Max Hildebrand makes one of his 44 saves on the night against the Everett Silvertips. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Nick Nielsen

Highlight reel Hildebrand

Raiders fall in overtime following third period comeback versus Silvertips

Oct 5, 2024 | 9:31 AM

After losing two games in a row the previous weekend, the Prince Albert Raiders looked to get back in the win column during Hockey Fights Cancer Night with their only game of the weekend against the Everett Silvertips on Friday.

While late game theatrics and a stellar performance from Max Hildebrand in net, the Raiders fell short in overtime, 3-2.

The game started with back and forth action and the Raiders initially started strong against the Silvertips, but early penalty trouble would give the Silvertips the edge early on. At the halfway mark of the period, Max Hildebrand made what was dubbed the WHL Save of the Night.

In the rest of the period, the Raiders gave up two powerplays in the first period, one of which carried over into the second period, but the Silvertips gave the Raiders the same opportunities.

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Highlight reel Hildebrand

Raiders fall in overtime following third period comeback versus Silvertips

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After 1: Raiders 0 – 0 Silvertips, shots 8-8

After killing off the leftover period from the first period and a brief 4-on-3 powerplay in the early minutes of the second, the Raiders gave up the game’s first goal while on a powerplay of their own. An aggressive forecheck from Carter Bear would cause a turnover in the slot, and Bear would get stopped twice before picking the puck up and going around behind the net, and he’d make a spin move to the front of the net to avoid a pokecheck and jam the puck home shorthanded.

Then at the 12:10 mark, 15-year-old exceptional status defenceman Landon DuPont would score his first goal in the WHL to give the Silvertips a two goal lead. A great feed from the left side wall from Julien Maze would find DuPont alone in the slot, and he’d rip a wrist shot through traffic for his first as a Silvertip.

After 2: Raiders 0 – 2 Silvertips, shots 19-7 Silvertips, 27-15 Silvertips overall

Despite the shots still favoring the Silvertips, the third period was all about the Raiders.

Thanks to offsetting minors with less than two minutes left in the third and a penalty to the Silvertips at the end of the second, the Raiders started the period with a 4-on-3 powerplay for the first 19 seconds of the period.

It took 31 seconds for the Raiders to score when Tomas Mrsic streaked through the middle of the ice and found Aiden Oiring on the left side of the ice, and Oiring returned the feed to the front of the net where Mrsic tipped the puck in to bring the Raiders back within one.

Then at the 15:02 mark, Mrsic and the Raiders powerplay struck again. This time Niall Crocker gave the puck to Aiden Oiring cycling out of the corner, and Oiring left the puck for Mrsic. He skated towards the goal line before deciding to shoot from a near impossible angle, and the puck bounced off the post, off the goaltender, and in to tie it.

After 3: Raiders 2 – 2 Silvertips, shots 13-6 Silvertips, 40-21 Silvertips overall

With the game into overtime, the Raiders got a couple chances that never hit the net. The Silvertips were clogging up the middle all night to block shots and rebound attempts, and that continued in overtime. The Silvertips got a penalty shot in the extra frame, but Hildebrand still made the save.

3:17 into overtime, and the Silvertips won it. Tyler MacKenzie sprung Jesse Heslop on the breakaway, and he streaked in to the slot to score his 100th point in the WHL with the overtime winner.

FINAL (OT): Raiders 2 – 3 Silvertips, shots 7-0 Silvertips, 47-21 Silvertips overall

The Raiders now get set to take on the Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday. Between playing the Silvertips Friday night in Prince Albert and playing the Seattle Thunderbirds on October 25, the Raiders will play eight games in a row against opponents that they will only play once this year.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com