They gave it all they had, but the Prince Albert Raiders couldn’t pull off a comeback in a 5-3 loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors Saturday night at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
Raider head coach Jeff Truitt says Prince Albert took too long to get settled in.
“I thought we got away from our game quite a bit structurally early on, being hungry for pucks and getting outbattled. We got some traction and we competed better. We had to switch up lines for the third period to try to do something to crawl back and we got within one to 4-3 and then they got the empty netter. We did a lot of things ok in the second half of the game”
Moose Jaw would strike first as Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus would take advantage of a short handed 2-on-1 break. Firkus would pick a perfect spot with the wrist shot for his 32nd goal of the season at the 12:43 mark of the opening frame.
Eric Alarie would double the lead for the Warriors at the 14:42 mark of the first period. Alarie would fire a point shot that would redirect off a Raider body and past Tikhon Chaika to give Moose Jaw a 2-0 lead after twenty minutes. Tate Schoefer received the lone assist on the play.
Moose Jaw outshot the Raiders 15-6 in the first period.
Truitt says Raiders didn’t get quality chances when they had the chance to in the first period.
“We have to make our own breaks and we have to create opportunities for ourselves. Learn from the lessons early on in the first period here in Moose Jaw. We can’t miss nets, the shots were 6-2 for them halfway through the first. We had opportunities off odd man rushes to get quality shots. We have to take advantage of the situations that come to us.”
After a charging minor penalty against Prince Albert’s Justice Christensen, the Warrior power play would go to work on the man advantage.
Matthew Gallant would strike for his 1st goal of the season on the power play at the 6:26 mark of the second period. Harper Lolacher and Martin Rysavy assisted on the play.
Prince Albert would respond with a power play marker of their own less than two minutes later to cut the Moose Jaw lead to 3-1. Niall Crocker would strike for his 16th goal of the season. Aidan Oiring would pick up the lone assist on the play.
After a delay of game penalty against Cole Peardon, Moose Jaw would restore their three goal advantage at the 16:32 mark of the second period. Brayden Yager would find the back of the net for the 25th time this season to extend the Warrior lead to 4-1. Logan Dowhaniuk would pick up the lone assist.
Prince Albert outshot Moose Jaw 14-7 in the second period.
It would only take the Raiders a grand total of eighteen seconds to cut into the Moose Jaw lead to start the third period.
After a frenzy in front of the Warrior net, Keaton Sorenson would find the loose puck and bang it into the back of the net for his 22nd goal of the season to cut the Raider deficit to 4-2. Landon Kosior would pick up the lone assist on the play.
After a hard push by the Raiders on the power play, Evan Herman would fire a shot in the perfect spot to cut the Moose Jaw lead to only one with his 15th goal of the season. Sloan Stanick and Terrell Goldsmith assisted on the play.
Ryder Korczak would ice it for the Warriors with an empty net goal with just 38 seconds to go.
Tikhon Chaika made 24 saves for Prince Albert in the loss. Jackson Unger made 34 saves for Moose Jaw.
The Raiders return to action on Tuesday night when they welcome the Brandon Wheat Kings to the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drops at 7 p.m.
