“It’s my job.”
That was the response from Prince Albert Raiders goaltender Michal Orsulak when asked how he was able to stay focused during long stretches of inactivity as the Prince Albert Raiders rolled to a 4-0 victory over the Swift Current Broncos on Friday.
The Czech netminder had little to do for several lengthy spells while making 18 saves for his second WHL shutout. That was particularly true during the second period, where a string of Bronco penalties allowed the Raiders to outshoot their opponents 17-6 without breaking a 0-0 tie.
“(The) guys played really great,” Orsulak said afterwards. “It’s my job to save one, two goals in this game, so it’s not difficult (to stay focused).”
While the shot total wasn’t high, the shot quality was. Orsulak only had to make six saves in the second, but they came on some Grade A scoring chances.
The Tremosna, Cze. product was forced to stop right winger Parker Rondeau on a short-handed breakaway early in the period, and turned away Anthony Wilson on a two-on-one in the final few minutes.
The play of Swift Current Broncos goaltender Joey Rocha made things more difficult. Rocha made several tough stops to keep the game scoreless through 40 minutes, the biggest being a sprawling save on Raiders leading scorer Aiden Oiring during a second period five-on-three power play.
“He played really good—amazing saves,” Orsulak said. “For me it’s good motivation (to make sure) the next save is mine.
“The team played really good,” he added. “Eighteen shots a game, it’s not much, but for me it’s a shutout. I’m happy, but what’s important is it’s two points from this game.”
The 6’2 Rocha looked unbeatable through 45 minutes, but when the dam burst, it did so in the strangest way possible.
After a little over two periods of solid and at times spectacular goaltending, Rocha lost his shut-out bid when an Owen Corkish backhand banked off the Bronco goaltender’s skate and into the net.
“I missed on my first initial shot below the glove but luckily enough it bounced out to me,” Corkish said afterward. “I just bounced it off the goalie there, so it was good.”
Rocha had little chance on the next three Raider goals as the floodgates opened. Oiring converted a feed from Corkish after being left all alone in the slot to make it 2-0. Max Heise made it 3-0 on a beautiful cross-ice pass from Riley Boychuk, and Ty Meuneir made it 4-0 after stickhandling unchecked past the Bronco crease and out-waiting a sprawling Rocha before firing the puck over his pad.
“I think the main thing was consistency,” Corkish said when asked about the third period outburst. “If we don’t have the consistency to keep working hard and Ors (Orsulak) making big saves back there we don’t get those chances.
“Obviously they (the Broncos) are trying too,” he added. “They’re a good team we just have to stay consistent. (That’s) the key word. We kept doing our thing. We destroyed them in shots tonight and we were really confident. No one in the locker room really thought we were going to go down. We just knew it was a matter of time before we got that first goal.”
Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald praised his squad for playing a full 60 minute game on Friday. However, he wasn’t surprised it took a bit of puck luck to open the scoring.
“(It was) a great net drive and a shot, but the bank off the second shot that goes in the net, those are usually the ones that kick you off,” he said. “Again, a ton of credit to our guys. I thought it was just a tremendous 60 minute effort tonight.”
The win moves Prince Albert into an early-season tie with Saskatoon for first in the East Division with an 8-0-2-0 record. The Broncos fall fourth with a record of 6-4-1-0.
“The guys stuck with it,” McDonald said. “You go through times in a game where the pressure’s on and we’re getting chances, we’re getting looks, and they’re just not going in. Our guys did a tremendous job just continuing to play fast, continuing to play north, continuing to create our offence.”
The Raiders and Broncos are back at it on Saturday in Swift Current. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
News and Notes:
• Broncos defenceman Peyton Kettles was given a five-minute major for checking to the head and a game misconduct after crushing Riley Boychuk during a Raider power play. Boychuck was slow to get up and needed help getting off the ice, but returned shortly afterwards.
• Captain Justice Christensen made the loudest contribution to the Prince Albert win with several thunderous body-checks during a third period penalty kill.
• The Raiders wore black uniforms with pink trim for Cancer Awareness Night. Raider Director of Ticketing, Community Relations, and Accounting Kim Page, a breast cancer survivor, dropped the puck for the ceremonial opening face-off.
• The Raiders outshot the Broncos 36-18. Both teams went 0/4 on the power play.
• Announced attendance was 2,417.
