By Jeff D'Andrea

Resilient Raiders refuse to retreat, force Game 7 on Tuesday

Apr 1, 2018 | 9:22 PM

After Easter Sunday’s game came to a close, the Prince Albert Raiders raised their sticks to salute their fans after picking up an action packed 5-4 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors to force Game 7 in the WHL opening round playoff series.

The 2,835 fans returned the favour in such a fashion that Marc Habscheid thanked the crowd during the 900 CKBI Post Game Show at the Ches Leach Lounge—which itself drew a crazy crowd.

“When they puts their sticks in the air, [the players] never heard that before,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said of the volume of the Raiders crowd. “So that really helps with Game 7, knowing that if we win that and come back, it will be 20 times louder.”

The Raiders were down in this series 3-1 after their 2-0 in Game 4, but managed to claw it back to the series rubber match with a 5-1 win Saturday in Moose Jaw and the clutch 5-4 win on Sunday. They’ve been able to thrive in do-or-die situations throughout the season. At the beginning of February, the Raiders were eight games out of a playoff spot but went on a nine-game winning streak to capture the second wildcard spot. That streak remains the team’s best in the internet era.

According to Raiders forward Sean Montgomery, the team has been able to rally together in must-win occasions.

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“I think this is the closest team that I’ve ever been on,” Raiders forward Sean Montgomery said. “We’re just doing it for each other right now and it’s working.”

Montgomery scored on Sunday, after a pair of goals on Saturday and now has a Raiders’ high four in the series. He’s tied with Cole Fonstad, who scored a pair of goals to force Game 7. Fonstad’s second goal stood to be the game winner, as he put home a knee-high puck right into the top corner in a certain highlight reel play. 

“He’s 17 years old, and sometimes in a game like that where the situation is do-or-die, sometimes you have players that just want to fit in. Fonstad’s the opposite,” Habscheid said. “He has a style of play that allows him to go to the net. He wants to score that big goal.”

Raiders captain Curtis Miske was the named as the game’s first star, scoring a goal and adding a trifecta of assists. As the captain, one of the three 20-year-olds, Miske led by example both with his play but also with advice to some of the Raiders’ younger players who are experiencing the thrill of the playoffs for the first time.

“Just to know it is playoffs and it is higher stakes, but it’s just another game of hockey,” Miske said. “You just have to keep a cool head and keep playing your game. It’s a simple game and your teammates will help you out. That’s all you have to worry about.”

Warriors forward Brayden Burke had a huge two-goal, two-assist night for the Warriors, and was the game’s second star. Burke now leads the Warriors in basically every offensive category with five goals, six assists and 11 points. Jayden Halbgewachs, who 70 goals in the regular season to tie Moose Jaw’s franchise record, got his first goal of the series on Sunday—in the second period.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Raiders, Cole Fonstad from Curtis Miske and Jordy Stallard, 7:34

1-1, Warriors, Brayden Burke from Justin Almeida, 17:35

Second Period

2-1, Raiders, Curtis Miske from Brett Leason and Vojtech Budik (power play), 12:09

2-2, Warriors, Brayden Burke from Jayden Halbgewachs and Kale Clague (power play), 16:18

3-2, Warriors, Jayden Halbgewachs from Brayden Burke and Josh Brook, 18:17

3-3, Raiders, Sean Montgomery from Curtis Miske, 19:01

Third Period

4-3, Raiders, Regan Nagy and Parker Kelly (power play), 1:14

4-4, Warriors, Brett Howden from Brayden Burke and Kale Clague (power play), 5:17

5-4, Raiders, Cole Fonstad from Jordy Stallard and Curtis Miske, 11:34

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW