Despite their best efforts, the Prince Albert Raiders couldn’t erase a four goal deficit after forty minutes in a 6-4 loss to the Medicine Hat Tigers at Co-op Place on Saturday night.
“It was a game of momentum changes.” Raider interim head coach Ryan McDonald said in a post-game interview. “We know they’re a team that thrives on momentum and a team that thrives on the transition. For us it was making sure that we managed pucks and got pucks in behind them, but also staying disciplined because we knew they have a good power play through the first two periods. Then come out in the third period and push ourselves and get pucks in behind it and all of a sudden the score ends up 6-4.”
The Raiders would open the scoring at the 10:06 mark as Evan Smith would bury his first career playoff goal. Riley Boychuk picked up the lone assist on the play.
Liam Ruck would even the score with his first goal of the postseason at the 16:25 mark of the opening frame. Twin brother Marcus Ruck and Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll had the helpers.
The Tigers would take over in the second period, scoring four times while outshooting the Raiders 20-4 in the middle frame.
Oasiz Wiesblatt would start things with a power play goal at the 8:00 mark. Tanner Molendyk and Bryce Pickford had the helpers
Gavin McKenna would add another power play marker just over two minutes later. Wiesblatt and Pickford had the assists.
Josh Van Mulligen would pick up his second playoff goal at the 14:50 mark. Mathew Ward and Marcus Pacheco had the assists.
Ryder Ritchie would burn his former team at the 16:41 mark. Ward and Veeti Vaisanen picked up the helpers.
THe Tigers would chase Max Hildebrand after the second period. Hildebrand made 27 saves on 32 shots faced. Dimitri Fortin would take over in the Raider crease.
“They grab momentum. We took some penalties at costly times and they went three for three on the power play. We’ll get to the video and get to some areas that we need to improve on making sure that we’re making them earn their power plays. Making sure that when they do get their opportunities that we’re having good sticks, hard on bodies and getting our clears when they become available.”
Down 5-1 after forty minutes, the Raiders didn’t go quietly.
Daxon Rudolph would strike for his first career playoff goal at the 5:15 mark of the final frame on the power play. Aiden Oiring and Niall Crocker had the assists.
Dayce Derkatch would pull the Raiders within two with his playoff goal at the 9:36 mark. Evan Smith and Ethan Bibeau had the helpers.
A redirection in front from Misha Volotovskii would put the Tigers by three at the 15:27 mark. Jonas Woo and Kadon McCann would receive credit for the assists.
Brayden Dube would strike just under thirty seconds later to bring Prince Albert back within two. Rilen Kovacevic had the lone helper.
McDonald says it was a good sign to see the Raider comeback in the third period
“It was a tremendous push in the third. Great details in getting pucks in behind and using our speed skating to our checks, really pushing them to play that hard straight line game. Great responses by our guys.”
That would be as close as Prince Albert would get, as Jordan Switzer would make 16 saves to earn the win for the Tigers.
Game 2 goes on Sunday night at Co-op Place. Puck drop is at 6 p.m.
