Tij Iginla (#11) had a goal and two assists during the Rockets 4-3 win over the Raiders on Dec. 15, 2023. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Logan Lehmann

Rocket power

Iginla scores game-winner late to lift Rockets over Raiders

Dec 16, 2023 | 12:18 AM

Tij Iginla gave the Kelowna Rockets the win on Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre.

The son of NHL great Jarome Iginla scored the game winning goal with 21 seconds left in the third period to help Kelowna topple the Prince Albert Raiders 4-3. The goal capped off a great outing for the 17-year-old as he also had a pair of assists in the game.

Following the physical back-and-forth bout, Raiders head coach Jeff Truitt shared his thoughts about his team’s performance as well as the late third period goal.

“I thought in the first period we managed the puck really well, there wasn’t a lot of turnovers on our part [and] I thought that we managed things. The second period was a bit of a battle period. The temperature went up a little bit, which is good. Both teams weren’t going to budge so it was a battle. In the third period, the disappointing part about it was we battled back after they were up, we tied this thing up and we get a call that the puck wasn’t covered. Disappointing for sure because we battled back to 3-3 and could’ve got a point but we didn’t.”

The loss wraps up a four game homestand for the Raiders as the team now heads on Christmas break. Now at the halfway mark of the campaign, Truitt shared what the message was in the locker room as the team now gets set to embark on the back half of the season.

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“We’ve worked hard this first half and to be where we’re at, we’re happy but we’re not satisfied. We want to be better, we want to continue to grow and to get better in the standings with point production and whatnot. But for right now, it’s time for them to be with their families and enjoy the holidays, just be a young adult. The second half is always harder than the first. When you get these breaks, enjoy yourself and we’ll comeback stronger after the break.”

Lighting the lamp for the Raiders in the game was Oli Chenier, Justice Christensen, and Krzysztof Macias while Matej Kubiesa, Sloan Stanick, and Eric Johnston collected the assists.

Joining Iginla in the goal column for the Rockets was Max Graham, Marcus Pacheco, and Ethan Neutens while Hiroki Gojsic, Andrew Cristall, Trae Johnson, and John Babcock were the other assist getters.

Between the pipes for P.A. was Max Hildebrand who made 21 saves in the game as the Raiders fall to 17-15-0-2 at the halfway mark.

Jari Kykkanen was in the opposite crease for Kelowna and stopped 20 shots to help the Rockets improve to 14-15-2-0 on the year.

COMPLETE BOX SCORE

The ice was broken midway through the opening period with the visitors getting on the board first. Iginla picked up the puck from Gojsic and fired it toward the net. The puck traveled quickly onto the tape of Graham who tapped it home for his seventh of the season.

Fast forward to the second with the score still 1-0 Kelowna and the Raiders managed to pull it to even. Chenier got the puck in the offensive zone and shot it towards the net. The puck squeaked through the arm of Kykkanen and across the line.

However, Kelowna had a response. Iginla got the puck and let it rip from the right hand circle and with the help of a nifty deflection from Pacheco, the puck found the back of the net to restore the Rocket lead.

The Raiders again managed to tie it in the back half of the second period. Kubiesa got the puck to Christensen at the point who found some open space to walk in and snap it top shelf to knot it at two heading into the third period.

The teetertottering continued in the final frame when the Rockets retook the lead courtesy of Neutens less than five minutes in.

With less than three minutes to go, P.A. managed to tie it back up yet again, this time off the stick of Macias on the man-advantage.

However with less than a minute to go, a winner was decided. With 21.7 seconds remaining on the clock, a scrum in front of the goal saw Iginla pot home the game-winner for his third point of the night, and to seal a Kelowna victory.

The Raiders now go on their Christmas break and will return to the ice on Dec. 27 in Saskatoon to face the Blades.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com