Tensions boil over at the end of the game between the Raiders and Rebels after the Rebels battled for a late comeback and a 4-3 win. (Image Credit: Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders lose 4-3

Late game surge sees Rebels take win over Raiders

Mar 4, 2026 | 12:00 AM

With points in their last six games, the Prince Albert Raiders kicked off the month of March at home with a potential playoff matchup and the Red Deer Rebels. The Raiders took the lead early, but a late surge by the Rebels and a bad missed penalty that lead to the game winning goal, Raider fans were sent home annoyed after a 4-3 loss to the Rebels.

The Raiders scored early and Braeden Cootes was the one who set the tone. Jonah Sivertson won a puck battle near his own blue line and sent the puck ahead to centre to an open left wing, and Cootes quickly turned on the jets to hunt it down and create a 2-on-1. Cootes fed Alisher Sarkenov at the back door, and Sarkenov tipped it in for his 18th of the year just 1:57 in.

That lead to one of the most dominant periods of the season for the Raiders, thanks in part to two consecutive powerplays that didn’t score, but at the 8:53 mark Braeden Cootes again created the offence. Brock Cripps started the play when he flipped the puck towards the goal line, but Cootes knocked it out of the air and quickly dropped it back for Brayden Dube, and for the first time since missing 13 games with injury, Brayden Dube had scored for his 21st of the season.

After 1: Raiders 2 – 0 Rebels, shots 23-6 Raiders

The Rebels came out the stronger team in the second period, and that lead to a goal at the 5:34 mark. A shot from Landon MacSwain found the post and rebounded to Aleksey Chichkin in the slot, and his quick shot snuck underneath the pad and in. The Rebels were definetly the stronger team early in the second period, at one point outshooting the Raiders 11-3 in the period.

Raiders lose 4-3

Late game surge sees Rebels take win over Raiders

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In the middle of the period, Braeden Cootes left the game when he was checked into the open door of the Rebels bench. He stayed on the bench for some time before going down the tunnel and to the dressing room.

The back half saw the Raiders start to take over again as they flipped the shot clock back in their favour, and at 15:18 the Raiders regained their two goal lead. This time a relentless forecheck saw Connor Howe take the puck away, then find Evan Smith on the wall. Smith moved the puck back up towards the point before dropping the puck back down the wall to Maddix McCagherty. He curled into the middle of the ice, and McCagherty ripped a wrist shot for his 18th of the season.

After 2: Raiders 3 – 1 Rebels, shots 14-13 Raiders, 37-17 Raiders overall

In the third period, the Rebels were the better team, and they wore the Raiders down through the period until the 12:44 mark. Beckett Hamilton took the puck into the zone on the rush and wired a wrist shot to get his team back to within one.

After that, the Rebels got a powerplay at the 17:11 mark, the Rebels powerplay got a little luck at the side of the goal. They had worked the puck down low when suddenly the puck hopped up high in the air. Justice Christensen took a swipe at the puck trying to clear the zone, but it bounced over his stick and instead Matej Mikes would get a piece of it, just enough to beat Steele Bass and tie the game.

Pretty right off the faceoff, a terrible missed call lead to the Rebels scoring the game winner. Riley Boychuk had the puck at the red line and dumped the puck into the Rebels zone, but was hit up high with an elbow that knocked him to the ice. When Boychuk got up, the Rebels were carrying the puck into the Raiders zone and Cameron Kuzma fired a great shot into the back of the net for the game winner at 17:24.

FINAL: Raiders 3 – 4 Rebels, shots 17-11 Rebels, 48-36 Raiders overall

The first period shot total of 23-6 is the second time this season the Raiders put up 23 shots in a period this year. The other time saw the Raiders secure a 3-1 win over the Saskatoon Blades with a 23-5 shot clock in the third period back on Feb. 1.

For the first time since January 20, Brayden Dube has scored a goal for his 21st of the season. While Dube has been in and out of the lineup recovering from injury over the last few weeks, he missed a total of 13 games.

There is no indication on the extent of Braeden Cootes’ injury.