It really is David vs Goliath!!!!

paNOW Staff:

The statistical disparity between the Raiders and Blades heading into their first round WHL playoff series is considerable. Saskatoon ran away with the regular season title finishing 48 points ahead of P.A. The Blades won the season series 7-1 (the lone Raider win was a 3-1 victory November 26th at the Art Hauser Centre). Saskatoon also outscored the Raiders 37-19 in the eight head to head match-ups..so on so forth…yada yada yada..etc.

However, the Raiders have embraced the underdog label. Coach and GM Bruno Campese says even before preparing a game plan their first order of business was convincing the players they can win the series.

“You are playing the top team in the Western Hockey League and the second ranked team in the CHL. We don't need to go up and down their line-up because its a team with a tonne of depth. So we know what they are capable of. But I will say this. We have played hard and we have played well down the stretch. The biggest obstacle we have is believing we can go in there and win.”

The coaching staff has pointed out to the players there are a lot of examples where underdogs find a way to win Campese says.

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“We are certainly the underdog and Saskatoon is a great team and the heat is going to be on them to do what they everybody thinks is going to happen. We will have a game plan and work very diligently…physically and emotionally in preparing our guys for the weekend and I really believe we will be ready.”

Campese says it's going to take total focuss and execution of the game plan from everyone regardless of their role of amount of ice time.

19-year-old power forward Brandon Herrod has played on the last three Raider teams that have missed the playoffs. The Meadow Lake native also leads the team in scoring against the Blades with 8 goals and 2 assists. He is excited about his first foray into the playoffs while trying to stay focussed on the task at hand.

“After four years it's a terrific feeling. This year we found a way (to make the playoffs). The feeling…I can't get over it but I can't get too high on it because we are not happy to just get into the playoffs…we want to be successful in the playoffs”.

Herrod and line-mate Mark McNeill are riding ten game point streaks heading into the playoffs. McNeill who is WHL player of the week finished the regular season with 26 points over the last 15 games. Justin Maylan is also red hot with 20 points in the final 11 games. He says the team has the right mindset heading into the series.

“They are definitely a good hockey team but at the same time there are many examples of upsets happening and we have to just stick to our game and as they say “will beats skill” so we have to out-will them and work our hardest.”

In goal, former Raider Steven Stanford won 40 games in his final season with the Blades. The 20 year old from Calgary also has a lifetime 9-and-1 record against his old team. Stanford is also 6-and-0 vs P.A. this year with a 2.50 goals against average and save percentage of .926.

Jamie Tucker is the likely starter for the Raiders. After coming back from a five week injury absence Tucker was 4-and-1 with a 3.00 goals against average and .914 save percentage (A big improvement on season long numbers of 14-19-1-2.. 3.87 and .889). Tucker also feels he is at the top of his game.

“I'm feeling very confident. This is the best I've played as a Raider in my career so I'm feeling good right now…each game you build on the confidence and each save seems to get easier.”

The Raiders will have to do without defenseman Antoine Corbin in Saturday's series opener. He will serve game two of his two game suspension for a knee-on-knee collision with Swift Current's Justin Dowling last Friday. However, 19-year-old winger Charles Wells is expected to be ready after missing two weeks with a shoulder injury.

17-year-old Centreman T.J. Constant has also been recalled from the OCN Blizzard of the Manitoba Junior league for the duration of the Raiders playoff run.

The Raiders are warming up the slingshot, the only question is will the stone find the mark?

Game two is in Saskatoon Sunday with the series shifting back to the Art Hauser Centre Wednesday March 30th and Thursday March 31st. Tickets are available at the Raider box office from 9am to 5pm weekdays. Fans can also call 764-game or buy on-line at raiderhockey.com.

dwilson@rawlco.com