The Eastern Conference semifinal series is down to a best-of-three, and the Raiders hold home ice advantage over the Blades. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Trevor Redden

Redden on the Raiders

Redden on the Raiders: Home ice is everything so far

Apr 12, 2019 | 10:42 AM

It all comes down to a best of three.

Both teams have held court on home ice, and now we’ll see if home ice advantage can be the difference maker for Prince Albert as games five and seven [if needed] would take place at the Art Hauser Centre.

We’ve seen some beautiful goals, big hits, spectacular saves, and tons of emotion through four games, and there’s no doubt that the fans have been entertained. Of course, some fans haven’t had the most pleasant experience, but more on that later.

More than anything, we’ve seen two good teams battling back and forth.

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Numbers game

Through the regular season, Blades goaltender Nolan Maier posted a 0.910 save percentage, good for eighth in the 22-team WHL. Especially considering he’s just 17 years old and in his second season in the league, this was an outstanding year for the Yorkton product.

Maier finished the season on a six-game winning streak and posted even better numbers in that segment as he stopped 146 of 157 shots for a 0.930 save percentage.

In these last two games against Prince Albert, Maier stopped 69 of 70 shots, for an astounding 0.986 save percentage.

Let’s say his performance this week was in line with his league average. With a 0.910 save percentage he would have allowed [statistically speaking] 2.34 goals against in game three, which was a 1-0 Blades shutout. And in game four, he would have allowed 3.96 goals against in what turned out to a be a 4-1 Blades victory including a late empty netter. His elevated performance is the difference right now between a potential Prince Albert sweep and a 2-2 series tie.

Even if he performed like he did in his six-game winning streak, he would have allowed 1.82 goals against in game three and 3.08 goals in game four, instead of zero and one respectively.

Great goaltending can turn a series around, and that’s exactly what Maier’s been able to do this week.

Worth noting here is the performance of Ian Scott, who has been incredible in the Raiders goal this post-season just as he was in the regular season. The Eastern Conference Goaltender of the Year leads all goalies this playoff season with a 1.76 goals against average, and is second to Spokane’s Bailey Brkin with a 0.929 save percentage.

We’ve been treated to some great goaltending all around.

Postgame taunting

After an emotional game four, both Raiders Head Coach Marc Habscheid and forward Dante Hannoun met with media and commented on some postgame antics from Blades players.

“It was interesting. At the end of the game, our guys took notice that they were taunting and making motions to us,” Habscheid said. “We will be ready on Friday. That just fueled us.”

“They skated by our bench and mocked us,” Hannoun said. “We’re not going to forget that.”

Not that it’s needed in a series already fraught with drama, but this adds another layer to the rivalry heading into tonight.

In the stands

The allegations coming out of SaskTel Centre on Wednesday night need to be taken seriously. I know from several firsthand accounts that some fans on both sides had negative experiences in the building in Saskatoon.

I don’t mean to make light of any of these scenarios that impacted both Raider and Blades fans, but I encourage anybody who was treated poorly by either side in the stands this series to remember that the bad behavior of a few people doesn’t represent an entire fan base.

Raiders and Blades fans are both extremely passionate, and we’ve seen some incredible atmospheres around the rink this past week in both cities.

I encourage all Raider fans to welcome the visiting Blades fans to the Art Hauser Centre tonight, and to make sure you treat them with respect in person and on social media. When the series shifts back to Saskatoon on Sunday, I hope we don’t see any of the behaviour that took place on Wednesday night and both fans can enjoy some great hockey.

Similarities?

Though I personally wasn’t around for it, this series is showing some similarity to the last time the Raiders and Blades met back in 2011.

That time, the Blades were the Scotty Munro Trophy holders as regular season champions, while the Raiders earned a playoff spot as the eighth seed, setting up a first-round matchup.

The top-ranked Blades were in control through two games with a 2-0 series lead, but everything changed back in Prince Albert as the underdog Raiders won back-to-back home games, sending the series back to the Bridge City tied 2-2.

What happened next?

The Blades walloped the Raiders on home ice and picked up the first away win in the series in overtime in game six, breaking the hearts of Raider fans and players alike on their way to the second round.

Of course, this year’s Blades with 45 wins in the regular season cannot be compared to an eighth-seed, but the results coming out of the two buildings has followed a similar trend.

We’ll see how things shake out tonight!

With files from paNOW’s Jeff D’Andrea.

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden