The Raiders fell 5-2 to the Swift Current Broncos on Monday in Regina. Keith Hershmiller/WHL

By Jeff D’Andrea

Raiders in the Dubble

Habscheid Raiders’ goalie, defence, forwards and coaching all “weren’t very good” in loss to Broncos

Mar 22, 2021 | 7:07 PM

The Prince Albert Raiders’ 5-2 loss to the Swift Current Broncos is exactly why hockey games are played on the ice, and not on paper.

Because on paper, the Broncos had little to no reason to win the game. They were winless in their last 14 games against the Raiders, dating back to the 2018-19 season. Against all competition, the Broncos hadn’t won in 23 straight games and were off to an 0-5 start this season.

And if all that wasn’t enough the Broncos were forced to play just four defencemen, two of them rookie blueliners, due to a nasty swarm of injuries and the difficulty of adding new players into the “dubble.” They also played 16-year-old rookie goaltender Reid Dyck, who was playing his second-ever WHL game.

But everything that could have gone wrong for the Raiders did.

“I thought our goaltending wasn’t very good. I thought our defence wasn’t very good. I thought our forwards weren’t very good and I thought our coaching wasn’t very good. So there you go, you have it in a nutshell,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said.

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Dyck stopped just about everything, making 28 saves on 30 shots for his first WHL win.

Carter Stebbings had never scored a WHL goal before Monday’s contest, he had two of those on the power play to lead the Broncos. Caleb Wyrostock and Devin Aubin also scored their first-ever WHL markers.

“I don’t know if we thought it was going to be easy or not, but we just didn’t play. They played better than us. Give them credit, they played better than us and that shouldn’t happen,” Habscheid said.

The players themselves are wishing for more of a constant and consistent work ethic throughout the games. After Sunday’s 3-2 overtime loss, Raiders forward Evan Herman wanted to see his teamwork a lot harder. Justin Nachbaur echoed those statements as well after Monday’s defeat.

“It all starts with the mentality, right? You can control how hard you work, it’s not rocket science. It’s what you want to do,” Nachbaur said. “It’s unacceptable.”

Nachbaur scored in the third period to get his team back in the game at 4-2. That was the overager’s first goal and point in four games this season.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Broncos, Raphael Pelletier from Owen Williams and Mathew Ward, 4:16

1-1, Raiders, Ozzy Wiesblatt from Evan Herman, 6:42

Second Period

2-1, Broncos, Caleb Wyrostok from Bode Hagan and Raphael Pelletier, 10:15

3-1, Broncos, Devin Aubin from Matthew Ward and Michael Farren, 2:23

4-1, Broncos, Carter Stebbings from Cole Nagy, 19:09

Third Period

4-2, Raiders, Justin Nachbaur from Logan Danis and Matthew Culling, 1:05

5-2, Broncos, Carter Stebbings from Cole Nagy and Aiden Bulych (power play), 12:25

Goals are like bananas, they come in bunches

Through their first five games, the Raiders have either scored a ton of goals, or have been in a defensive struggle.

When the Raiders have scored five or more goals, they are 2-0, (6-3 win against the Regina Pats on March 12, 5-3 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings on March 16). But if the Raiders score two goals or less, they are 0-2-1-1, (2-1 shootout loss to Moose Jaw Warriors on March 14, 3-1 regulation loss to Saskatoon Blades on March 19, 3-2 overtime loss to Winnipeg ICE on March 21, 5-2 regulation loss to the Swift Current Broncos March 22).

Former Raiders could make the jump to the big time soon

The Toronto Maple Leafs added goaltending prospect and former Prince Albert Raider Ian Scott to their taxi squad.

Scott backstopped the Raiders to the 2019 Ed Chynoweth Cup, while also winning the Goaltender of the Year awards for both the CHL and WHL.

Another Raider on that championship-winning team is Parker Kelly, who also might not have to wait too long to get his NHL chance. Kelly is on the Belleville Senators, the AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa head coach D.J. King saw Kelly play recently and said Kelly has the potential to play in the NHL.

“He’s banging into everything, and a guy that might be able to claw his way to the league,” King said in Sunday’s press conference.

Looking ahead

The Raiders (2-2-1-1) will take on the Regina Pats on Thursday at 4 p.m. The Pats are 1-2-2 so far on the season.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW