Raiders on the brink of snapping 15-year curse

Although they still have to find that fourth win over the Rebels, Pachal said to be this close to being the Raiders’ club to break the playoff curse is exciting in itself.

“It’s pretty special. We’re one away, but we just have to stay even keel,” Pachal said. “It can easily go the other way, so we have to get our mindset for tomorrow.”

The Raiders entered the game without breakout forward Brett Leason, their leading scorer in the regular season, as he sat to a one-game suspension. But overager Noah Gregor, like he has all season, stepped up in Leason’s absence.

Gregor scored twice in the Raiders’ victory. He scored just 1:09 into the game, after picking off Rebels defenceman Jacob Herauf’s diagonal pass out of the zone, and walked in to backhand deke one past Rebels goalie Ethan Anders.

Gregor also netted the game winner, after corralling a loose Brandon Hagel pass off the boards and rifling it high glove-side.

“Obviously, this is a tough barn to play in. Red Deer always plays well here, so getting a quick lead is good for us,” Gregor said. “It feels really good. We’re happy with how the game went tonight. Red Deer battled hard, and came out probably the best game [in the series]. They were hard to play against tonight. We were able to find some ways to put the puck in the net.”

Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said he wasn’t overly thrilled with how Gregor and fellow high-scoring linemate in Cole Fonstad started the series in the first two games at the Art Hauser Centre, but liked the response in Game 3.

“We needed him to go. Him and Fonny are two of our best players. They were pretty quiet in P.A. and we need them to play. They played tonight,” Habscheid said. “I thought they were involved, they made plays. We know they’re skilled, but when they get involved in the game, they’re really good players and they’re difference makers.”

No helpers

All four of the Raiders goals on Tuesday were unassisted. Both of Gregor’s goals came off of interceptions. Dante Hannoun was able to glove down a loose puck to himself shorthanded and wheel all the way down the ice and score. And Parker Kelly’s empty net goal was also unassisted, as he blocked a passing attempt at his blueline and skated the puck into the empty net.

Hagel-ing over points

Red Deer’s leading scorer Brandon Hagel has been involved in just about everything the Rebels have done offensively in the series. Of the six goals the Rebels have in this series, Hagel has scored four of them and assisted on another–involving himself in 83.3 of the Rebels’ goals. He had a goal and a helper in the 4-2 loss Tuesday.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Raiders, Noah Gregor (unassisted), 1:09

2-0, Raiders, Dante Hannoun (shorthanded, unassisted), 13:22

Second Period

2-1, Rebels, Brandon Hagel from Cameron Hausinger and Chase Leslie, 4:37

Third Period

3-1, Raiders, Noah Gregor (unassisted), 16:45

3-2, Rebels, Reese Johnson from Brandon Hagel and Oleg Zaystev, 18:58

4-2, Raiders, Parker Kelly (empty net, unassisted), 19:41

Game 4

The Raiders have a chance at getting the brooms out at the Centrium, 7 p.m. on Wednesday. But the Rebels will look to extend the series.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW

by Jeff D'Andrea

Raiders on the brink of snapping 15-year curse

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