Raiders Pick up a Point in 5-4 Overtime Loss to Hitmen
January 21, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Prince Albert Raiders News Release
The Prince Albert Raiders emptied the tank in Calgary on Sunday night in their third game in three nights, and their efforts gained them a point in a 5-4 overtime setback against the Hitmen. Prince Albert and Calgary now share the eighth seed in the Eastern conference standings.
The Hitmen opened the scoring with 8:09 left in the first, after the Raiders had their best chance of the game to strike first. Krzysztof Macias fanned on a point blank one timer from the slot, allowing Calgary to turn the puck the other way. From the left wing, Oliver Tulk sauced a pass to the middle for Keets Fawcett. Fawcett worked his way in on goal, and fed a last second pass to the crease for Ben Kindel. With his stick on the ice, Kindel was able to redirect a shot home for his seventh goal of the season, giving the Hitmen a 1-0 lead.
The Raiders tied the game with 5:32 left in the first period, and it came on a powerplay goal. From the left wall, Macias fed Jacob Hoffrogge at the blue line, and the overage defenceman swung it to the right circle to Sloan Stanick. Stanick gathered the puck, worked his way past a Hitmen defender and fired a shot on goal that beat Alex Garrett five hole. Stanick, who has led the Raiders in scoring almost all season, collected his 19th goal of the season to make it a 1-1 game.
The back and forth action continued in the second period, with both sides combining for five goals. At the 7:52 mark, Ethan Moore gave Calgary a 2-1 lead with his 12th goal of the season.
Matej Kubiesa responded for the Raiders with 9:08 left in the second period. From behind the net, Justice Christensen swung a pass in front of the net for Kubiesa in the slot. The Czech import fired a one timer home past Garrett to tie the game at 2-2. After recovering from an injury, Kubiesa struck in his third game back in the lineup to score his sixth goal of the season.
Just nine seconds later the Hitmen responded, as David Adaszynski fired a shot glove side past Hildebrand. His eighth goal of the season was a quick blast to give Calgary their lead back, as it became a 3-2 game.
With 6:13 left in the middle frame, the Raiders responded again to tie the game, as Harrison Lodewyk jumped in on the scoring action. Working down the right wing, Lodewyk fed a pass to Grady Martin who came crashing in on the net. Martin pulled the puck to his backhand but couldn't get a clean shot off, and the puck sat in the crease. Lodewyk circled around the net and found the loose puck, burying his fourth goal of the season to tie the game at 3-3, making it the third time that the game had been tied.
Prince Albert earned their first lead of the night with 2:33 left in the second, and it was another powerplay goal that got it done. Stanick wheeled around from the right circle into the left, and fed a pass down low to Niall Crocker. Not wasting any time, Crocker sent a one touch pass to the slot for Aiden Oiring, who quickly snapped a one timer home. Oiring collected his ninth goal of the season, and his second goal in as many games, as his tally put the green and gold up by a 4-3 score.
The Hitmen had a great chance to tie the game in the final minute of the second, but Hildebrand came up with a huge save. Oliver Tulk and Keets Fawcett were the Hitmen working in on Hildebrand, and Tulk was the puck carrier on the play coming down the left wing. Tulk outwaited a Raider defender before sliding a pass in front of the net for Fawcett, but Hildebrand was able to slide across and make a big left pad save to keep it a 4-3 Raider lead after 40 minutes.
He was denied in the second, but Fawcett cashed in on an individual effort with 9:10 left in the third period. Toe dragging around a Raider, Fawcett fired a shot that was blocked in front, but he grabbed his own rebound and shelfed a backhand shot past Hildebrand. His 12th goal of the season continued the teeter totter battle, as it became a 4-4 tie.
60 minutes solved nothing, as both teams would need overtime to find a winner.
It took only 29 seconds of the extra frame for the Hitmen to win it, and it came right after they won an offensive zone faceoff. Maxim Muranov gathered the puck in the slot and beat Hildebrand with a backhand shot past the glove side to win the game for the Hitmen, as Calgary drew even in points with the Raiders for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Raiders (19-22-0-4) are back in action on Friday night when they take on the Saskatoon Blades at the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drops at 7pm.
Western Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2024
- Parr Pots Three Points, Blades Lay Smack Down on Oil Kings - Saskatoon Blades
- Giants Get Two Goals from Schmidt in 4-2 Win Over Rockets - Vancouver Giants
- Hitmen Defeat Raiders in Thrilling 5-3 Overtime Win - Calgary Hitmen
- Oil Kings Fall to Blades - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Harsanyi, Wiesblatt Score 2 in Tigers' Victory Over Wheat Kings - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Raiders Pick up a Point in 5-4 Overtime Loss to Hitmen - Prince Albert Raiders
- Third Period Sinks Wheat Kings against Tigers - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Rockets Doubled up by Vancouver - Kelowna Rockets
- Game Day Preview: Game 45 at Brandon - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Cougars Split Weekend with Winterhawks at CN Centre - Prince George Cougars
- Americans edged by Thunderbirds - Tri-City Americans
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