As the Prince Albert Raiders head to wild rose country for a two-game stretch, associate coach Dave Manson says they have the best and the worst to learn from in preparation for the games.
The Raiders (2-2-0-0) play in Lethbridge Friday evening against the Hurricanes (2-2-0-0), and then they travel east to Medicine Hat for their game against the Tigers (2-2-0-0) on Saturday.
The Raiders’ two wins came this past week against the Calgary Hitmen in overtime on Friday and via a dominant 4-2 win versus the Tigers on Saturday.
It’s the Friday game that Manson says the team can learn from: “I thought the first period against Calgary is one of our best periods of the year. Then we come out and we follow it up with probably one our worst periods of the year.”
After dominating puck possession and scoring chances in the first frame, the Raiders were up 2-1 on the scoreboard; in the second period the team fell flat, allowing the Hitmen to work the puck in their defensive zone and score three goals in 2.5 minutes.
The Raiders tied the game late in the period, and they eventually won the game in overtime.
To avoid lulls like that while on the road in Alberta, Manson said his players need to keep their heads.
“If you come up with a good period, never get too high, never get too low. It’s a learned skill. Playing that game consistently for 60 minutes is something you’re constantly learning, and it’s always evolving at the junior ranks.”
“It’s gonna be a good test for us. We have to make sure we keep the puck in check and we know what we’re doing with it – we’re not loose with it and giving up scoring opportunities on odd-man attacks,” he said.
For more on this story, see the Oct. 6 print edition or e-edition of the Daily Herald
