The Prince Albert Raiders made it two wins in two nights with a third period come-from-behind victory over the Portland Winterhawks on Wednesday.
The Raiders trailed 2-0 heading into the third period, but goals from Evan Smith and Alisher Sarkenov tied things up.
Sarkenov’s goal was particularly controversial. The Belarussian winger took a soft pass from Brock Cripps and slid the puck under Portland goaltender Ondrej Stebetak’s outstretched pass. The goal drew plenty of boos after replays showed Raider forward Brayden Dube was offside.
The goal stood, and Prince Albert added two more goals before the end of the period. Dube again poured salt in the wounds of Portland hockey fans by beating Stebetak top shelf on a two-on-one with 1:55 remaining. Sarkenov iced the game with an empty net goal with 24 seconds remaining.
The win puts Prince Albert one point behind the Edmonton Oil Kings for top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Oil Kings have played three more games that the Raiders as of Thursday night.
The Raiders are back on the ice Friday night for the second last game of their Western road trip. They face the Seattle Thunderbirds. Puck drop is 9:05 CST.
