The Raiders bench looks on as the Teddy Bears come down early in the Raiders 7-3 loss in Brandon. (Scramble Studio/Brandon Wheat Kings)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders lose 7-3

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Friday night saw the Raiders earn a tough, gut check win at home over the Calgary Hitmen for the Raiders Teddy Bear Toss before they would hit the road Saturday to take on the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Raiders kept the game tight until a big penalty kill in the second seemed to gas the Raiders, and they’d fall 7-3 to the Wheat Kings in their Teddy Bear Toss night.

Ty Meunier opened the scoring just 2:33 in when Oli Chenier helped get the puck into the zone for Luke Moroz. With bodies all around him in the high slot, Moroz found Meunier at the left side of the goal, and he lazered a wrist shot short side for his fifth of the season and the Raiders early lead.

The Wheat Kings only took 20 seconds to tie the game with their own Teddy Bear Toss goal. As they came in on the rush, the Domink Petr put a shot on goal and defenceman Rhett Ravndahl followed the play to tuck the rebound in at 2:53.

Once the bears were cleaned off the ice, the Whrat Kings scored again at 6:57. Matteo Michels would find the puck in a scramble at the goal crease and put it in to give the Wheat Kings the lead.

After 1: Raiders 1 – 2 Wheat Kings, shots 12-9 Raiders

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The Raiders still had lots of jump and Brayden Dube showed that when he tied the game at 4:49. The play started in the Raiders zone when Daxon Rudolph took a pass away in the left side corner, and he turned on the jets to take the puck up the wall before feeding Dube a great pass in the high slot, and Dube ripped home his 12th of the season.

After that came a play that on any other night would’ve been a momentum booster when the Raiders were given a four minute double minor to Tyrone Sobry. Not only did the Raiders kill both penalties successfully, but they didn’t even allow a single shot on goal or even a faceoff in that man advantage.

That extended penalty kill was followed by the Wheat Kings scoring at 14:13 when Adam Belushko found the puck in the right side corner of the Raiders zone, and he fired from below the goal line and hit Dimitri Fortin in the mask, causing the puck to skitter into the back of the net for the Wheat Kings lead.

The momentum had clearly shifted and the Wheat Kings were pressing as Aiden Oiring was in the penalty box. Just as Oiring left the box, Michels was set up for the second of the night on a one timer and the game winner at 17:23.

After 2: Raiders 2 – 4 Wheat Kings, shots 14-6 Brandon, 23-18 Wheat Kings

The Wheat Kings scored twice in the first 3:09 of the third period and they never looked back. Brady Turko was sprung on a breakaway at 1:59 and made a nice move to get around Fortin, and Easton Odut followed it up with a wrist shot after the Wheat Kings were able to cycle the puck.

That would end Dimitri Fortin’s night would end after allowing six goals on 19 shots for a 0.760 save percentage on the night, and drop his on the season to 0.874. In the three games prior, including his best against Calgary the night before, he was operating at 0.918 since joining the Raiders.

That brought in Steele Bass for the final half of the period, and he allowed one goal on 12 shots to finish the game. That goal came at 15:24 when Carter Klippenstein got a pass out of the corner and into the slot, and he pump faked behind a defender to freeze Bass and open up the wide side for the goal.

Ty Meunier would add his second of the game in the final minute, again with an assist from Moroz who found a great seem pass through the slot to Meunier on the right side of the net this time, but still in close he managed to fire the puck in short side with 0:49 remaining.

FINAL: Raiders 3 – 7 Wheat Kings, shots 15-10 Wheat Kings, 38-28 Wheat Kings overall

With three games in the season series played, the Wheat Kings are ahead of the Raiders by a three points thanks to the extra point Brandon picked up in the overtime loss last time in Brandon. The two teams meet again for the fourth of six games this year on Saturday in Prince Albert.

The Raiders powerplay was held off the board for the third time in four games now, but tonight only receiving two chances on the night. The penalty kill however was a perfect 5/5 on the night.

The Raiders play once more before the rematch with Brandon as they welcome the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday for only their second meeting since the start of the season. The two games are the final home games before the Christmas break.