Weekend Preview: Raiders set for first Alberta road swing

As for the leading scorers, Ben Harvey leads the Raiders and is currently second in the league scoring race with 5G-3A-8P. Maddix McCagherty is right behind him with 1G-6A-7P, and finally Connor Howe rounds out the top three with 4G-1A-5P.

Scoring streaks:

Maddix McCagherty: five games, 1G-6A
Jordan Murray: three games, 0G-3A
Alisher Sarkenov: two games, 1G-1A

Ben Harvey has goals in four of the last five games and is coming off a two goal night.

In goal, Raiders goaltender Michal Orsulak is coming off his best night of the season so far and is now 2-2-0 with a 0.891 save percentage and a 3.05 goals against average. Steele Bass behind him has played just one game in which he suffered a loss while posting a 4.02 goals against average.

Friday @ Lethbridge

Starting with Friday’s matchup, the Lethbridge Hurricanes are still searching for their first win of the season and are the only team without a point yet at 0-3-0. So far, the Hurricanes lost 5-2 and 5-1 to Medicine Hat on opening weekend, then most recently 4-3 to Red Deer last Friday. The Hurricanes will have a full week of rest heading into Friday’s game.

The Hurricanes roster

Last year, the Raiders won all four matchups against the Hurricanes, outscoring them 16-3 throughout the season.

On the powerplay, the Hurricanes are ranked 12th, right behind the Raiders, at 22.2%. On the penalty kill, the Hurricanes are right in the middle of the league at 11th and 81.3%.

Rookie Dayne Beuker leads the Hurricanes in scoring with 2G-2A-4P to start the season. From there it’s a log jam in second between Owen Berge (2G-1A-3P), Logan Stuart (1G-2A-3P), and Kyle Heger (0G-3A-3P).

Scoring streaks:

Dayne Beuker: three games, 2G-2A
Kyle Heger: two games, 0G-3A

Owen Berge also has three points in the last three games.

In goal, the Hurricanes are running with the same tandem they finished last season with. Leif Oaten has played twice so far for an 0-2-0 record, a 0.892 save percentage, and a 4.11 goals against average. Koen Cleaver meanwhile is 0-1-0 with a 0.886 and 4.03.

Saturday @ Medicine Hat

Finally on to Saturday where the Raiders will face the Medicine Hat Tigers for the first time since last year’s Eastern Conference Final. The Tigers are 3-1-0 to start the season with the earlier mentioned 5-1 and 5-2 wins over Lethbridge, a 3-1 loss to Red Deer, and in their most recent game last Sunday they defeated Edmonton 5-2.

The Tigers also have the Friday off before playing the Raiders on Saturday.

The Tigers are expected to be one of the strongest teams in the league again with the returning leading scoring brothers, Markus and Liam Ruck, coming back this season despite college opportunities. They have also brought in 19-year-old Reily Pickford out of the AJHL, and he already has three assists. Reily is the younger brother of last year’s WHL and CHL defenceman of the year Bryce Pickford.

During last year’s season series, the Tigers took the first two games while the Raiders took the last two in January. Both teams scored 16 goals in the regular season against each other, but in the playoffs the Raiders took the series in six games and outscored the Tigers 28-24.

Looking at special teams, the Tigers powerplay sits just ahead of the Raiders at 23.1%, good for 10th in the league. Their penalty kill however has only allowed two goals in four games so far, sitting fifth in the league at 90.5%.

Gavin Kor leads the Tigers scoring early in the season with 1G-4A-5P so far. Then there’s a tie for second between Josh Evaschesen and Tyson Moss, both of which have 2G-2A-4P.

Scoring Streaks:

Riley Steen: two games, 0G-2A
Markus Ruck: two games, 0G-2A
Jaxson Craig: two games, 0G-2A

Tyson Moss has four points in four games despite having his streak broken. Liam Ruck has been held pointless in his first two games since returning from Pittsburgh.

Finally on to the goaltending, Carter Casey returns for the Tigers and so far has a 2-1-0 record along with a 0.935 save percentage and a 2.01 goals against average. Cash Christie is behind him and 1-0-0 so far with a 0.923 and a 2.00.

The Raiders will take on the Hurricanes Friday night in Lethbridge. Friday’s game will be broadcast on 101.5 FM Beach Radio due to a Saskatchewan Roughriders broadcast. Game time is 7:00 p.m. Saskatchewan time, but you can listen in with the Brandt Raider Radio pregame show at 6:30 p.m.

Then on Saturday, the Raiders will head down the road for a matchup with the Medicine Hat Tigers, again at 7:00 p.m. Saskatchewan time. That game will be carried on 900 CKBI with puckdrop at 7:00 p.m. and the pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m.

nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

by Nick Nielsen

Weekend Preview: Raiders set for first Alberta road swing

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