Evan Herman celebrates his third goal in the win over the Edmonton Oil Kings. (Submitted Photo/Mark Peterson Media)

By Rob Mahon

Raiders Beat Oil Kings

Another Herman hat trick, another home win for Raiders

Jan 3, 2022 | 5:39 AM

Not many teams can say they’ve beaten the first and second-place teams in the WHL this season, but the Prince Albert Raiders now can. They earned their first victory of 2022 and their first of the post-Christmas schedule over the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Evan Herman scored a hat trick and Tikhon Chaika turned aside 22 of 24 shots he faced in the 5-2 win. Niall Crocker and Keaton Sorenson also scored, while Dylan Guenther and Jaxsen Wiebe replied for Edmonton.

The Oil Kings led twice in the game, and got their first goal off strong forechecking by the line of Guenther, Wiebe, and Jake Neighbours. Guenther forced a turnover along the wall and fed Wiebe at the top of the right circle, from where he snapped home his fifth of the year.

Crocker had the reply for the Raiders before the period was out. After Dallyn Peekeekoot tipped Tayem Gislason’s point shot just high, Crocker recovered the loose puck as it bounced off the glass and slipped it into the open side before Sebastian Cossa could recover.

Again the Oil Kings took the lead in the second, with Guenther the triggerman on a 4-on-2 rush. Though he fanned on his shot, he got enough on it to slip it through Chaika’s five-hole. On a power-play, however, Herman got the tying goal off the rush himself, when he took a feed from Ozzy Wiesblatt and blasted home a one-timer to knot the score.

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Later in the second, the Raiders got their first lead of the season series, a lead they would never surrender. Cale Sanders deftly lifted the puck into the neutral zone to send Reece Vitelli and Sorenson away two-on-one, and Vitelli, despite being harassed from behind, managed to feed it over to Sorenson, who snapped it home over Cossa’s shoulder.

Edmonton pushed back, and had several high-quality scoring chances, including a two-on-one with Wiebe and Guenther with Guenther getting a great shot away. Chaika had the answer every time, however, aided by a stingy Raiders defence that blocked shooting and passing lanes alike.

Late in the third, after weathering an Oil Kings power play, Herman bought the Raiders some space. Sent in alone by Vladislav Shilo, he pulled off a gorgeous backhand deke and lifted it past Cossa to make it a 4-2 game. Then, on a later power play, Herman found a quiet spot in the slot, took a pass from Eric Johnston, and wired home his hat trick goal.

Despite late rough stuff, including a near-line brawl and two separate fights, the Raiders kept the Oil Kings off the board from there and skated to a 5-2 win. Their next game comes on Friday night in Swift Current, with puck drop at 7:00.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP