By Jeff D'Andrea

Raiders Hockey

Fonstad stays hot; Habby reaches 500 in win over ‘Canes

Feb 9, 2019 | 10:56 PM

Cole Fonstad has been playing the best hockey of his WHL career and has been a huge reason why the Prince Albert Raiders are on a four-game winning streak and picking up their 45^th win over the season.

He scored two goals, including the game winner as the Raiders beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-5 in a barn burner.

Fonstad now has a five-game goal scoring streak, scoring eight goals and 12 points in that span. He had a two-goal, five-point night on Friday in the Raiders’ 8-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen as well.

Fonstad’s second was the game-winner, as he found a little room in the Hurricanes’ zone and rifled one past Lethbridge netminder Carl Tetachuk.

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Back in the second period, Fonstad’s wrist shot right off an offensive zone faceoff put the Raiders up 3-1.

500 for Habby

With the win, that’s the 500^th WHL career victory for Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid.

Raiders assistant coach Jeff Truitt was with Habscheid for four years with the Kelowna Rockets from 2000-04, including the Memorial Cup winning season. He knows all about what Habscheid can bring to a team.

“Marc is a world-class teacher, a world-class coach. He’s coached world championships, world juniors, Memorial Cup champions. What more can you say about him?” Truitt said. “He teaches, he cares about the players and cares about our culture and what it stands for. It’s about the team, all the time.”

Leason watch and other roster updates

The Raiders received a bit of a scare on Friday, as Brett Leason collided with Hitmen goaltender Jack McNaughton and did not return to the 8-2 Raiders win.

Leason did not start on Saturday, but the Raiders do not feel the injury is overly serious.

“He’s nicked up and he won’t play tonight, but it’s nothing earth-shattering and we’ll provide him with a bit of rest,” Habscheid told paNOW.com’s Trevor Redden prior to the game.

Raiders forward Justin Nachbaur served his final game of a three-game suspension he received for post-buzzer shenanigans against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Tyson Laventure and Loeden Schaufler were both dressed to fill the absences up front.

Ian Scott was also scratched for a game’s worth of rest, as Boston Bilous started the game in the Raiders’ goal with prospect Brett Balas backing him up.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Hurricanes, Jake Elmer from Koletrane Wilson and Ty Prefontaine, 5:42

1-1, Raiders, Eric Pearce from Sergei Sapego and Max Martin, 12:40

Second Period

2-1, Raiders, Parker Kelly from Spencer Moe and Max Martin (power play), 1:48

3-1, Raiders, Cole Fonstad from Ozzy Wiesblatt and Zack Hayes, 7:25

3-2, Hurricanes, Ty Prefontaine from Taylor Ross and Logan Barlage, 8:59

3-3, Hurricanes, Igor Merezhko from Nick Henry and Taylor Ross, 13:53

4-3, Hurricanes, Jake Leschyshyn from Dylan Cozens and Nick Henry, 16:24

4-4, Raiders, Sean Montgomery from Parker Kelly and Brayden Pachal, 18:50

Third Period

5-4, Hurricanes, Jake Leschyshyn from Nick Henry (shorthanded), 5:57

5-5, Raiders, Ozzy Wiesblatt from Noah Gregor and Dante Hannoun (power play), 6:50

6-5, Raiders, Cole Fonstad (unassisted), 13:23

Swift Trip

The Raiders will wrap up a four-game road trip on Wednesday when they head to the Credit Union iPlex in Swift Current to take on the Broncos. The Raiders have a 3-0-0-1 record against the Broncos so far this year.

The Raiders will then have a home-and-home series against the Brandon Wheat Kings, with both teams meeting at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday and Westoba Place on Saturday in Brandon.

Then after Saturday, the Raiders will play eight of their remaining 11 regular season games at home, starting with a six-game home stand on Family Day against the Moose Jaw Warriors Feb. 18. They’ll then take on the Kootenay ICE on Feb. 22, the Brandon Wheat Kings Feb. 23, the Lethbridge Hurricanes Feb. 27 and the Red Deer Rebels March 1.

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW