Playoff Preview: Raiders vs. Blades meet for ninth time in playoff history

2019: Round 2, Raiders win 4-2
2011: Round 1, Blades win 4-2
2005: Round 1, Raiders win 4-0
1995: Round 2, Raiders win 4-0
1992: Round 3, Blades win 4-2
1987: Round 2, Blades win 4-0
1986: Round 2, Raiders win 3-0

Season Series

During the regular season, the Raiders got the best of the Blades with a 6-1-1 record (Wins-Losses-Overtime losses), and each team won a game in overtime with the Blades winning in overtime, and the Raiders winning in a shootout.

On Sept. 19, the Raiders opened the season with a East Division Title banner raising ceremony and a 4-2 win.

The next night on Sep. 20, the Blades won the rematch 3-2 after a Raiders defenceman stumbled in overtime.

On Dec. 14, the Blades took an early lead but the Raiders came back in the second and took a 5-4 win.

On Jan. 31, the Blades handed the Raiders their only shutout of the season 4-0 and snapped an eight game winning streak for the Raiders.

On Feb. 1, the very next night, the Raiders broke a 1-1 tie in the third period and answered with a 3-1 win.

On Feb. 14, the two teams traded the lead back and forth but the Raiders would earn a 5-4 win in the shootout on home ice.

In the final weekend of the season, the Raiders clinched the Eastern Conference title with a 4-0 win at home on March 20 with Michal Orsulak in goal, and the very next night Steele Bass would get the start in Saskatoon and earn another 4-0 win on March 21.

Overall, the Raiders outscored the Blades 24-19 during eight games on the season.

One of the biggest storylines to follow from this season is the bad blood between the Raiders and the Blades. In total, there were seven fights in eight games this year between the two teams. Those fights were between:

Oli Chenier fighting Triston Mitchell-McElhone
Jonah Sivertson fighting Hunter Laing
Daxon Rudolph fighting Cooper Williams
Hubert Clarke fighting with Triston Mitchell-McElhone
Jonah Sivertson fighting with Jack Kachkowski
Two fights between the captains Justice Christensen and Tyler Parr

For Christensen and Parr, they have fought each other three times in their careers with a third fight last season.

Individually, Riley Boychuk and Daxon Rudolph both lead the season with identical statlines of 2G-6A-8P. Brayden Dube, Justice Christensen, and Blades forward Rowan Calvert are all tied with six points.

In goal, the Raiders dressed three goaltenders during the season series with Michal Orsulak posting a 0.913 save percentage in three games and earning three wins, while Steele Bass posted a 2-1 record with a 0.944 save percentage. Dimitri Fortin was in goal for the other two games.

As for the Blades goaltending, the Blades dressed four different goaltenders against the Raiders with Evan Gardner going 1-3-1 against the Raiders with a 0.922. Taye Timmerman went 0-1 with a 0.867 save percentage, and Ryley Budd put up a perfect 1.000 save percentage in the half game he played.

Just like last series, home ice advantage does not matter much. Both teams won the same amount of games on home ice, the Raiders with 52 wins this season split an even 26 wins at home and 26 wins on the road. The Blades won 34 games this year, 17 at home, and 17 on the road.

Full Breakdown

The Raiders are coming off a win in Game 5 overtime win over the Red Deer Rebels, having lost in Game 4. The Raiders are the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and have only lost one game in their last 11.

As for the Blades, they’re the #6 seed that won twice in a row in overtime over the Edmonton Oil Kings, earning a 4-3 win in seven games. The Blades have not scored against the Raiders in over two games for a total of 152 minutes and 18 seconds, or over seven and a half periods of play.

During the first round, the Raiders powerplay operated at 25 per cent, and the penalty kill at 69.2 per cent. As for the Blades, they went 18.5 per cent on the powerplay, and 66.7 per cent on the penalty kill.

Brock Cripps comes into the series leading the Raiders in points with 3G-5A-8P. Behind him is Daxon Rudolph with 3G-4A-7P, and Brayden Dube with 2G-5A-7P. Braeden Cootes rounds out the top four with 2G-4A-6P.

Scoring streaks:

Brayden Dube has 4G-5A in the last six games, and is the only player with a point in all five games of the series with 2G-5A
Brock Cripps has 1G-3A in his last two games
Brandon Gorzynski has 2G-0A in his last two games
Linden Burrett has 1G-1A in his last two games

Leading the Blades through the first round are both Hunter Laing and David Lewandowksi, who both have identical 3G-5A-8P in their opening series. Rowan Calvert has 2G-5A-7P to sit in third, and Tristen Doyle sits fourth with 1G-5A-6P.

Scoring streaks

Hunter Laing has 2G-5A in his last five games
Cooper Williams has 2G-2A in his last three games
Rowan Calvert has 1G-3A in his last three games

Finally on to goaltending, the Raiders have run with Michal Orsulak for all five games so far. In the first round, Orsulak posted a 4-1-0 record, a 0.891 save percentage, a 1.99 goals against average, and one shutout.

For the Blades, it’s been Evan Gardner has been the goaltender for all seven games of the playoffs so far. In Round 1, Gardner went 4-1-2, along with a 0.916 save percentage, a 2.53 goals against average. Ryley Budd has been the backup.

The Raiders and Blades start off their second round series on Friday at the Art Hauser Centre. All times below are on Saskatchewan time.

Game 1: Fri. April 10 @ Prince Albert 7 p.m.
Game 2: Sat. April 11 @ Prince Albert 7 p.m.
Game 3: Tues. April 14 @ Saskatoon 7 p.m.
Game 4: Wed. April 15 @ Saskatoon 7 p.m.
Game 5: Fri. April 17 @ Prince Albert 7 p.m.
Game 6: Wed. April 19 @ Saskatoon 4 p.m.
Game 7: Fri. April 21 @ Prince Albert 7 p.m.

You can listen in to every game of the Raiders 2026 WHL Playoffs run on 900 CKBI and Brandt Raider Radio, starting with the pregame show half hour before the puck drops.

—

nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

by Nick Nielsen

Playoff Preview: Raiders vs. Blades meet for ninth time in playoff history

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