Max Hildebrand stretches out for one of his 32 saves against the Saskatoon Blades. (Submitted Photo/Steve Hiscock)

By Rob Mahon

Raiders Lose In Stoon

Late push, perfect PK not enough in Raiders loss to Blades

Dec 28, 2022 | 9:43 AM

Unlike the last meeting between the two teams, the Prince Albert Raiders did a much better job of keeping the Saskatoon Blades off the board in their first post-Christmas meeting. Sadly, they had similar troubles putting the puck in the net.

Vaughn Watterodt scored three times, including a shorthanded tally in the second period, and the Raiders fell 3-1 to the Blades in Saskatoon. Carter Anderson scored the lone Raiders goal, while Max Hildebrand was strong with 32 saves on 35 shots.

Though the Blades held the distinct shot advantage, the Raiders kept the teddy bear toss goal at bay until just 3:14 left in the first. On a 2-on-1 rush, Watterodt hit the post on his initial try but followed up and flipped a backhander home to make it 1-0.

After a lengthy layoff and a full intermission as the teams decided to cut the first frame short, play resumed and Watterodt picked up where he left off. On another 2-on-1, he picked his spot high glove and extended the Saskatoon lead.

The Raiders penalty kill was strong in the second period, even forcing the Blades to take a penalty of their own, but their power play let them down as Watterodt scored shorthanded to push the deficit to 3-0. He broke in 1-on-1, ripped a shot, then deposited his own rebound from the bottom of the left circle.

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With Carson Latimer driving the net and making some nifty moves, the Raiders drew a penalty late in the second but it was cut in two by the end of the period, and they could not convert. Then they fell into penalty troubles of their own. With Saskatoon on a long 5-on-3, however, Hildebrand stood his ground and got some good help from his defensemen to kill it off.

That 5-on-3 may not have produced any Blades goals, but it did significantly bleed down the time on the clock, and by the time the Raiders got their shot in the arm, there was little time left for a comeback. That shot came from Anderson, who drove the net off the rush and bounced the puck in off a backchecking Blade as he cut to the goal.

With the goal, the Raiders had life. They got a little more as the Blades took a late hooking minor. By then, however, there wasn’t enough time to pull back into things and they fell 3-1.

Next up for the Raiders is a home contest against the Regina Pats on the night of Friday, December 30. Puck drop is 7:00.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP