By Jeff D'Andrea

The Blizzard of Ozz scores in his WHL debut, but Raiders fall in OT to Hitmen

Jan 21, 2018 | 6:49 PM

The Prince Albert Raiders were three minutes away from an impressive three-games-in-three-nights road game sweep, but the Calgary Hitmen had other ideas.

The Raiders held a 3-1 lead late, but surrendered three straight goals to the Hitmen to fall 4-3 in overtime. The Raiders still finished with five out of a possible six points on the weekend and move to just four points back of the second wildcard spot, with a game in hand. The Saskatoon Blades, who currently occupy that spot, fell 5-3 to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Sunday.

The Raiders appeared to wait for an offside whistle on Jakob Stukel’s tying goal, but the officials ruled that ex-Raider draft pick Jake Kryski held the line legally.

The Raiders felt this was offside, but Kryski is ruled to hold the line and Stukel ties the game pic.twitter.com/jUVbM1Fkjj

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) January 22, 2018

Another former Raider, Luke Coleman, scored shorthanded with 3:01 left to make it a 3-2 game. Hitmen forward Conner Chaulk ended it with a shorthanded breakaway goal, beating two Raiders to the the loose puck behind them.

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The Blizzard of Ozz

Prince Albert Raiders prospect Ozzy Wiesblatt made his WHL debut on Sunday in his hometown of Cowtown and was able to score his first goal in his first opportunity.

Miske sets him up right in front of the net for the cushion goal pic.twitter.com/bTsUYwfBbV

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) January 22, 2018

Wiesblatt, the Raiders’ second round pick in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, got the ol’ ‘skate by yourself’ treatment in warmups.

Welcome to the league @ozzywiesblatt pic.twitter.com/N5oRlmSKDM

— Trevor Redden (@Trevor_Redden) January 21, 2018

Wiesblatt took the spot of 20-year-old Regan Nagy, who was left out of the lineup after being withdrawn from Saturday’s game to injury. Nagy fell awkwardly on his knee in the third period after battling for a puck with Tigers defenceman Dalton Gally.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Raiders, Kody McDonald from Cole Fonstad (power play), 4:38

Fonstad beats two Hitmen on the boards then feeds McDonald for the go-ahead goal on the power play. 1-0 Raiders pic.twitter.com/k53UAdj7Hk

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) January 21, 2018

Second Period

2-0, Raiders, Sean Montgomery from Vojtech Budik and Jeremy Masella, 6:49

Budik is inches away from his 5th goal this week (!), but Sean Montgomery cleans it up. 2-0 Raiders, 6:49 into 2nd period pic.twitter.com/JcBGKypgxO

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) January 22, 2018

2-1, Hitmen, Riley Stotts from Jake Kryski, 16:39

Stotts gets the Hitmen back in the game. 2-1 late in the second pic.twitter.com/Ct8mEhTJe6

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) January 22, 2018

Third Period

3-1, Raiders, Ozzy Wiesblatt from Curtis Miske, 3:47

Miske sets him up right in front of the net for the cushion goal pic.twitter.com/bTsUYwfBbV

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) January 22, 2018

3-2, Hitmen, Luke Coleman from Riley Stotts, 16:59

Former Raider Luke Coleman scores a shorthanded goal with just over 3 minutes left to give the Hitmen life, 3-2 Raiders lead pic.twitter.com/V7eSrpZ4vz

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) January 22, 2018

3-3, Hitmen, Jakob Stukel from Jake Kryski, 18:33

The Raiders felt this was offside, but Kryski is ruled to hold the line and Stukel ties the game pic.twitter.com/jUVbM1Fkjj

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) January 22, 2018

Overtime

4-3, Hitmen, Conner Chaulk from Dakota Krebs and Nick Schneider (shorthanded), 3:37

Hitmen get another shorthanded goal to win the game in overtime. Chaulk beats two Raiders to the puck to end the game, 4-3 in OT pic.twitter.com/xOBY46gu0a

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) January 22, 2018

Little rest then some home cookin’

The Raiders will get four days to rest and prepare for two home games this weekend, Friday against former Raider first round pick Rhett Rhinehart and the Prince George Cougars, and Saturday against the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW