The Raiders celebrate a first period goal against the Seattle Thunderbirds as they put up three in the first period. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders win 4-3

Four point night for Crocker as Raiders earn first win at home

Oct 26, 2024 | 9:03 AM

After five games on the road in B.C. and seven straight games against Western Conference opponents, the Prince Albert Raiders returned home on Friday night for one last matchup out of conference against the Seattle Thunderbirds. Although the second period woes the Raiders have had all season still reared their head, the Raiders came away with a 4-3 win.

The Raiders got out to an early lead when Daxon Rudolph started the play at centre, sending the puck ahead from his own blueline off a body at centre, and then Rudolph hustled to the bench for a change. Niall Crocker went in on the attack and found the puck on the right wall, and he passed it back to the blueline where a fresh Justice Christensen was streaking in and wired a slapshot into the back of the net for his second of the season at 2:12.

Then at 9:29, the Raiders got on the board again on the powerplay. After Aiden Oiring drew a tripping call, the man advantage went to work. Lukas Dragicevic didn’t earn an assist but the play started with him at the right point as he passed the puck right behind the goal for Crocker, and he quickly found fed it to Tomas Mrsic on the left point. His onetimer was stopped, but the rebound bounced out perfectly to Oiring in the slot, and he scored his fifth of the season.

At 15:24, Crocker got his own goal on the night on the Raiders third powerplay of the period. This time it started off a faceoff win to Dragicevic, and he came from the left point to the right where he made a give and go play with Krzyzstof Macias, and on the return feed Dragicevic put a hard shot on goal. It was stopped, but Crocker in front found the rebound and tucked it in for his fifth of the season.

After 1: Raiders 3 – 0 Thunderbirds, shots 15-4 Raiders

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With the Raiders on the penalty kill with Brayden Dubein the box for hooking, the Thunderbirds Sawyer Mynio would dump the puck in directly on Raiders goaltender Max Hildebrand, and he tried to play it out to centre. Instead, he hit Mynio crashing the net and the puck skittered behind the net, and Mynio found the puck first, centred it for Nathan Pilling, and he scored his first of the night at 11:40.

The Thunderbirds powerplay went to work again at the 15:47 mark when they cycled the puck around the zone and it came to the left point for Braeden Cootes. He closed in from the blueline and into the edge of the slot, firing a wrist shot through traffic to score.

Then we saw a unique display of toughness from Justice Christensen. The Raiders captain got tied up in the corner with Arjun Bawa, and Bawa took exception to a shove from Christensen and dropped his gloves. Bawa threw two hard punches at Christensen’s chin, and he ate both of them while holding Bawa at arm’s length and staring at the ref waiting for him to break up the unnecessary fight. Bawa earned a roughing double minor and a ten minute misconduct for his efforts while Christensen helped his team on the powerplay.

With the ice opened up 4-on-4, the Thunderbirds found another goal on the stick of Pilling when he found a rebound in front off a shot from the point, and his second of the game tied it up at 17:09.

After 2: Raiders 3 – 3 Thunderbirds, shots 22-9 Thunderbirds, 26-24 Thunderbirds overall

The third period was much more of what the Raiders needed to see, a solid opponent in Seattle that made them work for their chances, but the Raiders still managed to outwork them and protect the lead once they got it again.

The Raiders got their lead back at the 8:37 mark when Crocker again started the play, winning a battle on the right wall to get the puck back to Christensen at the point. The Raiders captain fired through traffic, and Cole Peardon screening the goaltender managed to deflect the puck into the back of the net for his first of the season and the game winner.

FINAL: Raiders 4 – 3 Thunderbirds, shots 11-10 Raiders, 36-35 Thunderbirds overall

The Raiders are now off the ice for the rest of the weekend as they gear up for a battle with the Regina Pats on Wednesday.