Raiders goaltender Boston Bilous makes one of his 26 saves during his 1-0 shutout victory over the Blades Saturday at the SaskTel Centre. He's shown here stopping Blades 20-year-old Ryan Hughes with a left pad save. Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff

By Jeff D'Andrea

Shipping Up to Boston

Big game Boston steps up with a shutout against the Blades

Sep 21, 2019 | 10:28 PM

The Prince Albert Raiders didn’t generate a whole lot of offence on Saturday at the SaskTel Centre against the Saskatoon Blades. But because of the standout play from goaltender Boston Bilous, they didn’t much.

Bilous made 26 saves as his Raiders squeaked by the Blades 1-0 for their first win of the season. With the victory, the Raiders finished out the season opening weekend against the Blades with three out of a possible four points. The Blades won 3-2 in overtime over the Raiders at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday.

“I thought he was outstanding,” Raiders assistant coach Jeff Truitt said of Bilous. “I thought he was in great shape and he took his craft serious this summer and he wanted to be the guy, because he kind of knew that he was going to be the guy.

“He just wasn’t going to take it for granted. He wanted to come in, he wanted to prove to everybody that he is a great goaltender, a great teammate and full marks to him. He’s looked composed in there.”

For Bilous, that’s his first shutout as a Raider since coming over in a deal with the Edmonton Oil Kings near the trade deadline, and his second doughnut in 37 WHL career appearances.

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Through two games this year against the third-ranked team in the entire CHL, Bilous has a .932 save percentage and 1.44 goals against average and a clean sheet. Bilous was also in form in the preseason with a .933 save percentage and 1.91 goals against average.

Bilous took a number of great chances away from the Blades. He also stopped overage forward Riley McKay on two breakaways, including this one just 22 seconds into the third period.

The only run support that Bilous needed came with 7:58 left in the game, when Cole Fonstad found some room on the glove hand of Nolan Maier. Maier was also stellar in goal for the Blades, making 25 saves on 26 Raider shots.

That’s Fonstad’s first goal and point of the season. Aliaksei Protas got the lone assist on the goal, and is the only Raider through the first two games to have multiple points—with two.

No Florchuk, no Kneen

Eric Florchuk left Friday’s contest against the Raiders after taking a hit early in the first period Justin Nachbaur in the neutral zone. Blades head coach Mitch Love said Florchuk’s injury situation is either day-to-day or week-to-week.

Blades overage defenceman Nolan Kneen was scratched for the home opener. The Blades have four overage players, and Kneen sat to give Riley McKay his Blades debut, who played beside Ryan Hughes and Scott Walford. According to voice of the Blades Les Lazaruk, the move was thought of well in advance to evaluate which overagers they have.

Down to the capital, then back home for a frozen treat

The Raiders will take on the Regina Pats on the road for their first road game of the season. They’ll return to the Art Hauser Centre for their first ever game against the Winnipeg ICE—since their relocation from Cranbrook, B.C.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW