Max Hildebrand makes a jaw dropping save on Regina Pats forward Zachary Lansard on the opening play of the game. (Keith Hershmiller Photography/Regina Pats)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders win 5-1

Raiders avenge home opener against Pats

Oct 31, 2024 | 12:09 AM

Coming off their first win on home ice of the season over the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Prince Albert Raiders were back on the road Wednesday night to take on the Regina Pats in the Raiders’ first game against an Eastern Conference opponent in nine games. The Raiders played their most complete 60 minute game of the season to earn the 5-1 win over the Pats.

There was no scoring in the first period, but the first rush of the game for the Pats tried to set the pace early when Braxton Whitehead, Tanner Howe, and Zachary Lansard found themselves on a 3-on-1. They made an expert passing play that finished with Howe sending a cross crease pass to Lansard in tight, but Raiders goaltender Max Hildebrand set the tone with an incredible glove save on the first shot of the game.

Later in the period, the Raiders and Pats each had powerplays lasting 44 seconds that crossed over with each other, but no other marks were made on the scoresheet.

After 1: Raiders 0 – 0 Pats, shots 15-5 Raiders

The Raiders started the scoring at the 6:14 mark of the period from an unlikely source. Ty Sobry got the call to play left wing due to injuries on the roster, and he opened the scoring. Lukas Dragicevic sent the puck to the middle of the blueline for Doogan Pederson, and he put a wrist shot on goal through traffic. The puck was stopped and bounced into the slot for Sobry, and he found the back of the net for his second of the season.

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At 18:34, the Raiders scored again when Pederson sent a breakout pass to Niall Crocker, and he went one-on-one against a defender down the right wall. Crocker stopped as he crossed the blueline, waiting for a streaking Ethan Bibeau to catch up to the play. Crocker sent a perfect feed into the middle of the ice, landing on Bibeau’s stick right in front of the net for him to tap home for his fourth of the season.

The Pats got one back with 30 seconds left in the period, and it came off the stick of Prince Albert’s Sportsman of the Year. Playing in his first game of the season after starting injured, Tanner Howe was streaking towards the net when a shot from the point came his way, and he tipped it in to get Regina back to within one before the end of the period.

After 2: Raiders 2 – 1 Pats, shots 13-12 Pats, 27-18 Raiders overall

The Raiders quickly took back the two goal lead 3:39 into the third when they got two straight powerplays to start the period. While their zone time was good on the first powerplay, the Raiders failed to get much for shots through, but they got their second chance 15 seconds later. Aiden Oiring quickly won a faceoff back to Dragicevic, and he put a good shot on goal that popped the rebound out, and Crocker parked in his usual office buried the rebound for his sixth goal of the season and his sixth point in two games.

The powerplay put in more work when Howe took an undisciplined penalty for slashing after the whistle at 14:19. Less than a minute later at 14:58, the Raiders made him pay for it when Tomas Mrsic used his signature wrist shot from the point to beat Kelton Pyne’s glove. Mrsic scored his team leading seventh of the season, and Oiring and Krzyzstof Macias picked up assists.

The fourth goal served as the dagger for the Pats, but Brayden Dube made sure to twist the knife a bit when he scored just 17 seconds later. Justice Christensen picked up the lone assist for flipping the puck out high to centre, and Dube used his speed to earn a partial breakaway down the right wall and fired a wrist shot short side for his fourth of the season at 15:15.

FINAL: Raiders 5 – 1 Pats, shots 15-8 Pats, 35-33 Raiders overall

The Raiders get one day off before they play host to the Swift Current Broncos in their only action of the weekend on Friday.