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 Nick Nielsen

Games 2 and 3 of BC road swing

Raiders B.C. roadswing continues with stops in Kelowna and Kamloops

Oct 14, 2024 | 9:48 AM

While families around Saskatchewan gather round their supper tables for a Thanksgiving feast, the Prince Albert Raiders are hungry for their first win since opening weekend as they get set for back-to-back matchups with the Kelowna Rockets mid day on Monday and the Kamloops Blazers Tuesday evening.

Starting with Monday’s matchup, the Rockets sit last in the B.C. Division after starting 0-5 in their first five games, but have improved to a 2-5 record with wins over the Tri-City Americans and Portland Winterhawks. Those two wins came in opposite fashion, winning 2-1 on the road in Tri-City after being outshot 31-19 and giving up the game’s first goal last Saturday. Then at home against Portland on Friday, the Rockets scored the first three goals in the first period and never looked back on their way to a 9-4 win, both teams posting 34 shots.

As for the Raiders, they have lost their last five in a row after a hard fought 5-4 loss to the Prince George Cougars to start the road swing. The Raiders sit last in the East Division at 1-4-2 with their lone win over the reigning WHL Champion Moose Jaw Warriors, and the Raiders also have the least amount of games played in their division.

The Rockets through their first seven games have scored 23 goals and allowed 28 for a -5 differential and an average of 3.2 goals per game. For Prince Albert, the Raiders have 19 goals for and 26 against for and are -7 differential, and their four against Prince George have bumped them up to 2.7 goals per game.

On special teams, the Raiders powerplay went 1/6 during Saturday’s action which dropped them to 17.2 per cent while Kelowna sits at 21.7 per cent in the year, both teams with five goals on the man advantage, but the Rockets have done it with six less chances. On the penalty kill, the Raiders are at an even 75 per cent on the season while the Rockets have the worst ranked penalty kill in the league at 65.2 per cent.

Raiders win 5-3

Defensive scoring leads Raiders over Wheat Kings

5h ago

GST Holiday

Federal government's two-month GST holiday begins

21h ago

Imminent need

Council set to discuss possible location for homeless shelter on 15th Street

Dec 14, 2024

Aiden Oiring continues to lead the Raiders with two points on Saturday to bring him to with 2G-7A-9P in seven games, followed by linemates Niall Crocker with 2G-4A-6P and Tomas Mrsic with 3G-2A-5P, all of which had points in Prince George. Krzyzstof Macias will make his return to the Raiders lineup on Monday to help provide some offence after returning from camp with the Charlotte Checkers and serving the last two games of a suspension from the playoffs last year.

The Rockets are lead by defenceman and Seattle Kraken third round pick Caden Price with 2G-6A-8P in six games, followed by Jakub Stancl and Michael Cicek each with seven points. Tij Iginla, son of Calgary Flames legend Jarome, has four goals in four games for the Rockets since returning from camp with the Utah Hockey Club.

In goal, Max Hildebrand currently had another highlight reel save against Prince George along with last week’s WHL Play of the Week. His record sits at 1-3-2 with a 0.912 save percentage after facing 95 shots in the last two games. Cooper Anderson is likely to get his first start during one of the two matchups after going 0.773 in his first game this year against the Swift Current Broncos.

The Rockets are going with the tandem of Jari Kykkanen who is 0-5 on the season with a save percentage at 0.872 and Jake Pilon who got the last two starts for the Rockets and has helped them to two straight wins with a 0.924 on 61 shots faced.

As for Tuesday’s opponent, the Kamloops Blazers will be rested without a game on Monday, but they sit one point ahead of Kelowna at 2-5-1 through eight games. The Blazers have played five games in October all on the road including a three games in three nights stretch where they lost all three, twice to the Tri-City Americans 5-4 and 5-3 and once to the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-1.

The Blazers have scored 25 goals on the season while giving up 35, tied for a league worst -10 goal differential with the Swift Current Broncos and Seattle Thunderbirds. Kamloops is averaging 3.1 goals a game.

On special teams, the Blazers powerplay is operating at 20.7 per cent while their penalty kill sits at 82.8 per cent.

Eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, Nathan Behm leads the Blazers so far with 7G-3A-10P through his seven games, followed by Jordan Keller with 1G-8A-9P and Emmitt Finnie with 3G-3A-6P who has already signed with the Detroit Red Wings after being drafted #201 overall in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

In goal, the Blazers have split their starts between Dylan Ernst and Logan Edmonstone. Ernst has played six games with a record of 1-4-1 and a 0.906 save percentage while Edmonstone sits 1-1 on the season with a 0.851 per cent.

Monday’s game between the Rockets and Raiders is set for 3:00 p.m. Saskatchewan time, with the pregame show set for 2:30 on 900 CKBI. As for Tuesday against the Blazers, that game starts at 8:00 p.m. Saskatchewan time, 7:30 p.m. pregame.

—

nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com