Raiders defenceman Jeremy Masella and Pats forward Austin Pratt collide heavily into the boards. Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff

By Jeff D'Andrea

Raiders find a way for their 10th win

Raiders shake off bus legs, rust and three disallowed goals to beat the Pats

Nov 1, 2019 | 10:34 PM

It was a weird one Friday at the Art Hauser Centre.

The Prince Albert Raiders, who were still shaking off their bus legs from their U.S. division road trip, had three goals disallowed by video reviews, and were victims of a fluky bounce goal the other way.

But even after all that, the Raiders still managed a 6-3 win over the Regina Pats.

That gives the Raiders their 10^th win of the year, putting them at 10-2-3 on the season and 6-0-2 on home ice. The Pats fall to 2-11-1.

“Everybody knows about the first game back after a long road trip,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid. “Coming in there, they were hanging around. In the first half of the game, I thought we were pretty good. We carried the play, our passing was good, our speed was good, but they were hanging around and they were up 2-1 heading into the third.”

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The Raiders were able to tie the game on the power play with a goal from Ozzy Wiesblatt early in the third. The Raiders though they went up 3-2 immediately after, but they suffered their third disallowed goal of the game when it was ruled that Max Paddock actually gloved one off the line to rob Brayden Watts of a goal. But just seconds after that, Raiders forward Reece Vitelli tipped one in anyway to put the Raiders up 3-2.

It was a huge goal for Vitelli in many ways, as it’s his first goal of the year to get that 14-game monkey off his back to start the season. But although he’s played in six games now for the Raiders since coming over in a huge trade with the Everett Silvertips just before the road trip, Friday was Vitelli’s first game in Prince Albert as a Raider.

“It was a really good win for the boys, a really good crowd out here and a great atmosphere for my first game,” Vitelli said. “I’m just happy to pot that one in for the boys, and it was a great feeling.”

Vitelli joined the Raiders before the started the trip in Everett on Oct. 19. In fact, he drove two days all the way from Everett to Prince Albert, to make sure he could drop his car off and arrive in time to take the bus with the team all the way back to Everett.

“The two-week road trip really helped with the guys. I got to know all them on a personal level, which is great,” Vitelli said. “On the road, you get a little extra bond with the team. It was great.”

Spencer Moe finished the game with a pair of goals, the second time this season he’s scored twice in a single game this year.

Aliaksei Protas scored his 10^th goal of the season in the season in the third period, and finished the game with a goal and two assists. Ozzy Wiesblatt and Brayden Watts both finished with a goal and a helper. Ilya Usau was the game’s third star with three assists.

The disallowed goals

Video goal judge Ward Howat worked overtime on Friday as he was called on three times for three different video goal reviews.

As it turned out, all three decisions went against the Raiders as all three goals were disallowed.

Justin Nachbaur thought he opened the scoring in the first period, only to find out later that Max Paddock was able to somehow keep the puck out.

On the second one, Aliaksei Protas kicked one into the net in an attempt to tie the game in the third. Although players can now legally score goals with kicking motions, they can’t do it in the crease where Protas clearly was.

On the third, Raiders forward Brayden Watts thought for all his money that he put the Raiders up 3-2, but Max Paddock had other ideas as he snagged the puck right off the goal line.

The goals that actually counted

First Period

No scoring.

Second Period

1-0, Raiders, Spencer Moe from Ilya Usau and Justin Nachbaur, 1:32

1-1, Pats, Drew Englot (unassisted), 6:20

2-1, Pats, Logan Nijhoff from Carter Massier and Caiden Daley, 18:09

Third Period

2-2, Raiders, Ozzy Wiesblatt from Aliaksei Protas and Ilya Usau (power play), 7:07

3-2, Raiders, Reece Vitelli from Ilya Usau and Ozzy Wiesblatt (power play), 9:05

4-2, Raiders, Aliaksei Protas from Spencer Moe, 10:34

5-2, Raiders, Brayden Watts from Remy Aquilon, 15:22

5-3, Pats, Logan Nijhoff from Ryker Evans, 17:33

6-3, Raiders, Spencer Moe from Aliaksei Protas and Brayden Watts (empty net), 18:05

Back on the road again

The Raiders are going on the road once again, heading down to Moose Jaw to play the Warriors on Saturday. Then the Raiders will take on a mini-road trip in Alberta next week, taking on Prince Albert’s Riley Sawchuk the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday, the Calgary Hitmen on Wednesday. The Raiders will return home on Friday to take on P.A.’s Braden Schneider the Brandon Wheat Kings.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW