(Submitted photo/Mark Peterson Media)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Raiders' playoff push begins with Pats

Howe are the Raiders going to deal with Bedard and the Pats?

Feb 18, 2022 | 12:00 PM

The Prince Albert Raiders still have 24 more games to come in this Western Hockey League season, but the playoff-like urgency has already started to creep in.

If it wasn’t there before, it will begin for Friday night’s game against the Regina Pats, as both clubs are in the middle of a four-team dog fight for the final playoff spot in the WHL Eastern Conference.

The Raiders and Pats are both tied for 10^th in the conference with 36 points, five back of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who are currently in the eighth spot with 41 points. The Pats (41 games played, 17-22-1-1) have played three fewer games than the Raiders (44 games played, 17-25-1-1).

Although both clubs are in a similar position in the standings, the Pats have had the better of the season series between the two clubs. The Raiders have just one win in five meetings this year, with a 5-2 win at the Art Hauser Centre on Dec. 3.

The Pats defeated the Raiders in the rest of the games this year, 3-1 on Oct. 1, 5-2 on Oct. 2 to sweep the opening series of the season, 5-2 Dec. 10 (without Bedard) and 4-0 Jan. 25.

Budget woes

Golf and curling centre faces grim season without financial boost

1h ago

Raiders AGM

Raiders impact on Prince Albert local economy continues to go up: AGM report

19h ago

Court proceedings

'The impact of this trauma will echo for generations': court case surrounding La Ronge woman's death reaches conclusion

Dec 11, 2024

A huge reason for that is the can’t-miss player Connor Bedard, who has four goals and eight points this year against the Raiders in the four games he’s played in the season series. After a pretty good start to the season, Bedard has gone completely off since returning from the World Juniors.

In 12 games since returning from Team Canada, Bedard has 15 goals and 30 points. Yes— 1.25 goals per game and 2.5 points per game. On the season, Bedard has 29 goals and 54 points in 36 games played.

The last time these two teams met on Jan. 25, Prince Albert’s Tanner Howe had a pair of goals. He has four goals in five games against the Raiders. And despite being a 16-year-old rookie with a late birthday, Howe has put together a great rookie season with 39 points in 38 games (17 goals, nine power play goals). That’s good for seventh in WHL rookie scoring.

After a six-game losing streak, the Raiders have steadied the ship with two wins out of their last three games. Captain Reece Vitelli has been a big part of that, as he has two assists in the skid-snapping 5-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen on Feb. 8, before scoring a goal in the Raiders’ last two games.

Against the Pats this year, it’s been a balanced attack for the Raiders. Carson Latimer has two goals and four points in four games (one assist while a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings), while Cale Sanders and Keaton Sorensen both have two goals and four points in five games.

After Friday’s game, the Raiders will host the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday. They won’t get much of a holiday break this weekend, as they will head over to Medicine Hat to take on the Tigers on Monday (a 1 p.m. Saskatchewan time), before facing the Calgary Hitmen at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Feb. 23, heading north to Red Deer on Feb. 25 to face the Rebels, heading even more north on Feb. 26 to take on the Edmonton Oil Kings, before getting back to Saskatchewan to face the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Friendly City. The Raiders will then finally play against at the Art Hauser Centre on March 4 when they host the Warriors.

Listen to Rob Mahon’s calls of the game on CKBI.

–

Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW