Raiders forward Noah Gregor celebrates his first of two goals Friday at the Art Hauser Centre as the Raiders beat the Blades 6-1 in Game 5, to take a 3-2 series lead. Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff

By Jeff D'Andrea

Noah Gre-goal

Gregor scores two big goals to lift Raiders to crucial Game 5 win

Apr 12, 2019 | 10:52 PM

Prince Albert Raiders forward Noah Gregor has had his chances to score, but was unable to convert in his last five playoff games.

But he sure chose a great time to end that streak as he scored twice in the second period, including the game winning goal and insurance goal as the Raiders went on to beat the Saskatoon Blades 6-1 Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre. The Raiders are now one win away from advancing to the WHL Eastern Conference finals and have a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 will be at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon at 4 p.m.

Gregor gave the Raiders a 2-0 lead with this shorthanded effort.

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“It felt really good. I thought throughout the series, I’ve had chances to score. I haven’t played my best at times but I thought tonight was a good one for me.”

Gregor had the breakout game without Cole Fonstad, his trusted playmaking linemate throughout most of the season. Fonstad missed the game to an undisclosed injury (welcome to the playoffs), but Gregor eventually clicked with Brett Leason and Dante Hannoun. Hannoun also finished the game with two goals and an assist, like Gregor did. Leason had three helpers.

“[Gregor] was like the rest, he took a while to get going. We had to adjust the lines a bit, so it was a feeling out process,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said. “When we adjusted them in the second, I think that helped for him and other guys too. We patched things together, that’s playoffs. You do what you got to do to find a win. I thought he stepped forward.”

Habscheid thought throughout the series, especially in Games 3 and 4, the Raiders had stretches were they played gripped their sticks a little tight. Habscheid’s message for Game 5 Friday was very simple.

“I told the guys, ‘just play,’” Habscheid said. “We were trying to play a perfect game or whatever. We hadn’t scored, so trying hard to score, all those emotions come in. They care. No doubt it’s an important game, so we never had to worry too much about them not trying hard enough—it was about trying too hard and being too careful.”

Maier’s fire and ire

It’s been a tail of two different Nolan Maier’s in the series so far.

He’s been almost impossible to beat this series at the SaskTel Centre. In Games 3 and 4, Maier was 2-0 with a .986 save percentage and a shutout while playing on Saskatoon ice.

But at the Art Hauser Centre, it’s been a much different story.

After Friday, Maier is now 0-3 in the series, with a .849 save percentage. He has also been replaced twice by call-up Koen MacInnes, who had previously never played an WHL game until this series.

Nachbaur major

With 5:08 left in a 6-1 game, Justin Nachbaur was issued a five-minute major for this hit on Dawson Davidson. Davidson needed to be helped to the bench and appeared to have been cut on the play.

Brook smart

On Thursday, Raiders rookie Jakob Brook was named as the WHL Eastern Conference Scholastic Player of the Year.

Brook maintained a 92 per cent average in his Grade 11 year, and he had his eye on this award.

“It’s awesome. It was a goal of mine coming into the year,” Brook said. “I was just hoping to get academic for the team. It just happened that I got it for our conference. It’s awesome. I worked hard for it and I’m happy I got it.”

Scoring Summary

First Period

No scoring.

Second Period

1-0, Raiders, Dante Hannoun from Max Martin and Brett Leason (power play), 2:51

2-0, Raiders, Noah Gregor (shorthanded, unassisted), 6:01

2-1, Blades, Emil Malysjev from Chase Wouters, 9:07

3-1, Raiders, Noah Gregor from Dante Hannoun, 10:23

Third Period

4-1, Raiders, Aliaksei Protas from Brett Leason. 1:01

5-1, Raiders, Dante Hannoun from Brayden Pachal and Noah Gregor, 12:31

6-1, Raiders, Sean Montgomery from Brett Leason and Jeremy Masella, 13:54

Looking ahead

Game 6 will be Sunday in Saskatoon at 4 p.m. If the Raiders win, they’re into the WHL Eastern Conference. A Blades win will force a Game 7 on Tuesday, 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW