The Raiders celebrate after Friday night's win in the start of the home and home with Swift Current. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders win 7-5

Raiders climb four spots after four point weekend

Dec 29, 2024 | 4:21 AM

With the Prince Albert Raiders starting the post Christmas break schedule with a tightly contested 2-1 win at home over the Swift Current Broncos, the Raiders went on the road Saturday night for the rematch. This time the lead changed hands multiple times, but they finished with a 7-5 win.

The Broncos powerplay struck first at 6:01 with Luke Mistelbacher scoring his first of the game. On the top of the right circle, Mistelbacher used a screen to hide his shot and fire into the back of the net.

At the 12:09 mark, the Raiders tied the game with the return of Tomas Mrsic. He came down the left wall and put a shot on goal that he fanned on, but the Broncos goaltender lost his shot around a defender and it slipped fivehole for Mrsic’s 19th, assists from Sobry and Smith.

Before the end of the period at 17:10, the Raiders took the first lead chance on another rush play. Aiden Oiring cleared the zone and Mrsic picked it up down the left wall again, and he put a shot wide of the net and bounced out the other side for Brayden Dube, and he swatted the puck off the goaltender and in for his 15th.

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The Broncos only needed 0:36 seconds to tie the game when, on 4-on-4, Carlin Dezainde entered the zone down the right side and sent a pass to the right wall for Ty Coupland, and he sent the give-and-go pass right back to Dezainde to tip it into the net.

4-on-4 ended and the Raiders got a powerplay, and at 1:37 the Raiders quickly tied it. Again it was Tomas Mrsic with his second of the game and 20th of the seasn, this time crossed into the slot from the right wall and ripped his trademark shot into the back of the net with an assist from Lukas Dragicevic.

Another Broncos powerplay capitalized at the 6:25 mark, this time Dezainde with his second of the game, and again from the right side of the ice similar to the first goal from Mistelbacher.

Speaking of Mistelbacher on the powerplay, he gave the lead back to the Broncos at 14:57 from the top of the circle on the right side, again using a screen to disguise his shot.

After 2: Raiders 3 – 4 Broncos, shots 11-11, 23-21 Broncos overall

The Raiders saw how their opponents started the second period, a special teams goal in the first minute, and the Raiders decided to do it quicker with a powerplay goal at 0:25. Niall Crocker collected a rebound to score his 12th, the assist coming off a Dube onetimer set up by Dragicevic.

The Raiders changed the lead for the third time in the game at 2:48 when Oiring brought the puck down the left wall and Dragicevic snuck into the zone behind a defender to get himself wide open in the slot to score his sixth, Dube also picking up an assist.

At 12:06, the Raiders scored an insurance goal that included all three members of the 2023 First round draft picks. Daxon Rudolph made a nice play to exit the defensive zone and dump the puck into the right corner for Ryley Boychuk, and he waited in the corner for Ty Meunier to catch up in the slot, and he fired his fourth of the season into the back of the net for the game winner.

Luke Mistelbacher would score another powerplay goal at 14:57 to get the Broncos back to within one goal. Mistelbacher had four goals in the weekend series against the Raiders, all four goals coming off shots around screens on the powerplay from the right point or top of the circle.

The Raiders added one more on the empty net at 19:40, Oiring with his 13th on the year with a lone assist from Crocker.

FINAL: Raiders 7 – 5 Broncos, shots 19-11 Raiders, 40-34 raiders overall

To start the weekend, the Raiders had 33 points with games in hand over everyone ahead of them and sitting in a tie for eighth in the Eastern Conference with Red Deer. Now two wins and four points later, the Raiders are now tied for fifth in the standings with the Brandon Wheat Kings at 37 points, and just a single point out of a tie for third.

The Raiders next action sees them take on the first in the Eastern Conference Saskatoon Blades, who are only five points ahead of the Raiders at 42 after a pair of wins this weekend against Regina and Moose Jaw.