Raiders forward Hayden Pakkala looks for a loose puck near the fallen ICE forward Jack Finley. (Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Raiders HC Habscheid blames himself for team getting one point vs. ICE

Mar 22, 2022 | 10:21 PM

Prince Albert Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid can be critical of anything, even himself on occasion. On Tuesday, Habscheid singled himself out as the reason his team only got one point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg ICE at the Art Hauser Centre.

“The guys played hard, but I didn’t do a good job tonight. I thought my bench management wasn’t very good. That lost point’s on me,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said, adding he could have matched his lines a little better to put his team in a better position. ‘It was a hard game, you can tell they don’t take us lightly. They’re a good team and they played us hard. We got a point, that’s what we’re looking for.”

With the win, the ICE are now tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings for first place in the WHL Eastern Conference.

The Raiders improve to 53 points on the season, as they stay in ninth place. Also on Tuesday, the Swift Current Broncos defeated the Regina Pats 5-3. The Broncos have 55 points and are in eighth place, while the Pats remain in 10th with 51.

Raiders forward Reece Vitelli got the lone goal for the team in the first period, on a great individual effort. Vitelli skated through a check in the neutral zone, cut quickly into the slot and ripped a rocket on the blocker side of ICE goaltender Daniel Hauser. That’s Vitelli’s 23rd goal of the season and his third goal in his last two games.

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The ICE would enter the third period with a 2-1 advantage, however, after scoring a pair in the second. Cole Muir poked home a rebound after Mikey Milne’s centering pass caused confusion in front of the Raiders’ goal 3:20 into the second period. Alessandro Segafredo would give the ICE the lead 11:35 into the second with a quick and deadly release after Muir and Chase Wheatcroft won a battle in the corner.

But like Vitelli did, Vladislav Shilo also scored in his second straight game. He tied the game up at 2-2 7:22 into the third period, after converting on a gorgeous 2-on-1 rush with Sloan Stanick.

“They’ve been scoring really big goals for us in the last couple games. Reece is leading, he’s captain, he’s doing his part. Vlad is playing really well do, getting a look on the top line. It’s great to see,” Raiders assistant captain Nolan Allan said.

Jack Finley scored the overtime winner late in the frame, after the Raiders were defending with two-and-a-half players after Vitelli broke his stick on an offensive zone faceoff. After a battle along the boards, Connor McClennon won it and found Finley in front for the backhanded goal.

Tikhon Chaika was named as the game’s first star, as he made 39 saves on 42 shots in the overtime defeat.

Missing guys

Both teams were missing some key guys. Raiders missed Ozzy Wiesblatt, who has been battling injuries this year since the middle of January. Tuesday’s game was the third-straight game the Raiders played without Wiesblatt. He’s missed 11 games off-and-on since absorbing a big hit in Red Deer into the end boards on Jan. 17.

Conor Geekie and Matt Savoie were both missing from Tuesday’s game for the ice, as they are in Kitchener, Ont., preparing to play in the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Wednesday. They also missed Owen Pederson and Owen Boucher.

Game Summary

First Period

1-0, Raiders, Reece Vitelli from Keaton Sorensen and Nolan Allan, 6:26

Second Period

1-1, ICE, Cole Muir from Jakin Smallwood, 3:20

2-1, ICE, Alessandro Segafredo from Cole Muir and Chase Wheatcroft, 11:35

Third Period

2-2, Raiders, Vladislav Shilo from Sloan Stanick and Nolan Allan, 7:22

Overtime

3-2, ICE, Jack Finley from Connor McClennon, 4:44

Over to Manitoba

The Raiders will continue their playoff push in Manitoba for the next three games. They’ll tangle with the Brandon Wheat Kings at 6 p.m. on Friday at Westoba Place, before a pair of meetings against the ICE on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. the Wayne Fleming Arena. All games are listed as Saskatchewan time.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Jeff_paNOW