By Trevor Redden

Raiders match franchise record with 15th straight win

Nov 23, 2018 | 11:46 PM

For the first time since the 1985-86 season, the Prince Albert Raiders have won 15 straight games after a 7-3 victory in Medicine Hat Friday night.

The Raiders were hot out of the gate with goals from Ozzy Wiesblatt and Brett Leason in the first period, and two quick goals from Parker Kelly and Leason early in the second to build up a 4-0 lead with more than half a game to go. However, the game started to turn around and the Tigers began to mount a comeback, getting within a goal in the third.

“We were pretty inconsistent. They held us at bay for a while, we didn’t have enough offensive zone time and defensively they were all over us,” said Raiders assistant coach Jeff Truitt.

“They bring it, and we had to check ourselves a little bit between the second and third. They got real close, but then we pulled away so there was definitely some clutch scoring.”

Josh Williams, Bryan Lockner, and Ryan Jevne scored for the Tigers to put some life back into the 2,888 people in attendance at the Canalta Centre, but the Raiders took the game over on goals from Brayden Pachal, Kelly, and Aliaksei Protas within a span of 1:26 to put the visitors back in front 7-3.

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On top of his two goals, Leason also picked up a pair of assists for his third four-point game of the season, placing him even with Edmonton’s Trey Fix-Wolansky for the league scoring lead at 51 points. Leason also extended his season-opening point streak to 23 games, tying the modern [since game-by-game statistics became available in 1996] record set by Jeremy Reich with the Swift Current Broncos in the 1999-2000 season.

“It’s unbelievable. He’s on such a roll right now, we’re just leaving him alone we don’t want to wake him up or say too much. He’s feeling the scoring and the confidence which is great,” said Truitt.

This was the fourth and final game of the year between the Raiders and the Tigers, and the animosity you may expect from that much exposure to each other didn’t take long to shine through.

Late in the first period, Pachal dropped the gloves with Ryan Chyzowski after the Tiger forward hit Carson Miller at the whistle. Early in the second, Kody McDonald joined his captain in the penalty box after squaring off with Lockner for a spirited tilt. After the first period fight, Pachal would later chip in with a goal and an assist to complete the first Gordie Howe hat trick of his career.

With Friday’s win, the Raiders have now swept their season series with the Tigers for the first time since 1998-99.

Lockner’s third period goal snapped the Raiders consecutive penalty kill streak at 26, tying the previous mark set earlier this season. Prince Albert had two power play opportunities and failed to convert on both.

Ian Scott started in the Raider goal for the fifth straight game, stopping 26 of 29 shots for his 19th win of the year. This was just the third time this season that the Maple Leafs prospect has allowed more than two goals.

The Raiders continue their Central Division road trip on Saturday night as they travel to Cranbrook, BC to take on the Kootenay ICE.

Scoring summary

First Period

1-0, Raiders, Ozzy Wiesblatt from Aliaksei Protas and Jakob Brook, 2:27

2-0, Raiders, Brett Leason from Sean Montgomery and Jeremy Masella, 9:22

Second Period

3-0, Raiders, Parker Kelly from Brett Leason and Zack Hayes, 0:41

4-0, Raiders, Brett Leason from Ian Scott, 1:30 (Shorthanded)

4-1, Tigers, Josh Williams from Logan Christensen, 11:43

Third Period

4-2, Tigers, Bryan Lockner from Tyler Preziuso and Dylan MacPherson, 2:00 (Power play)

4-3, Tigers, Ryan Jevne from Daniel Baker and Tyler Preziuso, 7:50

5-3, Raiders, Brayden Pachal from Noah Gregor and Kody McDonald, 10:55

6-3, Raiders, Parker Kelly from Brett Leason and Brayden Pachal, 11:48

7-3, Raiders, Aliaksei Protas from Max Martin, 12:21

trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @trevor_Redden