The Raiders come together after Alisher Sarkenov set up Evan Smith for a onetimer from the slot for the second time of the night. (paNOW Staff/Nick Nielsen)

By Nick Nielsen

Six wins in a row

Raiders early dominance helps stifle comeback in battle with Pats

Oct 18, 2025 | 1:35 AM

After a few changes this week for the Regina Pats, they came into the Art Hauser Centre hungry for a win while sitting last in the Eastern Conference. The Raiders played their most dominant period of the season in the first period, and that would help the Raiders fend off a comeback for a 6-5 win.

In the first 26 seconds of the game, the Raiders forecheck went to work and both Brayden Dube and Owen Corkish got their sticks on the puck in a scramble near the left side of the net. The puck came out to the right side for an open Aiden Oiring to swat home for his fourth of the season.

Then on the first powerplay of the game, a pretty passing play would start at the middle of the blueline from Brock Cripps. He drew a defender and sent the puck to the right side point for Ty Meunier, and he then put a great pass to Jonah Sivertson at the side of the net. He then made a great move to use his reach and wrap the puck around the goaltender for his third of the season at 3:26.

At 11:30 of the period, the relentless forecheck of Dube, Corkish, and Oiring went to work again. In a nearly identical goal to the first, Dube and Corkish both battled for the puck at the left side of the net, it came loose to the right side, and Oiring batted it in for his fifth of the season and his second of the night.

After 1: Raiders 3 – 0 Pats, shots 17-6 Raiders

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After a dominant first period, the Raiders gave up the first goal of the second period at 6:22. On the powerplay, Keets Fawcett would bat in a rebound for his fourth of the game.

The Raiders got it back at the 8:08 mark when Dube was forced into the faceoff circle. He’d pick up an assist on the ensuing scrum that moved in towards the slot, and Corkish managed to find the puck and fire it in for his second goal of the season and his third point of the night.

At 10:35, Alisher Sarkenov created two great chances for the Raiders. First he drew a defender all the way over to the left wall as he entered the blue line, then hooked a pass around the defender to send Riley Boychuk on a breakaway. Boychuk was stopped, but Sarkenov followed up the play and found the rebound, sending it into the slot for Evan Smith who blasted a onetimer in for his third of the season, chasing Marek Schlenker out of the net.

The Raiders would get their second powerplay of the game in the final minute, but that would carry over to the third.

After 2: Raiders 5 – 1 Pats, shots 12-11 Pats, 28-18 Raiders overall

The Raiders won the opening faceoff, but Jace Egland would step up at centre and take the puck away from a Raider defenceman before walking in on a breakaway and scoring his first of the season short-handed 18 seconds into the period.

At the 6:04 mark, the Raiders would get it right back thanks to another onetimer set up from Sarkenov to Smith in the slot, this time after Sarkenov managed to take the puck out of a pile-up behind the net. Smith’s second goal of the game, fourth of the season, and Sarkenov’s second assist of the night.

From there, the Pats started to rally with another powerplay goal on their third opportunity of the game. At 12:50, Julien Maze in the right side corner sent a pass across the ice to Ephram McNutt, and he waited for a screen before firing a shot off the post and in.

With another powerplay shortly after, the Pats scored again at 14:58 when Kolten Bridgeman got the puck at the right point off the draw, and he went down towards the corner. Just as the penalty expired, Bridgeman found Mathis Paull driving the net to tip in his first of the year.

With the goaltender pulled, the Pats scored again thanks to Keets Fawcett’s second of the game and fifth of the season after a shot was thrown on goal and he found the rebound.

The Raiders would get another penalty in the final two minutes of the game, but Justice Christensen and Evan Smith both made key blocks of the puck during the 6-on-4 to preserve the lead and give the Raiders their sixth straight win.

FINAL: Raiders 6 – 5 Pats, shots 13-11 Pats, 39-31 Raiders overall

With another assist on the night, Riley Boychuk still has a point in every game so far this season with 1G-10A in the eight games this season.

After only one point in the first seven games, Owen Corkish finally got rewarded for the way he’s played this season with a three point night.

For the first time this season, the Raiders had a goaltender start two games in a row even though Dimitri Fortin got a full week’s worth of rest between starts. With 26 saves on 31 shots, he posted at 0.838 save percentage.

After being held off the board a game ago, the Raiders went 1/3 on the night. The Raiders penalty kill streak comes to an end however at 13 straight kills across four games.

The Raiders will take on the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first rematch of the season from last year’s playoffs. Saturday’s game will be broadcast on 900 CKBI.