Carson Latimer. (Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Alive and well

Raiders rocket into playoff spot after critical victory over Broncos

Apr 15, 2022 | 10:13 PM

The Prince Albert Raiders rocketed up the standings after a do-or-die 4-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos Friday on the road.

Not only did the Raiders keep their playoff hopes alive, but they flew up from 11th place to 8th and taking that last playoff spot from the Broncos themselves. The Raiders and Broncos both have 59 points, but the Raiders have more wins (27 to 26) and still have one more game left in the season.

“Everybody knew the situation, and we have for a while,” Raiders assistant coach Jeff Truitt said. “It was going to come down to a game like this, on the road which is not easy, but our games came up clutch.”

Should the Raiders win Saturday at the Art Hauser Centre against the Brandon Wheat Kings, they would clinch a playoff spot and eliminate the Broncos. The Broncos could still get into a tiebreaking play-in game should the Raiders fall in regulation.

To help matters, the Winnipeg ICE defeated the Regina Pats 6-1, keeping the Pats at 57 points (with two games remaining). The Calgary Hitmen did not play and stay at 58 points, and have one game remaining.

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It wasn’t an easy game by any means for the Raiders, who overcame a pair of disallowed goals. Evan Herman thought he scored at the 10-minute mark of the first period, but the goal was waved off by the officials after they believed Broncos goaltender Isaac Poulter was interfered with.

Carson Latimer thought for a moment he scored in the second period, but the officials rightly disallowed the goal as the puck did not cross the line.

Sloan Stanick scored on the power play for the Raiders, to give them a 1-0 lead after the first period. Cole Nagy, the former Raider, would tie the game 27 seconds into the sandwich stanza.

The Raiders pulled away with another strong period as Carson Latimer’s near-side snipe exactly four minutes later put the Raiders ahead, while goals from Vladislav Shilo in the second and Herman’s empty-net goal in the third turned out to be insurance markers.

Latimer finished with a goal and two assists.

“You look at your guys that have been drafted, and your older players and [Latimer] as to respond,” Truitt said. “There’s going to be bigger games for him hopefully if he goes pro, but for us tonight, this was a huge game. To have him respond in a clutch situation to regain the lead was huge.”

Tikhon Chaika made 32 saves on 33 shots as he was stellar in the must-win game in goal for the Raiders.

Scoring Summary

First Period

Disallowed goal, Evan Herman, 10-minute mark

1-0, Raiders, Sloan Stanick from Nolan Allan and Landon Kosior (power play), 13:43

Second Period

1-1, Broncos, Cole Nagy from Eric Van Impe, 0:27

2-1, Raiders, Carson Latimer from Keaton Sorensen and Nolan Allan, 4:27

3-1, Raiders, Vladislav Shilo from Remy Aquilon and Carson Latimer (power play), 13:16

Third Period

4-1, Raiders, Evan Herman from Carson Latimer (empty net), 17:27

Last one

The Raiders will wrap up their regular season with a Saturday night contest against the Brandon Wheat Kings. Game time is at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW