Tigers tame Raiders in first Eastern Conference Final rematch

Then at 11:23, the Tigers scored on a very similar setup, but started on the rush. This Markus Ruck was the one to drive the puck to the goal line, before passing back to the slot for Reily Pickford’s onetimer.

Before the end of the period though, the Raiders would score on their first powerplay of the game. Off the draw, Brock Cripps got the puck at the left wall and waited to draw a defender, then passed across to Jonah Sivertson on the right side. He had a lane to walk in and shoot, but instead used the screen in front to disguise a pass over to Alisher Sarkenov down low on the left, and he rifled a wrist shot in for his third of the year at 17:37.

After 1: Raiders 1 – 2 Tigers, shots 10-10

The Tigers retook their two goal lead 1:50 into the second period. Another onetimer set up from near the goal line, this time Reily Pickford started the play in the left corner and passed out front for Liam Ruck, who one-touch passed over to brother Markus for the onetimer and Markus Ruck’s second goal of the season.

The Raiders gave up two more powerplays in that second period, but managed to kill both of them off in fairly convincing fashion. Still, they had more trouble in the second period getting things through 5-on-5.

After 2: Raiders 1 – 3 Tigers, shots 17-5 Tigers, 27-15 Tigers overall

In the early goings of the third, the Tigers scored and got their biggest lead of the night. As the Raiders were trying to break into the Tigers zone, Brayden Holbertson stole the puck at his own blueline and fed it ahead for Gavin Kor, and he carried the puck in on a breakaway to score at 5:58.

The Raiders then got two powerplays in a row, overlapping for a 5-on-3 for 13 seconds. The Tigers quickly cleared the puck off a faceoff in their own zone to end the 5-on-3, but the Raiders managed to score shortly after when Riley Boychuk and Ben Harvey both helped get the puck to Owen Corkish on the goal line. Corkish tried for a pass across the crease, but it hit a defender’s skate and came right back to him, and Corkish buried his own rebound for his second of the season at 13:19.

The Raiders didn’t get their goaltender pulled until the final two minutes of the game, but they couldn’t find another goal with Tigers goaltender Carter Casey making his best save of the night on a onetimer just one second before the buzzer rang.

FINAL: Raiders 2 – 4 Tigers, shots 10-7 Raiders, 34-25 Tigers overall

The Raiders will have the next six days off before they head out to Regina on Friday to take on the Pats, and then Moose Jaw on Saturday to take on the Warriors.

by Nick Nielsen

Tigers tame Raiders in first Eastern Conference Final rematch

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