Raiders goaltender Dimitri Fortin stopped 37 of 39 shots faced in a great effort to help the Raiders win 4-2 over the Calgary Hitmen. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders win 4-2

Raiders weather early storm for big win over Calgary

Feb 16, 2025 | 7:57 AM

The last three games the Prince Albert Raiders played leading into Saturday’s matchup with the Calgary Hitmen, but Saturday’s game took the atmosphere another step up. With the Hitmen putting on a ton of pressure in the first period, the Raiders got a great performance from backup goaltender Dimitri Fortin on their way to a 4-2 win.

The game did not start well for the Raiders with all kinds of chances by the Hitmen. By the time the Hitmen scored at 2:26, the Raiders had not held possession of the puck in the offensive zone. The first goal of the game was a bit of a flukey one too, Prince Albert local Tanner Howe put a shot on goal that went off Fortin’s blocker, off the crossbar, into the air, and it dropped in the slot where a streaking Ben Kindel hacky sack bounced the puck off his skate and in.

The Raiders would strike back on a surprisingly similar goal. Jackson Kostiuk would enter the zone down the right side with two forwards with him, but he’d drop it back for Tyrone Sobry streaking into the slot. Sobry put a hard pass to the back door for Riley Boychuk, and it would go off his skates and in for Boychuk’s 11th of the season at the 8:27 mark.

With the Hitmen still putting all kinds of pressure on during the game, the turning point came with less than two minutes left in the first. After getting tied up with Harrison Lodewyk in the corner of the Hitmen zone, one of the two leading scorers for the Hitmen Ben Kindel crosschecked Lodewyk in the face, earning a five minute major and a game misconduct.

After 1: Raiders 1 – 1 Hitmen, shots 17-3 Hitmen

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The Raiders still had over three minutes of powerplay to work with at the start of the second, and at 2:29 the Raiders would score. Lukas Dragicevic would work the puck down the left wall for Aiden Oiring, and he found some space to shoot through a defender’s legs. Oiring’s shot was stopped, but he’d collect his own rebound and find Brayden Dube in front of the goal who tapped it in for his 25th of the season.

With the Raiders in the lead, the Hitmen got aggressive at the end of the penalty kill, and they tied the game just 21 seconds later. Tanner Howe stepped up to put pressure on the Raiders breaking out of their own zone, and Howe would strip a falling Dube of the puck for a breakaway. Howe made a great move to roof the backhand, and this game was tied again at 2:50.

After 2: Raiders 2 – 2 Hitmen, shots 14-6 Raiders, 23-17 Hitmen overall

After weathering the storm of the first period, the Raiders head control through most of the second period, but the third was all Raiders. Just 57 seconds into the period, Dragicevic and Dube would pick up assists after Harrison Lodewyk scored his ninth of the season. On the rush down the left wall, Lodewyk put a hard pass towards the front of the net intended for Dube, but Lodewyk instead found a defender’s skate and the back of the net.

Then at the 2:18 mark, Ty Meunier scored a pretty one. Linden Burrett stopped a clearing attempt on the right point and he’d pass the puck ahead for Meunier who was skating towards that same spot. Meunier then stopped on a dime and spun towards his backhand, shedding one defender as he stickhandled towards the slot. He beat two more defenders before putting a hard shot on goal for his 11th of the season.

The Raiders were outshooting the Hitmen in the third period until the Hitmen got their lone powerplay of the game with 3:28 left. Sobry went to the box for an interference call and the Hitmen would pull their goaltender, but the Raiders protected the middle of the ice with some timely blocks and some great saves by Fortin, and they’d hold on for a big win.

FINAL: Raiders 4 – 2 Hitmen, shots 16-11 Hitmen, 39-28 Hitmen overall

The Raiders have now won their last two in a row, but they don’t get to rest. With a day off Sunday, the Raiders will travel to Moose Jaw for a Monday matinee with the Warriors, and then again in Brandon against the Wheat Kings on Tuesday.