Both Michal Orsulak and Jordan Switzer had to make big saves at either end as the Tigers took a 3-2 win to start the season series. (Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders lose 3-2

Puck luck betrays Raiders and Tigers give Raiders first regulation loss at home

Nov 30, 2025 | 12:47 AM

After winning 2-1 in Brandon the night before and getting back home at about 5:00 a.m, the Prince Albert Raiders had to work past some tired legs if they were going to pick up a win over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday night. A big fight from Matyas Man would spur a comeback for the Raiders in the second, but that hockey gods gave the final bounce to the Tigers who beat beat the Raiders 3-2 in regulation.

The Tigers opened the scoring at the 4:06 mark with a nice play on the rush. Markus Ruck entered down the left side and dropped the puck back for Noah Davidson. He took a shot that came off the pad of Michal Orsulak, and Riley Steen closed in to put the rebound home.

After that, Matyas Man was called for interference on a play where it didn’t look like he initiated contact, and at 7:06 the Tigers were able to double their lead. Jonas Woo made a great fake shot in the middle of the bluelin, freezing the Raiders penalty kill in the passing lanes while Woo walked down the middle and fired home a great wrist shot.

The Raiders failed on their own powerplay, and the Tigers looked to have control of the pace in the period.

After 1: Raiders 0 – 2 Tigers, shots 11-6 Tigers

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To start the period, the Raiders put some pressure on the Tigers but they weathered the storm early. A play saw the Raiders send a puck low for Ty Meunier, and he onetouched it over to a waiting Jonah Sivertson. He got all of the onetimer, and somehow Switzer got across with a possible save of the year candidate. It was a save that could’ve been deflating to a team if something didn’t inspire them to keep the effort going.

Matyas Man provided that spark.

About halfway through, Matyas Man stepped into the forecheck on the left wall with a big hit. Riley Steen stepped in to challenge Man, and the two quickly dropped the gloves and sized each other up for a moment. After a brief staredown, the two locked up and exchanged right hooks. Man landed a second hook clean, and then fired off two strong lefts while holding his opponent’s jersey and dropping him to the ice. Man then spun his helmet on the ice, looked to his bench, and fired them and the crowd up as he sat in the box. Steen was assessed the instigator penalty, and the Raiders had their third powerplay.

That third powerplay didn’t score, but it generated momentum and the Raiders cracked the scoreboard. Ty Meunier got the puck to the right side of the blueline for Benett Kelly, and he worked down the right wall and dropped the puck back to the point for Jonah Sivertson on the cycle. Sivertson then went to work, moving in to open space and burning a defender with a fake towards his back hand, then drove towards his right on the forehand with the space he created and buried a wrist shot behind an already committed Jordan Switzer. Sivertson’s eighth of the season at 10:55.

The Raiders then tied the game on their fourth powerplay. Michal Orsulak picked up an assist after Daxon Rudolph picked the puck up from his goaltender. Aiden Oiring saw the play early and started calling for the puck at centre, and Rudolph gave him the pass at the Tigers blueline. Oiring walked in down the left side, then quickly found Rudolph streaking into the slot who redirected the puck into the net over Switzer’s shoulder for Rudolph’s seventh of the season at 13:41.

After 2: Raiders 2 – 2 Tigers, shots 9-7 Raiders, 18-15 Tigers overall

In the third period, both teams played clean hockey back and forth with one 4-on-4 halfway through after offsetting roughing calls to Sivertson and Kadon McCann. Both teams traded great chances back and forth, but Switzer and Orsulak shut the door at either end.

It seemed destined for a great end, but unfortunately the game instead ended with a sputter. At the 18:23 mark, a Raiders defenceman went to clear the puck out from behind his net, but he hit the skates of a forechecking Kadon McCann. The puck bounced in the air, landed on Orsulak’s shoulder, and that served as the game winner.

FINAL: Raiders 2 – 3 Tigers, shots 8-7 Tigers, 26-22 Tigers overall

The Raiders now begin a gauntlet of a schedule that leads into Christmas. It starts with a rematch with the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Wednesday to start a four games in five nights stretch. After that, the Raiders have Thursday off, then play Calgary Friday, Red Deer Saturday, and Edmonton on Sunday. The Raiders will play another three games in three nights the following weekend.