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Redden on the Raiders: Backs against the wall once again
Once again, the Prince Albert Raiders find themselves fighting to keep their season alive.
Down 3-1 to the Moose Jaw Warriors, the Raiders must win in Moose Jaw Saturday night to keep the series alive. Based on what we’ve seen from this team throughout the season, I’d bet we’ll see the best game of the year from the green and gold in game five.
Back on February 20, the Raiders faced an eight-point deficit that would need to be made up over the final 13 games of the season to pass the Saskatoon Blades and earn a playoff position.
Much like now, the Raiders were coming off a stretch of well-played games that resulted in losses. This stretch included a 3-1 loss to Regina where the Raiders outshot the Pats 38-24, a 4-3 loss in Brandon despite a 42-13 shot advantage, and back-to-back third period collapses against Saskatoon and Swift Current. Instead of folding up and accepting defeat, Prince Albert stuck to the system and was rewarded with a nine-game winning streak, sparked by an 8-2 victory in Lethbridge on February 21, and ultimately a playoff berth.