Norwin Panocha plays the puck up the wall during a home game for the Raiders. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders lose 5-4

Second period woes plague Raiders against Broncos

Sep 28, 2024 | 11:38 PM

After a tough loss at home to one of the league’s best in the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday, the Prince Albert Raiders went to Swift Current to face the Broncos in their first regular season meeting of the season. Although the Raiders clearly outplayed the Broncos in the first and third, the second period was their undoing as the Raiders lost 5-4.

The Raiders’ penalty kill was tested early and passed in the first two minutes, and that generated momentum for the game’s first goal. Playing 4-on-4 after a scrum between Lukas Dragicevic and Peyton Kettles of the Broncos, Aiden Oiring stole the puck at the Raider blueline and got away on a breakaway. He slowed down to pick his spot as he entered the zone, and Oiring ripped home his first of the season on the unassisted effort at 5:04.

On the powerplay halfway through the period, Lukas Dragicevic put a breakout pass from his own zone to Aiden Oiring waiting in the middle of the blueline. He turned and found Tomas Mrsic streaking in behind the defence, and he undressed the goaltender and capped it off with a backhand top shelf at 11:37 for his first goal as a Raider. Shortly after, the Broncos came back the other way and got a similar chance, but Cooper Anderson made an incredible save.

The Broncos would get one in the first at the 17:39 mark. Battling for the puck behind the net, Connor Gabriel sent the puck out front for a waiting Dawson Gerwing, and he smacked the onetimer on net for his first of the season.

Just over two minutes later, the Raiders got it back. At 19:08, Ty Sobry pinched in on the left wall to hold the puck in, and he battled down the left side before noticing the goaltender left a gap when he hugged the post, and Sobry fired a sharp angle shot on goal to score his first of the year.

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After 1: Raiders 3 – 1 Broncos, shots 10-9 Broncos

Despite the shots staying even through the second, the Broncos offense took advantage of their chances. On the powerplay, Clarke Caswell sent a pass through the slot to find Brady Birnie waiting on the back door to tap the puck in for his first of the game at 8:23.

Then just over a minute later at 9:28, former Raiders captain Eric Johnston took a shot from the right point as a pile of bodies battled in front of the net, squeaking the puck through for his first goal as a Bronco against his former team.

The bleeding continued at 16:34 when the Broncos took the lead. Justice Christensen put a hard check on Connor Gabriel entering the zone down the left wall as he entered the zone, but Gabriel snuck through and managed to collect the puck from his teammate. Gabriel followed the puck behind the net and hit the wraparound on the other side to take the lead for the Broncos.

Less than a minute later, Brady Birnie had his second of the night. On the rush, Clarke Caswell sent the puck up the right wall for Luke Mistelbacher, and he found Birnie streaking towards the left side of the net for another tap in.

After 2: Raiders 3 – 5 Broncos, shots 12-5 Broncos, 22-14 Broncos overall

The Raiders switched out goaltenders to start the third with Max Hildebrand coming into the net to send a message, and that message was received. Hildebrand faced a single shot on goal in the period in the first five minutes, and didn’t touch the puck again for the rest of the game.

At the 7:06 mark, Justice Christensen gave his team a chance. Jonah Sivertson picked up an assist on the play when he got the breakout pass ahead to Christensen, and he gave the puck to Niall Crocker as they bust into zone 2-on-2. Crocker sent the return feed to the net, it bounced off the goalie’s pad, then Christensen, and into the net. A lengthy review looked for goaltender interference, but it was determined Christensen was pushed into the goaltender and the goal counted.

From there, the Raiders went on the attack, creating chances off the rush and in the zone, but they could not solve Joey Rocha between the pipes for the Broncos. A chance came with about five minutes left where Doogan Pederson put a puck on goal and collected his own rebound, but the shot went wide. With the goaltender pulled, the Raiders couldn’t find a way to score and take their second loss in a row.

FINAL: Raiders 4 – 5 Broncos, shots 17-1 Raiders, 31-23 Raiders overall

The Raiders were outshot in the first two periods of the game for the first time in the regular season (aside from the overtime period against Regina in the season opener) and still managed to outshoot their opponents in the end.

Cooper Anderson was in goal for the first two periods, facing 22 shots and stopping 17 shots for a 0.773 save percentage, while Max Hildebrand came in for the third and faced just a single shot.

On special teams, the Raiders gave up five powerplays and were successful on four of them which should bring their penalty kill numbers up from their spot in the bottom four of the league. On the powerplay, the Raiders scored on their first opportunity of five on the night.

The Raiders get the week off until Friday when they welcome the Everett Silvertips to town for the lone game of the weekend.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com