at the blueline in the first period as both players attempted to turn back into the play. Descheneau was shaken up and play was blown dead to allow him to skate to the bench and didn’t finish the game.

Raiders forward Matteo Gennaro was shaken up after a collision with Ice forward Max Patterson behind the Raider net, but returned to the game. Patterson was given a five-minute charging major and was ejected to the game, but not after a fight with Raider tough guy Dalton Yorke.

Ice ship away Martin

On Sunday, the Ice traded away 20-year-old Jon Martin to the Swift Current Broncos. Martin was one of five overagers on the team, and the trade gets them down to four 1995-born players in forwards Jaedon Descheneau, Luke Philp, goaltender Wyatt Hoflin and defenceman Tanner Lishchynsky.

Despite the obvious need to cut down on 20’s, Martin scored three goals and an assist in the four games on an Ice team that only managed eight goals in their first four games.

Guhle glance

If Raiders defenceman Brendan Guhle does return to Raiderland, it may not be in the near future.

On Tuesday, John Vogl of the Buffalo News tweeted that the Sabres placed Guhle on their injured reserve list to start the season, despite the Sabres’ head coach Dan Bylsma classifying Guhle as “day-to-day” on Oct. 2.

Maser reassigned, Williamson recovers

The Raiders reassigned Josh Maser to the Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League on Monday. The Cougars won the Mac’s Midget AAA Tournament last year and got to the BCHMML finals.

Maser played in the Raiders’ season opener in the 7-2 loss to the Saskatoon Blades on the road and was scratched for all three of the Raiders’ home games.

Dylan Williamson has recovered from an upper-body injury he suffered in the Raiders’ last preseason game on Sept. 18 against the Regina Pats.

Stateside time

The Raiders will be dusting off their passports and prepare for tons of travel as they’ll be off to the U.S. for a six-game road swing. Their next home game for the Raiders is Oct. 23 against the Moose Jaw Warriors.

jdandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea