Habscheid earns 500th career WHL win as Raiders outlast Hurricanes

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It was another history making night for the Prince Albert Raiders as head coach Marc Habscheid picked up his 500th career win in the Western Hockey League Saturday.

However, the long-time bench boss didn’t know that he was joining a list of seven others who had achieved that milestone after the Raiders picked up a 6-5 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the ENMAX Centre.

“I honestly had no clue,” Habscheid said. “I went into the dressing room to tell the guys they did a good job and they all said ‘Hey, where are you going?’ as I was about to head out the door.

“(Cole) Fonstad was wearing our player of the game top hat and he put it on me. Then they gave me the game puck and I got a nice group photo with the boys. Now we’re going for ice cream.”

Saturday’s back and forth contest was a dramatic contrast from the last two road wins for the Raiders, as they were coming off of a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings Monday and an 8-2 triumph over the Calgary Hitmen Friday.

“It wasn’t an easy game,” Habscheid said. “Lethbridge has some really good depth up front and we were out three pretty good guys (Brett Leason, Justin Nachbaur and Ian Scott) on our end, so it was a bit of a gut check for us.

“Boston (Bilous) is a good goalie, but he had a tough night and we had to overcome some tough goals. With that said, the guys were able to battle back and overcame some adversity, which is the type of game that you want to see going into the playoffs.”

Cole Fonstad led the way for the 45-7-0-2 Raiders with a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 6:37 to go in regulation.

Max Martin and Noah Gregor dished out a pair of helpers, while Parker Kelly had a goal and an assist for the visitors as they won their fourth straight game.

Ozzy Weisblatt, Eric Pearce and Sean Montgomery also scored in the triumph, which saw Bilous turn aside 29 shots.

“The way we spread out our scoring tonight is something that we try do on a regular basis,” Habscheid said.

“As we get ready for the playoffs, you need to be depending on everybody and it’s always good when you have different guys stepping up.”

The Hurricanes, who have lost three straight games and sit third in the Central Division with a 27-16-5-5 mark, received a three-assist performance from Nick Henry and a two-goal showing from Jake Leschyshyn.

Taylor Ross had a pair of assists for the hosts, while blueliner Ty Prefontaine had a goal and an assist each.

Igor Merezhko and Jake Elmer also scored in the loss, which saw goaltender Carl Tetachuk make 31 saves.

The league-leading Raiders will conclude their four-game road trip Wednesday against the Swift Current Broncos before they return to the Art Hauser Centre for a Friday night matchup with the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Post-Game Notes

With Saturday’s triumph, Marc Habscheid joined the following coaches in the 500-win club.

  • Don Hay – 750
  • Ken Hodge – 742
  • Don Nachbaur – 692
  • Lorne Molleken – 626
  • Mike Williamson – 572
  • Ernie McLean – 548
  • Pat Ginnell – 518

Red Deer Rebels head coach Brent Sutter is also on the verge of joining that list as he is sitting on 496 victories.

Habscheid is also five games away from becoming the eighth coach in WHL history to be behind the bench for 1,000 games, a milestone he can reach at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday, Feb. 22 against the Kootenay Ice.

Saturday’s win was the sixth in a row for the Raiders over the Hurricanes, as they now hold a 3-0 advantage in the season series.

Noah Gregor increased his point streak to six straight games during the contest, while Cole Fonstad and Sean Montgomery have each been on the scoresheet in the last five games.

The Raiders were without the services of Ian Scott, Justin Nachbaur and Brett Leason Saturday, which meant that goaltender Brett Balas and forward Tyson Laventure were called up for the contest.

Nachbaur was serving the third and final game of a suspension for a post-game fight with Moose Jaw’s Tristin Langan last Saturday, while Leason is currently listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury after his collision with Calgary Hitmen netminder Jack McNaughton Friday.

Scott, who has appeared in 39 games for the Raiders this year, was given a rare night off.

The Hurricanes did not dress blueliners Rylan Thiessen and Alex Cotton, along with forward Adam Hall.

Saturday’s Scores

  • Saskatoon 4 Swift Current 1 (Max Gerlach – One Goal and One Assist)
  • Moose Jaw 2 Red Deer 1 (Adam Evanoff – 47 Saves)
  • Kelowna 4 Kamloops 1 (Lassi Thomson – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Seattle 4 Medicine Hat 3 (Matthew Wedman Overtime Winner – Andrej Kukuca – Three Goals and One Assist – First Career Hat Trick – Ryan Jevne – Three Assists)
  • Spokane 5 Kootenay 2 (Jack Finley – Two Goals)
  • Victoria 7 Tri-City 4 (D-Jay Jerome – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Everett 5 Portland 0 (Silvertips Clinch Playoff Spot for 16th Straight Season – Jake Christiansen – Three Goals – First Career Hat Trick – Dustin Wolf – 29 Saves – Sixth Shutout This Season and 10th Career)

Pre-Game Notes

Wednesday’s meeting at the Credit Union iPlex will be the fifth of the season between the East Division rivals, with the Raiders currently holding a 3-1 advantage in the season series.

Following a 4-1 home setback to the Saskatoon Blades as part of Hockey Day in Canada Saturday, the Broncos are currently mired in a five-game losing streak and sit at the bottom of the WHL standings with a 10-38-2-2 mark.

Rookie forward Ben King is the only long-term injury for the Broncos, as he’s currently sidelined for two to four weeks with an upper body injury he sustained in early January.

Prince Albert’s Ethan Regnier leads the team in scoring with 26 points in 52 games, while former Minto and fellow local product Alex Moar has 15 points in 40 games in his rookie campaign in the league.

Sunday’s Schedule

  • Brandon vs. Saskatoon – 4 p.m.
  • Prince George vs. Vancouver – 4 p.m.
  • Moose Jaw vs. Calgary – 5 p.m.
  • Regina vs. Edmonton – 5 p.m.
  • Medicine Hat vs. Portland – 7 p.m.

Tuesday’s Schedule

  • Tri City vs. Seattle – 9 p.m.
  • Red Deer vs. Spokane – 9 p.m.

Wednesday’s Schedule

  • Edmonton vs. Brandon – 7 p.m.
  • Prince Albert vs. Swift Current – 7 p.m.
  • Calgary vs. Lethbridge – 8 p.m.
  • Saskatoon vs. Medicine Hat – 8 p.m.
  • Victoria vs. Kamloops – 9 p.m.
  • Red Deer vs. Everett – 9 p.m.

Raiders complete first ever season sweep of Hitmen

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It was a history making night in a number of ways for the Prince Albert Raiders Friday.

While Sean Montgomery broke Brett Novak’s record for the most games played in team history with his 331st regular season appearance, the Raiders were able to sweep the season series against the Calgary Hitmen for the first time in franchise history following a dominant 8-2 showing at the Stampede Corral.

“It was impressive to watch, especially since we had been off since Monday when we played in Edmonton and we were going into a rink that none of the players had ever been in,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid.

“The guys were in sync tonight. There are some nights where the puck luck doesn’t go your way, but they were making nice plays and scoring nice goals.”

Linemates Noah Gregor and Cole Fonstad led the way for the 44-7-0-2 Raiders, who have won their last three games.

Gregor notched his second Western Hockey League hat trick and had an assist in the victory, while Fonstad scored twice and dished out three helpers for his first career five-point night.

“They’ve had some great synergy together this year and we saw some more of that from them tonight,” Habscheid said.

“They played well and Ozzy (Weisblatt) was able to fit in with them when (Brett) Leason went down.”

Leason, who leads the team in scoring with 78 points, was involved in a collision with Hitmen goaltender Jack McNaughton midway through the first period of play when the rookie netminder came out of his net to play the puck.

McNaughton’s evening was over as a result of the hit, but Leason continued playing until the second period when he left the ice and did not return.

His status for Saturday’s road matchup with the Lethbridge Hurricanes was not known immediately after the game.

Dante Hannoun, Sergei Sapego and Eric Pearce also scored for the Raiders, while Ian Scott turned aside 21 shots on his way to his 31st win of the season.

Friday’s setback for the 27-20-4-1 Hitmen marked the end of their two-game win streak, but they still hold a six-point advantage over the Brandon Wheat Kings for the second and final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

James Malm paced the hosts on offence as he had an assist on Riley Stotts’ second period goal and found the back of the net on a third period penalty shot.

McNaughton made five saves before he left the game following his collision with Leason, which led to Carl Stankowski taking over in goal as stopped 32 shots in his first appearance since a Nov. 23 road game against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Post-Game Notes

Friday’s game in the Stampede Corral brought back a number of memories for Raiders coach Marc Habscheid, who played in the venue with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers.

“When they had the Battle of Alberta between the Flames and Oilers there before they moved to the Saddledome, there would be 7,500 people standing in there packed three or four rows deep,” Habscheid said.

“The fans are right on top of you and it makes for a heck of an atmosphere. Tonight might have been the last hockey game they play in here, so it’s pretty neat for our guys to be a part of that.”

To mark the ocassion, the Raiders donned throwback jerseys from the 1988-89 campaign, while the Hitmen wore the same colours that the Calgary Wranglers had when they played in the league from 1977 to 1987.

Hitmen forward Kaden Elder saw his six-game point streak end Friday, but his teammate Riley Stotts was able to extend his run of form to six straight games on a second period goal.

Meanwhile, Noah Gregor is now on a five-game point streak for the Raiders following his four-point night.

Justin Nachbaur was the lone scratch for the Raiders, while the Hitmen did not dress defencemen Dakota Krebs and Egor Zamula, along with forwards Jake Kryski and Hunter Campbell.

Around the WHL

After suffering their 11th straight loss Wednesday night, the Prince George Cougars parted ways with head coach Richard Matvichuk.

Matvichuk, who joined the team in the summer of 2016 after two seasons behind the bench with the ECHL’s Missouri Mavericks, posted a 85-89-12-10 record during his tenure with the Cougars.

He led the squad to their first ever division title in 2016-17, but they crashed out in the first round to the Portland Winterhawks and have been in a rebuild ever since.

Cougars general manager Mark Lamb will be taking charge of the coaching duties for the rest of the season, as the 16-31-4-2 side are eight points back of the Seattle Thunderbirds for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Friday’s Scores

  • Brandon 3 Saskatoon 2 (Ben McCartney Shootout Winner – Riley Lamb – 53 Saves)
  • Moose Jaw 4 Lethbridge 3 (Josh Brook Overtime Winner – Two Goals and Two Assists – Justin Almeida – Two Goals and Two Assists)
  • Regina 3 Red Deer 2 (Ryker Evans Overtime Winner – First Career WHL Goal – Max Paddock – 31 Saves
  • Vancouver 3 Kamloops 1 (Tristen Nielsen – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Kelowna 4 Prince George 3 (Nolan Foote – Two Goals
  • Spokane 8 Victoria 3 (Ethan McIndoe – Two Goals and Two Assists)
  • Tri-City 7 Kootenay 4 (Parker AuCoin -Three Goals and Two Assists – First Career Hat Trick)
  • Portland 4 Seattle 1 (John Ludvig – One Goal and One Assist
  • Medicine Hat 1 Everett 0 (Mads Sogaard – 41 Saves – Third Shutout This Season)

Wednesday’s Scores

  • Saskatoon 6 Moose Jaw 1 (Dawson Davidson – One Goal and Two Assists)
  • Calgary 4 Regina 3 (Kaden Elder – Two Goals – Ty Kolle – Three Goals – First Career Hat Trick)
  • Medicine Hat 6 Kootenay 3 (Ryan Jevne – Two Goals and Two Assists
  • Vancouver 4 Prince George 3 (Bowen Byram Overtime Winner – One Goal and One Assist)
  • Spokane 5 Kelowna 4 (Luke Toporowski – Two Goals and One Assist – Leif Mattson – Four Assists)
  • Victoria 5 Seattle 3 (Phillip Schultz – Three Goals – First Career Hat Trick)

Pre-Game Notes

The Raiders have a pair of 5-1 victories against the Hurricanes this season and have won their last five meetings aganst the club, though they have yet to face them since they acquired forwards Nick Henry and Jake Leschyshyn from the Regina Pats in late November.

After a 4-3 overtime home loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors Friday, the 27-15-5-5 Hurricanes have dropped their last two contests and find themselves tied for second in the Central Division with the Medicine Hat Tigers, though they are just two points back of the Edmonton Oil Kings and have a game in hand.

Justin Nachbaur will not dress for the Raiders as he serves the third and final game in a three-game suspension for his post-buzzer scrap with the Warriors’ Tristin Langan last Saturday night.

Saturday’s Schedule

  • Saskatoon vs. Swift Current – 5 p.m.
  • Prince Albert vs. Lethbridge – 8 p.m.
  • Moose Jaw vs. Red Deer – 8 p.m.
  • Medicine Hat vs. Seattle – 8 p.m.
  • Kelowna vs. Kamloops – 9 p.m.
  • Kootenay vs. Spokane – 9 p.m.
  • Victoria vs. Tri-City – 9 p.m.
  • Portland vs. Everett – 9 p.m.

“Records were meant to be broken”

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Although Brett Novak hoped that his record as the player who suited up the most for the Prince Albert Raiders would stay intact, he’s pleased that the mark will be in good hands with current overage forward Sean Montgomery.

“I figured it would be some time before it eventually happened, but records are meant to broken,” Novak said. “I’m happy that Sean’s been able to have a healthy career and has been able to play long enough to not only match my record, but to also be able to pass it.

“You have to have some luck involved and be a tough player to get through all the little injuries you have in this league, and Sean has certainly shown that.”

Montgomery tied Novak’s mark of 330 games Monday night against the Edmonton Oil Kings and will set the record outright Friday evening in a road meeting with the Calgary Hitmen.

The two players met for the first time in September as Novak went to Warman to watch the Raiders take on the Saskatoon Blades in a pre-season matchup.

“After the game I went down to talk with (Raiders trainer Duane) “Puff” (Bartley), who actually started with the team around the same time that I did,” Novak said.

“While we were chatting, Sean came out and “Puff” took a picture of the both of us as he told me that ‘this is the guy that’s going to break your record.’ If you want someone to break a record, you hope it’s a guy like Sean. He’s a nice guy and a total professional. It’s hard not to pull for someone like him.”

The Portland Winterhawks originally drafted Novak, who was born in Grayson but later moved to Melville, in the second round of the 2000 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft but he had his rights dealt to the Raiders at the 2001 trade deadline in exchange for forward Garrett Prosofsky.

He suited up in two games that season as an affiliated player before making the full time jump to the Raiders roster for the 2001-02 campaign.

Novak would eventually surpass Shane Zulyniak’s then record of 318 games played for the team during the 2005-06 season.

“As the years went on and the games started to pile up, it started to set in a little bit that my teammates and I had been there quite a long time and we had all played a lot of games together,” Novak said.

“Those five years went by quick and it was a proud moment when I got the record, but to be honest we were more focused at the time on making it to the playoffs. I don’t think it really set in for me that I had the games played record until the season had ended.”

Novak’s best campaign was when he had 41 points in 72 games during the 2004-05 season, as the Raiders made a run to the Eastern Conference final after finishing in third place in the East Division and upset the Saskatoon Blades and the Medicine Hat Tigers in the first two rounds.

“We lost our two big gunners in Jeremy Colliton and Kyle Chipchura to injuries during the regular season, but we turned that into a positive as it allowed guys like myself to step into bigger roles and our team bonded through working through the adversity,” Novak said.

“It was an instant jolt to our lineup when we got Jeremy and Kyle back from their injuries and we all felt like we could go all the way. It obviously stung quite a bit after we lost to the (Brandon) Wheat Kings in Game 7 and we were so close to making it to the WHL final, but it created a bond between all of us on our team and it’s something we won’t forget.”

After his overage campaign was cut short due to injury, Novak spent two season with the Saskatchewan Huskies in U Sports while studying kinesiology and education, which led him to his current job as a teacher at St. Thérèse of Liseux Catholic School in Saskatoon.

“Having my books and tuition paid for five years through the WHL’s Scholarship Fund was a huge help and being able to play in the league really helped to open some doors elsewhere,” Novak said.

“There aren’t a lot of teachers that can put five years of playing in the WHL on their resume. The strong work ethic and the ability to persevere through challenges on the ice are things that you can apply to the world of teaching.”

Novak is still out on the ice during the winter months as he plays senior hockey for the Eston Ramblers.

“I’m hoping to come up to the Raiders home game next Friday against Brandon when they will honour Sean, but that’s also a potential deciding game in our playoff series against Beachy,” Novak said. “I’m sure the guys would understand if I wasn’t able to make it, but hopefully we won’t be in a situation where I have to choose between the two.

“You’ll definitely see me in Prince Albert to support the boys during the playoffs though. It’s been a storybook season and I hope they can surpass our run from 2005.”

Montgomery set to break Raiders games played record

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He hasn’t tried to think about it a lot over the last couple of weeks, but Friday’s road game for the Prince Albert Raiders will mark a milestone night for overage forward Sean Montgomery.

When the 20-year-old from Calgary takes to the ice for a matchup against the Calgary Hitmen, he will make in his 331st appearance in a Raiders uniform and will pass Brett Novak for the most games played in team history.

“As we’ve been coming up towards this week, I haven’t really talked about it a whole lot and it hasn’t really affected me a lot to be honest,” Montgomery said Thursday afternoon.

“Now that’s it getting closer though, it’s starting to set in a little bit and it’s a real nice honour to be able to hold the record.”

Montgomery became the fourth player in team history to play 300 games back in October and later passed Brandon Herrod and Shane Zulyniak on the all-time list on his way to tying Novak for the team record Monday in a 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oil Kings.

“I actually got that the chance to meet Brett during the pre-season when we were in Warman to play the (Saskatoon) Blades,” Montgomery said. “We didn’t really talk a whole lot about the record. It was more a quick hello and talking about how things were looking for the season.

“When you come into the league as a rookie, you really aren’t thinking about the future a whole lot as you just want to get better as a player and stay in the WHL. However, once the games start to add up, it really becomes a special feeling to know that you’ve been in the league for a long time.”

On his way to becoming an assistant captain with the Raiders this season, Montgomery was able to learn a lot from his fellow teammates, especially current Saskatchewan Huskies forward Jordan Tkatch.

“I looked up to him a lot during my first two seasons in Prince Albert,” said Montgomery, who played with Tkatch from 2014-16. “He brought it every single time he played and we’re both pretty similar in how we approach the game.”

Montgomery is enjoying a career year in his final campaign in the WHL, as he’s set a new single-season high in goals (21), assists (27) and points (48) for the league-leading Raiders.

“There’s been some ups and downs along the way, but to be a part of success that we’ve had as a team this season has been great,” Montgomery said.

“I think what sticks out more then anything though is just being with the guys and building those bonds together, especially when you are out on the road for weeks at a time.”

In addition to being able to set the record in front of his family and friends, Montgomery will also be playing in an unique venue as the Raiders and Hitmen will square off in the Stampede Corral.

“I think the only time I’ve been there was for a couple of events around the Calgary Stampede, so to be play a hockey game there is going to be really cool,” Montgomery said. “It’s going to be a special night in a number of ways.”

Mintos win sixth straight

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It wasn’t quite a picture perfect performance, but the Prince Albert Mintos were able to assure themselves of a trip to the playoffs Tuesday night.

In what was a wild affair at the North Battleford Civic Centre, the Mintos scored four unanswered goals in the third period to pick a 5-3 victory over the Battlefords Stars.

That triumph was the sixth straight for the Mintos, who clinched a spot in the 2019 Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League post-season in the process.

“Even though we were down 2-0 after the second period, we were still feeling confident in the dressing room and we came up with a plan that we hoped would get us back into the game,” Mintos forward Logan Cox said.

“We had some good scoring chances, especially in the first period, but we just weren’t able to bury them. We were able to learn from our mistakes and we capitalized on our chances in the third.”

The turning point in the game came with 12:40 left in the third period, when the Stars were awarded a penalty shot and had a chance to take a three-goal lead.

Captain Shayde Peterson came down the ice and tried to do a “Forsberg” to extend his team’s cushion, but Mintos goalie Spencer Welke knew what was coming and made a pad save.

With some extra momentum on their side, the Mintos turned up the wick as Cox, Alex Ozar and Ashton Ferster all scored in a four-and-a-half minute span to give their team the lead.

“The bounces weren’t going our way in the first two periods, but we knew that our luck was going to turn around,” Ferster said. “Once we got some momentum, we really started to control things and they weren’t able to stop us when we got the puck in their end.”

Ozar and Ferster led the way on offence with a goal and two assists, while Gabe Klassen scored his league-leading 29th goal of the campaign in the final frame and also dished out a helper.

Chase Bertholet rounded out the scoring with an empty net goal and Spencer Welke made 24 saves to earn the win.

Boston Maxwell had a pair of goals for the Stars, who have a 10-23-2-0 record and are in 10th place in the league standings.

Luke Fennig dished out a pair of helpers for the hosts, who also got a goal from Quinn Strang and received a 34-save showing from Joseph Young.

With the victory, the Mintos improved their record to 22-15-2-0 and are now in a three-way tie for fourth place in the league table with the Notre Dame Hounds and the Swift Current Legionnaires on 46 points.

Those two teams squared off Tuesday in Wilcox, where the Hounds came away with a 6-3 win.

The Mintos will continue a five-game road trip this weekend as they’ll visit the Hounds Saturday before a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Legionnaires.

Bantam Pirates hitting their stride

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One of the biggest beneficiaries of having time off during Christmas may have been the Prince Albert Venice House Bantam Pirates.

Although part of their extended break was a result of their home tournament being cancelled due to a lack of teams, a few weeks away from the rink has given the side a renewed sense of energy as they great up for the Saskatchewan Bantam AA Hockey League’s North Division playoffs.

“We’re starting to peak now and I think we’re coming along with where we should be at this part of the season,” Pirates head coach Shawn Phaneuf said.

“We played the bulk of our games before Christmas and I think the fatigue factor was starting to set in a bit, especially with the tournaments that we played in, the Sask First events and the chances our guys had to suit up with the Mintos. After a nice break, the guys had an improved focus and they all bought in to what we are doing, which has led to our success.”

One of the biggest results for the 13-10-2-1 Pirates, who are tied for fifth in the North Division standings with the Humboldt Broncos, came on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at the Kinsmen Arena as they handed the league-leading Martensville Marauders their second loss of the season in a 7-4 contest.

“That was a big boost for us,” Phaneuf said. “Everyone excused the game plan and it was a strong performance from our team.

“It’s been a total team effort as of late. Everyone’s chipping in when it comes to our defensive zone play and we’re getting secondary scoring as well.”

Six members of the Pirates roster have also been rewarded for their efforts this season, as Linden Gamble, Brooks Nyberg, Cole Tanchuk, Matthew Henry, Ryan Lepitzki and Zachary Svenson will be taking part in the SaskFirst Top 80 Bantam Tournament in Saskatoon from Feb. 15-17.

“That’s a great opportunity for those guys,” Phaneuf said. “It really helps players to play against the top guys in their age group, as it allows them to boost up their level of play.”

After a road game against the Saskatoon Maniacs on Tuesday, Feb. 26, the Pirates will host the Warman Wildcats at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27 in their home regular season finale.

They will then visit the Humboldt Broncos on Saturday, March 2 and the North East Wolfpack in Nipawin on Sunday, March 3 before starting the playoffs.

Raiders get revenge on Oil Kings

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Having suffered a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings at the Art Hauser Centre Friday, the Prince Albert made a statement in a rematch Monday.

In the final regular season meeting between the two sides, the Raiders turned in a stellar performance on the road as they picked up a 5-1 win over the Oil Kings at Rogers Place.

“That was a complete performance from top to bottom,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said. “After they beat us in our rink, our guys wanted to pay them back.

“When I came into the dressing room before the game, they were all business. You could tell that they really wanted this one.”

One of the biggest differences for the Raiders in Monday’s win was their work on the power play, as they converted two of their five chances on the man advantage.

After scoring two power play goals on three opportunities in a 4-1 victory over the Victoria Royals on Jan. 22, the Raiders had failed to score on 17 attempts with the man advantage in their last four games.

“We changed up some things a little bit going into this one and we honestly could have had more than two goals on the power play tonight,” Habscheid said.

“Our guys did an excellent job of executing the new things that we added to our structure.”

Brett Leason led the way with a goal and two assists for the 43-7-0-2 Raiders, who have won their last two games.

Dante Hannoun dished out a pair of helpers in his 300th career WHL contest, while Ozzy Weisblatt, Cole Fonstad and Parker Kelly also scored.

Ian Scott turned aside 25 shots in the win, with his lone blemish coming on a second period power play goal by Vince Loschiavo.

Todd Scott made 41 saves for the 29-16-4-4 Oil Kings, who saw their four-game win streak come to an end Monday.

The Raiders will be back in action Friday as they will visit the Calgary Hitmen for a game at the Stampede Corral.

That night will also mark a major milestone for overage forward Sean Montgomery, as he’ll play in his 331st career WHL game in his hometown and break Brett Novak’s mark for the most contests played in a Raiders uniform.

Post-Game Notes

The Raiders went 3-1 against the Oil Kings this year, which marked the third straight campaign that they won the season series by that margin.

The Oil Kings last had the upper hand in regular season matchups against the Raiders in 2011-12, when they won all four meetings on their way to their first league title.

Raiders forward Justin Nachbaur served the first of a three-game suspension Monday that he received for a fight with Tristin Langan at the end of Saturday’s game with the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Langan received a game suspension for the incident, as both players have been disciplined by the league for the third time in their careers.

Nachbaur was the lone scratch for the Raiders while the Oil Kings did not dress defenceman Jacson Alexander, Logan Dowhaniuk and Matthew Robertson, along with forwards David Kope and Jake Neighbours.

Neighbours was serving the first of a four-game suspension that he received for a boarding major penalty in Saturday’s road game with the Saskatoon Blades.

Mintos continue winning ways

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The Prince Albert Mintos are turning in some of their best performances of the season at the right time.

Following a weekend sweep of the Notre Dame Argos at the Art Hauser Centre, the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League team is enjoying their second longest win streak of the year with five straight triumphs, which is one victory off a six-game run they put together in October.

Their recent run of success also has the Mintos just two points away from clinching a playoff spot, which they can lock up with a win against the Battlefords Stars Tuesday night at the North Battleford Civic Centre.

“We’re finally playing a full 60 minutes,” Mintos forward Dawson Springer said. “There’s been nights where we were strong for 40 minutes, but then we wouldn’t be playing our game for a period.

“Everyone’s putting all that they have out there on the ice and everyone’s stepping up to help the team get wins.”

According to Mintos head coach Ken Morrison, a dramatic comeback win against the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox on Jan. 20 set the stage for the team’s recent success.

“We had a tough 2-0 victory over the Argos there the day before, but to come back from being down 4-0 to beat the Argos in overtime was a real confidence booster for us,” Morrison said.

“We’re learning to do the little things right, such as moving the puck out quicker instead of hanging on to it. It’s been a total team performance.”

Sunday’s 8-1 effort against the Argos was a testament to the team depth, as four players recorded three-point afternoons.

Springer and Gabe Klassen had two goals and an assist each, Gavin Ingram scored a goal and set up two others, while Andrew Schaab dished out three helpers.

“Gabe and Dawson are two guys that can shoot the puck and they’ve really taken advantage of their chances lately,” Morrison said.

“A guy like Gavin is really effective when it comes to killing penalties and he’s been chipping for us on offence here and there. His work ethic is always high, but he’s really turned things up here in the second half.”

Blake Duquette, Alex Von Sprecken and Chase Freidt-Mohr also scored for the 21-15-2-0 Mintos, who split goaltending duties between Spencer Welke and affiliate player Joel Favreau Sunday.

Favreau, who played for the Prince Albert Dairy Queen Chill Midget AA program, is filling in for Carter Woodside after he was called up by the Regina Pats.

The Argos, who are in 11th place in the SMAAAHL standings with an 8-26-2-1 record, got their lone goal from Jackson Edwards and received a 33-save performance from Cedric Rechsteiner.

Saturday’s contest between the two sides was a more dramatic affair, as Klassen tied the game up at three with 1:51 to go in regulation, which set the stage for Springer’s winner in the third round of the shootout.

“As I was coming down the ice, their goalie (Ruben Cooper) was giving me the blocker side and I just took my chances,” Springer said.

“We didn’t come out ready to go against the Argos Saturday, so we were pretty fired up to have a better showing in the rematch.”

Klassen led the offence with a goal and an assist, while Jake Huska and Chase Bertholet also scored in regulation.

Jacob Robinson paced the offence for the Argos with a goal and an assist, with teammates Kevin Anderson and Bryce Thomson also finding the back of the net.

Welke turned aside 21 shots to earn the win, while Cooper made 39 saves in a losing effort.

As the Mintos begin a five-game road trip Tuesday, they are currently tied for fifth place in the league standings with the Hounds and two points back of the Swift Current Legionnaires, though both teams have a pair of games in hand.

After their meeting with the Stars, the Mintos will take on the Hounds Saturday before facing the Legionnaires Sunday.

They will then visit the Yorkton Maulers on Saturday, Feb. 16 and the Regina Pat Canadians on Sunday, Feb. 17 before their regular season finale at home against the Saskatoon Blazers on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Raiders edge Warriors

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An improved showing at home by the Prince Albert Raiders proved to be the catalyst for a return to the win column Saturday night.

Coming off of a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings Friday at the Art Hauser Centre, the Raiders came away with a 4-3 triumph over the Moose Jaw Warriors in another back-and-forth battle between the East Division rivals.

“We’re trying to win games here and everyone’s treating playing us like it’s a Game 7, which I think is going to be good for us in the long run,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said. “If we don’t bring our ‘A’ game, we’re going to lose.

“We had a great showing against a team that was on a (four-game) winning streak and I thought we deserved to win the game. Their power play was good and they made us pay, but I thought we played really well when it was five-on-five.”

Nearly two minutes after Justin Almedia tied the game on the power play, Brett Leason struck with 2:25 left in regulation as he put home his 32nd goal of the season after converting a feed from Noah Gregor.

Gregor had almost put the hosts out in front moments earlier but was turned aside on a breakway by Warriors netminder Brodan Salmond.

“That was some great timing for sure on our part,” Leason said. “It was a back and forth game and it was nice for us to pop back ahead there with the lead for the last few minutes, especially after they had just tied it on the power play.

“We played fast and smart tonight, plus we stuck to our system for the whole game. Moose Jaw brings it every time that we play them so we need to stick with what we do best when we go against them.”

Ian Scott turned in a strong performance after being pulled a night earlier as the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect made 28 saves for his 29th win of the season.

“The biggest thing for me tonight was just making sure that I was battling hard out there and staying with it,” Scott said.

“You are going to have nights like Friday where you have some rough patches, but as long as you are working hard and you have the right mindset, things will get better.”

Jett Woo paced the offence for the 28-12-6-2 Warriors with three assists, as the visitors scored all of their goals on the power play.

Almeida and Josh Brook had a goal and an assist each, with Brayden Tracey rounding out the scoring and Salmond stopping 31 shots.

The Raiders will now embark on a four-game road trip that begins with a visit to the Oil Kings Monday before a Friday night matchup with the Calgary Hitmen at the Stampede Corral.

“I don’t think I’ve ever played a game there, unless it was with my dad’s men team or something,” said Scott, who is one of six Calgary products on the Raiders roster.

“It should be an exciting atmosphere. I saw a few videos from the game there the other night (against the Brandon Wheat Kings) and it looks like there will be a lot of fans coming out to watch us.”

After taking on the Lethbridge Hurricanes next Saturday night, the Raiders will wrap up their road trip on Wednesday, Feb. 13 against the Swift Current Broncos.

Post-Game Notes

Thanks to his assist on Sean Montgomery’s second period goal, Brayden Pachal set a new mark for the longest point streak in his career at six games.

Jett Woo also extended his point streak to six games Saturday, while Justin Almeida has found the back of the net in five straight contests.

Both of Kaiden Guhle’s WHL goals have come against the Warriors, as the Raiders rookie scored his first career marker at Mosaic Place on Oct. 24.

Loeden Schaufler was the lone scratch for the Raiders, while blueliners Matthew Benson and Matthew Sanders did not dress for the Warriors, along with forwards Tate Popple and Cameron Sterling.

Saturday’s Scores

  • Edmonton 4 Saskatoon 3 (Trey Fix-Wolansky Overtime Winner – Conner McDonald – Two Goals)
  • Calgary 5 Red Deer 1 (Mark Kasetlic – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Lethbridge 4 Swift Current 2 (Jordy Bellerive – One Goal and Two Assists)
  • Medicine Hat 5 Brandon 0 (Mads Sogaard – 16 Saves – Second Career Shutout)
  • Kelowna 2 Kamloops 1 (Lassi Thomson Overtime Winner – Trevor Wong – First Career Goal)
  • Portland 6 Spokane 5 (Jake Gricius Shootout Winner – Cross Hanas – One Goal and Two Assists)
  • Vancouver 4 Prince George 2 (Dylan Plouffe – One Goal and Two Assists)
  • Tri-City 2 Victoria 1 (Kyle Olson Shootout Winner – Beck Warm – 33 Saves)
  • Everett 7 Seattle 2 (Connor Dewar – Four Goals and Two Assists – First Hat Trick This Season and Second Career)

Pre-Game Notes

Monday’s meeting between the Oil Kings and Raiders was originally slated for Wednesday night, but was moved back two days due to a rescheduled Justin Timberlake concert at Rogers Place.

Despite losing 6-3 to the Oil Kings at the Art Hauser Centre Friday, the Raiders hold a 2-1 advantage in the season series and have won their last two road games in Edmonton.

Following a 5-4 overtime road win over the Saskatoon Blades Saturday, the 29-15-4-4 Oil Kings have a four-point lead over the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Central Division and are tied with the Everett Silvertips for the longest win streak in the WHL at the moment at four games.

Defenceman Conner McDonald has been leading the charge for the Oil Kings as of late as he’s scored seven goals and dished out three helpers during a six-game point streak.

Rookie forward Jake Neighbours was back in the lineup Saturday in Saskatoon, but draft eligible blueliner Matthew Robertson did not dress for the second straight game.

Monday’s Schedule

  • Prince Albert vs. Edmonton – 8 p.m.

Oil Kings spoil Raiders return home

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It was a tough homecoming for the Prince Albert Raiders Friday in their first game at the Art Hauser Centre since Jan. 12.

Despite taking a 3-2 lead late in the second period, the top ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League gave up four unanswered goals over the final 22 minutes as the Edmonton Oil Kings skated away with a 6-3 victory.

“I didn’t like our compete level tonight,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said. “We were easy to play against.

“We can take away certain things (the first game back after a six-game road trip and the annual parents’ weekend for the team) but the things we can control is how we decide to make a hit, make a play, drive to the net and how we battle. We chose not to pay the price tonight.”

After falling behind 2-1 midway through the second period, Cole Fonstad and Brayden Pachal found the back of the net in an 81-second span to give the Raiders a 3-2 lead with 2:11 left on the clock.

Oil Kings captain Trey Fix-Wolansky would respond moments later as he tied the game up on the power play at the 18:25 mark of the middle frame and moved the visitors back in front for good 56 seconds later.

“They played hard and tough tonight,” Habscheid said. “This was a big game for them and they deserved to win. They battled and competed hard, and will beats skill every single time.

“We want to be a multi-dimensional team and we’ve shown that a lot this year, but there’s been a number of times that we haven’t done that after Christmas. With that said, I think we’ll have a better showing tomorrow against Moose Jaw.”

Oil Kings defenceman Conner McDonald gave his team some insurance with his second goal of the night with 14:51 to go in regulation.

That marker also spelled the end of the night for Raiders netminder Ian Scott, who was pulled in favour of Boston Bilous after allowing five goals on 27 shots.

“We wanted to shake things up a little bit there, but we win as a team and lose as a team,” Habscheid said. “With that said, Ian didn’t have a very good night.”

Jalen Luypen and Vince Loschiavo also scored for the 28-15-4-4 Oil Kings, who won their third straight game Friday and now have a four-point lead over the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Central Division, while Todd Scott turned aside 39 shots.

“That was a solid road game from our team tonight,” Fix-Wolansky said. “We kept things simple and took some things from our previous two games against them (the Raiders) this season, which led to our success.

“We have a lot of big games down the stretch here against teams that are ahead of us in the league standings, plus the teams were battling in our division. We can’t take anything for granted and we’re going to keep pushing for first place.”

Lucas Punkari/Daily Herald
Prince Albert Raiders forward Cole Fonstad fires a shot past Edmonton Oil Kings goaltender Todd Scott in the first period Friday.

Fonstad turned in a strong night on offence for the 41-7-0-2 Raiders as he lit the lamp twice to reach the 20-goal plateau for the second straight season.

“There’s always positives that you can take from a game, but you can’t have as many negatives as we did tonight and expect to have a good result,” Fonstad said.

“We’ve gotten away from our identity here lately and we need to get back to how we know we can play.”

Noah Gregor had a pair of assists in the loss, which saw Bilous make four saves in the final 12 minutes against his old team.

The Raiders will return to action tomorrow for a 7 p.m. home tilt against the Moose Jaw Warriors before they pay a visit to the Oil Kings on Monday night.

Post-Game Notes

Friday’s win for the Oil Kings snapped a five-game losing streak against the Raiders that dated back to Dec. 2, 2017.

It also marked the end of a five-game skid at the Art Hauser Centre, as the Oil Kings last won in Prince Albert on Nov. 27, 2015.

Conner McDonald and Brayden Pachal both increased their point streaks to five games, with McDonald taking over sole possession of second place in goals by a defenceman this season thanks to his two goal night.

After finding the back of the net in the second period Pachal has 13 goals on the campaign and is one marker back of McDonald, though both blueliners are trying to catch Bowen Byram of the Vancouver Giants and the 19 goals he’s scored so far this season.

Loeden Schaufler was the lone scratch for the Raiders Friday, while the Oil Kings were without blueliners Jacson Alexander, Logan Dowhaniuk and Matthew Robertson, along with forwards David Kope and Jake Neighbours.

Friday’s Scores

  • Moose Jaw 6 Medicine Hat 1 (Brayden Tracey – Three Goals and One Assist – Second Hat Trick This Season)
  • Saskatoon 3 Regina 1 (Nolan Maier – 34 Saves)
  • Brandon 6 Calgary 5 (Luka Burzan Overtime Winner – Ben McCartney – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Kootenay 3 Swift Current 2 (Connor McClennon – Two Goals)
  • Lethbridge 6 Red Deer 2 (Nick Henry – Two Goals and One Assist)
  • Kamloops 4 Prince George 1 (Kyrell Sopotyk – Two Goals)
  • Portland 3 Vancouver 0 (Shane Farkas – 24 Saves – Fourth Shutout This Season and Seventh Career)
  • Everett 5 Seattle 2 (Bryce Kindopp – Three Goals – First Career Hat Trick)
  • Spokane 4 Kelowna 0 (Reece Klassen – 25 Saves – First Career Shutout)
  • Victoria 5 Tri-City 2 (Ralph Jarratt – One Goal and One Assist)

Pre-Game Notes

Saturday’s matchup between the Raiders and the Warriors is the third of the season between the provincial rivals.

Prince Albert holds a 2-1 advantage in the season series, but it was Moose Jaw who won the most recent encounter by a score of 4-2 on Jan. 4 at the Art Hauser Centre.

Following a 6-1 win at home over the Medicine Hat Tigers Friday, the 28-11-6-2 Warriors head up to Prince Albert on a four-game win streak and sit in third place in the East Division.

They are also three points back of the Saskatoon Blades for second place and have three games in hand.

Vancouver Canucks prospect Jett Woo is the hottest player in the Warriors lineup at the moment as he’s recorded a point in five straight games.

Forward Tate Popple is the only player sidelined for the team at the moment as he’s sidelined with a lower body injury that he sustained on New Year’s Eve against the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Saturday’s Schedule

  • Moose Jaw vs. Prince Albert – 7 p.m.
  • Edmonton vs. Saskatoon – 7 p.m.
  • Calgary vs. Red Deer – 8 p.m.
  • Swift Current vs. Lethbridge – 8 p.m.
  • Spokane vs. Portland – 8 p.m.
  • Brandon vs. Medicine Hat – 8:30 p.m.
  • Prince George vs. Vancouver – 9 p.m.
  • Kamloops vs. Kelowna – 9 p.m.
  • Tri-City vs. Victoria – 9 p.m.
  • Seattle vs. Everett – 9 p.m.