Justice Christensen celebrates after being set up by Daxon Rudolph for the onetimer that made Teddy Bears flood the ice in the Raiders 4-3 win over the Hitmen. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders Win 4-3

Captain Christensen make Teddy Bears rain as Raiders down Hitmen

Dec 7, 2024 | 7:02 AM

After suffering their first regulation loss in eight games against Red Deer earlier in the week, the Prince Albert Raiders had a tough task at hand when the Calgary Hitmen came to town Friday. In game that had a mix of everything from high flying action to grind-it-out chippy play, the Raiders managed to come away with a 4-3 win on Teddy Bear Toss night.

The early goings of the game saw the Raiders get the game’s first penalty kill, and shortly after returning to full strength the Raiders would score the first goal of the game. Daxon Rudolph and Dayce Derkatch worked the puck down the right wall to get it over the line, and Derkatch took the puck down into the corner to create some separation before sending the puck back to Rudolph at the line. He sent a pass to the left for a waiting Justice Christensen, and his onetimer made it rain teddy bears for Christensen’s fifth of the season at 9:56.

Near the end of the period, animosity ran high after a play where Carter Yakemchuk and Harrison Lodewyk collided. Yakemchuk took a swipe at Lodewyk with his stick and leaned in to throw a reverse hit as they both tried to collect the puck in the corner, but Lodewyk ploughed through Yakemchuk and he went down to the ice hurt. A scrum ensued, no penalty was called, and on the next faceoff Maxim Muranov took a retaliatory interference run at Rudolph, and a much larger scrum followed that resulted in multiple penalties and a Raiders powerplay. Just over a minute into the powerplay, a frustrated Hitmen squad would get a roughing call added, and the Raiders would start the second period with a 44 second 5-on-3.

After 1: Raiders 1 – 0 Hitmen, shots 13-7 Raiders

Still with a two man advantage, the Raiders powerplay would score from someone usually setting up his teammates. After an opportunity at the side of the net, Krzysztof Macias collected the puck at the side of the net and sent it back to Tomas Mrsic on the right point. Mrsic gave it to Lukas Dragicevic on the left, Dragicevic sent it back, and Mrsic gave it back to Dragicevic again before he unloaded a onetimer on goal for his second of the season at 0:33 and the first Raiders powerplay goal in three games.

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At the 4:07 mark, the Raiders struck again. As the Hitmen tried to break out of the zone, Niall Crocker stole a pass away at the blueline and fed Macias in the slot, he cut towards his right and ripped one off the crossbar and in for his sixth of the season and the three goal lead.

The Hitmen would get on the board at the 7:20 mark when David Adasynski broke into the Raiders zone alone against two defenceman. Adasynski cut to his left as he crossed the line, using a defender as a partial screen before putting a shot on goal and scoring.

The Hitmen had two goals disallowed in the second period, and both because of goaltender interference. On the powerplay, Tanner Howe was fighting for a rebound and he pushed Dimitiri Fortin into the back of the net before he put the rebound in. It was initially called a goal, but called off after review. The second one saw Ben Kindel knock Fortin over as the shot came, and this one was called a full penalty and the goal was waved off immediately.

After 2: Raiders 3 – 1 Hitmen, shots 17-6 Hitmen, 24-19 Hitmen overall

The game was made tight early in the third when Tisdale’s Connor Hvidston scored just 1:02 into the third. As the Hitmen entered the zone on the rush, the puck was dropped back to Carson Wetsch who tried to shoot. Instead, his stick broke and the puck went to the slot as a perfect pass to Hvidston, and he turned and fired to score.

With Lodewyk in the box for a tripping call, the Hitmen scored to tie it at the 14:39 mark. Again it was Wetsch setting up the play, but this time his pass to Oliver Tulk streaking to the front of the goal was intentional and Tulk redirected the puck past Fortin to tie the game.

Wetsch then went to the box on an offsetting roughing call with Dragicevic to set up 4-on-4, and another penalty shortly after to Hunter Aura gave the Raiders a 4-on-3 powerplay. All four players on the ice had a hand in getting the go ahead goal. Christensen came in to help collect a rebound and find Mrsic at the left point, Mrsic set up Oiring for a onetimer, and Crocker on the door step collected the rebound and jammed it in for his ninth of the season and the game winner.

FINAL: Raiders 4 – 3 Hitmen, shots 18-12 Hitmen, 42-31 Hitmen overall

The Raiders head on the road Saturday to take on the Brandon Wheat Kings for the third time this season.