Ryder Ritchie goes upstairs to open the scoring against the Brandon Wheat Kings on March 17, 2023. (Submitted photo/Brandon Wheat Kings)

By Logan Lehmann

Staying alive

Chaika spectacular, Raiders edge Wheaties to keep in playoff race

Mar 17, 2023 | 8:58 PM

BRANDON, MB – Tikhon Chaika was lights out for the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday night, helping the Green and Gold over the Brandon Wheat Kings 4-3 at Westoba Place.

The import netminder made multiple highlight-reel saves over the course of the game while registering 36 saves to help PA improve to 27-34-3-0, and to help keep their postseason hopes alive. On top of his incredible night, the 19-year-old was given the game’s first star for his stellar performance.

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Playing against his home team, Sloan Stanick scored a pair of goals to lead the scoresheet for PA while Ryder Ritchie tallied a goal and an assist. Carter Anderson also lit the lamp in the game while Chaika, Aiden Oiring, Seth Tansem, Landon Kosior, and Cole Peardon each had one helper.

Andrei Malyavin had a goal and an assist for Brandon while Nate Danielson and Nolan Ritchie also scored. Quinn Mantei and Kayden Sadhra-Kang were the assist getters, both netting two each.

Carson Bjarnason was in net for the Wheat Kings and stopped 17 shots as they now fall to 26-31-8-0 on the year.

COMPLETE BOX SCORE

The Raiders opened the scoring midway through the first period and it all started with a sweet feed from Oiring to spring Ritchie on a breakaway. He then faked a shot to juke out Bjarnason before backhanding his shot upstairs to put PA in front.

The Green and Gold then got another in the later stages of the frame all thanks to the local boy Stanick. He first split the defense before faking the forehand shot then going backhand to double the Raiders lead.

The score stayed that way through into the second where the Wheat Kings got on the board. Danielson carried the puck into the neutral zone for Brandon before letting a shot go in close that beat Chaika five hole to cut the deficit back to one.

Fast forward to the end of the period where tempers began to flare. Just as the period expired, Dawson Pasternak and Evan Herman got into it where the Raiders captain took down the Wheat Kings winger. Pasternak was penalized with an extra two minutes for instigating the fight and was also given a ten-minute misconduct on top of that.

The Raiders restored their two-goal lead in the third period with a pretty sweet one timer. Peardon carried the puck into the Brandon zone before giving a no-look feed to Anderson who fired a rocket into the back of the net to make it 3-1.

The Wheat Kings quickly responded however as 59 seconds later, Malyavin found the back of the net to turn it back to a one goal game.

Less than three to go in the game and Stanick pitted his second of the night for Prince Albert to make it 4-2. But the Wheat Kings have no quit, as they pulled the goalie for the extra attacker and it paid off with Ritchie finding twine to pull it back to a one goal game.

But that’s as close as Brandon would get as the Raiders hold off the Wheaties 4-3 to keep their playoff hopes alive.

PA is back tomorrow night to take on the ICE in Winnipeg. Puck drop is at 6:05pm CST.

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logan.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @lloganlehmann