Lukas Dragicevic leads the fly by after scoring his fourth goal in five games as the Raiders roll past the Oil Kings 5-2. (Edmonton Oil Kings)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders win 5-2

Raiders make it three straight in Edmonton

Dec 18, 2024 | 1:08 AM

With a long jam in the eastern conference standings that separated the first place Medicine Hat Tigers and the ninth place Prince Albert Raiders by just eight points at the start of the night, Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oil Kings kicked off a big road trip double header. The Raiders powerplay was a big reason for their 5-2 win over the Oil Kings, bringing them up into a playoff spot.

The Raiders took a bit to get going, initially being outshot 8-1 early in the first period. They gave up the game’s first powerplay, but Max Hildebrand made some big saves early for the Raiders took find their offensive touch.

At the 18:50 mark of the first, Tomas Mrsic worked the puck down the left wall and a defender went to hit him, but Mrsic made a great toe drag into the middle of the ice to put a shot on goal that bounced off the pad perfectly to a streaking Brayden Dube for the rebound tap in and his 14th of the season.

After 1: Raiders 1 – 0 Oil Kings, shots 12-6 Oil Kings

The Oil Kings got an early powerplay in the second, and they struck just 48 seconds into the period. On the rush, Gavin Hodnett made a give and go pass with Gracyn Sawchyn, springing Hodnett on a breakaway to score.

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They then took the lead with their second powerplay goal at 16:11. While cycling the puck below the goal line, a sneaky pass from behind the net found Marshall Finnie out front who scored to give the Oilers Kings the lead.

It was time for the Raiders powerplay to go to work, and Lukas Dragicevic started it for the Raiders. At 18:02, Krzysztof Macias cycled the puck to Mrsic, and he set up Dragicevic that he blasted into the net for his fifth of the season and his fourth in five games.

After 2: Raiders 2 – 2 Oil Kings, shots 16-8 Raiders, 22-20 Raiders overall

The powerplay continued to go to work for the Raiders at the 4:06 to get the lead back. Again it was Macias starting the play feeding Dragicevic a one timer once more, but this time Niall Crocker tipped it in for his 10th of the season.

Crocker then scored his second of the game on the powerplay to give the Raiders an insurance goal at 15:23. Aiden Oiring sent the puck into the zone for Macias, and as Oiring opened the lane with a stick lift on a defender, Macias banked a pass off the back wall that popped off to the opposite side of the net for Crocker to hammer in for his 11th.

The Oil Kings pulled their goaltender with three minutes left, and the Raiders kept them to the perimeter before the puck came out to centre on Crocker’s stick. He had the time and space to get a shot away from his own blueline for his hat trick, but he instead found Macias on a breakaway toward the empty net for Macias’ eighth of the year at 18:56.

FINAL: Raiders 5 – 2 Oil Kings, shots 14-11 Oil Kings, 34-33 Oil Kings overall

With the win, the Raiders move into a tie for eighth place with the Red Deer Rebels with four games in hand. If the Raiders pick up another two points in Calgary on Wednesday, the Raiders will leap over the Oil Kings, and tie with both the Brandon Wheat Kings and Swift Current Broncos in fifth.

The Raiders will take on the Calgary Hitmen Wednesday night in the lone game of the WHL. Puck drops at 8:00 p.m. Saskatchewan time, the pregame show on 900 CKBI starts at 7:30 p.m.