Raiders welcome back two key pieces in win over ICE

“It felt good. I’ve been dying to get back in for the last few weeks,” Leason said. “To get on the ice and to get back with the team, it was nice.”

The Raiders are 48-8-1-2 and on the brink of clinching first place in both the WHL Eastern Conference and the entire league. But for Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid, he wanted to make sure his stars get some good game action before heading into the postseason.

“It’s real important. I played long enough [to know] you can’t just come out of the stands and jump into Game 1 of the playoffs and expect to be where you’re at. It’s just impossible,” Habscheid said. “They were ready, they got clearance [to play] and they wanted to play—so in they went. It’s nothing like playing the game, getting in some bumps and scuffs, getting in with your teammates. I think the timing is good with 10 games left.”

The Raiders faced a familiar face in the ICE goal, as former Raider Curtis Meger made 26 saves. Meger started the year with the Raiders but got lost in the 20-year-old shuffle and was sent down to the Lloydminster Bobcats of the AJHL.

In his time with the Raiders, Meger left a lasting impression with the team off the ice. And according to Habscheid, he did so on the ice too by making some crazy, desperation saves—especially on Parker Kelly to rob him of a sure cross-crease goal.

“I thought Meegs played real well. Parker Kelly and him probably severed their friendship tonight,” Habscheid joked after the game. “He robbed Parker a little bit.

“Meegs, it was difficult to let him go earlier. He’s such a quality guy and you talk about being a good teammate and helping other people—he’s kind of the poster boy for that. It was good to see him play. It was his last game in this building and he played real well.”

Meger certainly was eager to play his former team again, in his old confines of the Art Hauser Centre—in his last opportunity to do it in the Western Hockey League.

“I remember getting the call to come up to the ICE on [January] the seventh I believe, I was in Kootenay on the eighth and I circled this one on my calendar on the ninth,” Meger said with a chuckle. “I knew it was coming up.”

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Raiders, Brayden Pachal from Brett Leason and Zack Hayes, 7:59

2-0, Raiders, Sean Montgomery from Brett Leason, 12:18

Second Period

3-0, Raiders, Ozzy Wiesblatt from Noah Gregor, 11:08

Third Period

4-0, Raiders, Sean Montgomery from Brett Leason (shorthanded), 13:09

Bring on Brandon

The Raiders will get another crack at the Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday at the Art Hauser Centre. The Wheat Kings handed the Raiders a 5-4 overtime defeat and a 6-3 loss in a home-and-home series last Friday and Saturday. That’s the only time this year the Raiders have lost in back-to-back games all year.

The Wheaties will come into Saturday’s game on a six-game heater, and seven wins in their last eight games. They beat the Saskatoon Blades 6-2 at home on Friday to move into the second wildcard spot in the WHL Eastern Conference.

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW

by Jeff D'Andrea

Raiders welcome back two key pieces in win over ICE

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