Playoff Preview: Raiders look for revenge from last year against Tigers

Both teams have needed to beat the other on their way to a Memorial Cup. The Raiders did so in 1985, and the Tigers beat the Raiders in 1988 playoffs on their way to their second straight Memorial Cup.

The rest of the playoff history between the Raiders and Tigers looks like this:

2025: Round 2, Tigers win 4-0

2005: Round 2, Raiders win 4-2

1996: Round 1, Raiders win 4-1

1988: Round 2, Tigers win 4-2 (League Champions, Memorial Cup Champions)

1986: Round 3, Tigers win 4-3

1985: Round 3, Raiders win 4-1 (League Champions, Memorial Cup Champions)

1984: Round 1, Tigers win 4-1

Season Series

The numbers out of the season series between the Raiders and Tigers are about as dead even as they can be. In four games this season, both teams earned records of 2-2, scored 16 goals against each other, both teams had a win at home and on the road, both goaltenders had down numbers in the series with save percentages in the 0.870s, powerplay percentages were within 2 per cent of each other, and the Tigers had just eight more shots during the four games.

So the stats against each other are incredibly close. If there is one difference out of the season series that Raider fans can hang their hat on, it’s that the Raiders lost two games early in the season. In the two games since picking up the likes of Maddix McCagherty, Brandon Gorzynski, and Braeden Cootes, the Raiders have won both games over the Tigers.

The season series started in Prince Albert on Nov. 29 when a bad luck goal late in the game gave the Tigers the win 3-2.

Then just a couple nights later on Dec. 3, the Raiders started an Alberta road swing with likely their worst loss of the season 7-1 in Medicine Hat.

In the first matchup after the trade deadline and World Juniors on Jan. 17, Max Heise’s second hat trick of the season served as the game winner in Medicine Hat, and the Raiders ended a 19-game winning streak for the Tigers with an 8-5 win.

On to the final matchup of the regular season on Jan. 24 where the Tigers didn’t have their best player in Bryce Pickford, but the Raiders went 3/5 on the powerplay on their way to a 5-1 win in on home ice.

Going into this series, the biggest question will be who can shut down the top unit of the Tigers. This season, Tigers forwards/twin brothers Markus and Liam Ruck finished first and second in league scoring, defencemen Jonas Woo and Bryce Pickford finished first and second in defensive scoring while also finding top 14 spots in the league. Forward Andrew Basha returned from the AHL halfway through the year.

In total, the Tigers scored a league high 348 goals this season, and that top four of the Rucks, Woo, and Pickford were responsible for scoring 140 goals, or about 40 per cent of the team’s goals in the regular season.

For comparison, the top four Raiders in goal scoring were Max Heise, Daxon Rudolph, Aiden Oiring, and then there’s a tie for fourth between Jonah Sivertson and Brayden Dube. The Raiders scored the second most goals in the league with 310, and the top four contributors accounted for 109 goals or about 35 per cent.

While the Tigers lead the league in goals scored, the Raiders allowed the least amount of goals through the regular season with only 165. That leads to the biggest edge the Raiders have going into the series, and that’s goaltending. Raiders goaltender Michal Orsulak finished top five in almost every goaltending stat in the league including a fifth in the league 0.907 save percentage. Tigers goaltender Jordan Switzer posted a 0.889 save percentage during the season and still collected two more wins than Orsulak, but also played eight more games while Orsulak was gone at the World Juniors.

Full Breakdown

The Raiders will be well rested heading into the third round after a second round sweep of their rival Saskatoon Blades. So far in the playoffs, the Raiders have a 8-1 record with only one of those games going to overtime. The Raiders have outscored their opponents 39-14.

The Tigers are also coming in rested off a sweep of the Calgary Hitmen in the second round. For more parity between the teams, the Tigers were surprised back in Round 1 with a loss, but have not lost a game since for an 8-1 record. The Tigers have needed overtime to end a game twice, once in the first round, once in the second, and have outscored their opponents 42-23.

In the playoffs, the Raiders barely have the edge on the powerplay having gone 25 per cent through the first two rounds, compared to the Tigers at 24.1 per cent. As for the penalty kill though, the Tigers have been the better team at 87.9 per cent, ahead of the Raiders by quite a margin at 77.8 per cent.

Leading the way for the Raiders in the playoffs is defenceman Daxon Rudolph with 5G-7A-12P in nine games. There’s a tie for second between Braeden Cootes with 5G-6A-11P and Brayden Dube with 3G-8A-11P. In fourth there is also a tie between Brock Cripps and Aiden Oiring, who each have identical 3G-6A-9P stat lines.

Scoring streaks:

Matyas Man has 2G-1A in his last three games

Braeden Cootes has 3G-0A in his last two games

Evan Smith has 1G-1A in his last two games

Linden Burrett, Aiden Oiring, and Brayden Dube all have 0G-2A in their last two games

The Raiders have dressed 19 skaters during the playoffs so far, and every one of them has at least one point. Seventeen of the 19 skates have even scored a goal, with the only two left to score being defencemen Benett Kelly and Justice Christensen.

As for the Tigers, Andrew Basha leads the way so far with 3G-11A-14P so far. Then it’s the two defencemen, Jonas Woo with 5G-6A-11P, and Bryce Pickford with 5G-4A-9P. Tied with Pickford are the Ruck brothers, Liam with 5G-4A-9p, and Markus with 2G-7A-9P.

Scoring streaks

Bryce Pickford has 3G-3A in his last five games

Liam Ruck has 3G-2A in his last two games

Andrew Basha has 0G-4A in his last two games

Ethan Neutens has 2G-0A in his last two games

Markus Ruck has 1G-1A in his last two games

Cam Parr has 0G-2A in his last two games

The Tigers have also spread their offence around pretty well in the first two rounds. With a total of 20 skaters dressed, 19 have all registered a point, and 16 have all scored a goal.

Looking at goaltending, the Raiders have only put Michal Orsulak between the pipes. He’s 8-1 during the playoffs with three shutouts, a 0.919 save percentage, and a 1.55 goals against average. Steele Bass is yet to see the ice in the playoffs.

On the Tigers side of the ice, they’ve split their games up a bit between Jordan Switzer and Carter Casey. Switzer played the first two games of the playoffs, but ever since the Tigers have switched their goaltender every night. Switzer has a record of 5-1, a 0.885 save percentage, a 2.67 goals against average, and a 2.67 goals against average.

Casey is a perfect 3-0 in the playoffs including the overtime win in Game 1 over Calgary, along with a 0.937 save percentage and a 1.81 goals against average.

The Raiders and the Tigers will do battle starting at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday. All times below are Saskatchewan time.

Game 1: Fri. April 24 @ Prince Albert 7 p.m.

Game 2: Sat. April 25 @ Prince Albert 7 p.m.

Game 3: Tues. April 28 @ Medicine Hat 7 p.m.

Game 4: Wed. April 29 @ Medicine Hat 7 p.m.

Game 5: Fri. May 1 @ Prince Albert 7 p.m.

Game 6: Sun. May 3 @ Medicine Hat 6 p.m.

Game 7: Tue. May 5 @ 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 look for revenge from last year against Tigers

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