The Prince Albert Raiders kicked off their Alberta road trip with a 3-1 victory against the Lethbridge Hurricanes in their first game of the weekend. Seeking their second consecutive win, the Raiders were led by 17-year-old goaltender Steele Bass, who showcased impressive skills despite the team”s overall performance not being their best.
The Raiders had a strong start in the first period, scoring just 5:07 in. With assists from Linden Burrett and Max Heise, Jonah Sivertson found the back of the net. He maneuvered from the left wall to the right hashmarks before unleashing a shot that slipped through the five-hole of Hurricanes” goalie Koen Cleaver, marking his 14th goal of the season.
At the 12:51 mark of the first, the Raiders extended their lead. As the Hurricanes attempted to clear the puck from the left wall, Daxon Rudolph intercepted and quickly passed it to Alisher Sarkenov in the corner. Sarkenov then curled around to the faceoff dot and delivered a precise wrist shot that hit the top corner, earning him his ninth goal of the season. The first period concluded with the Raiders ahead 2-0, having outshot the Hurricanes 14-5.
The second period saw a noticeable drop in action for the Raiders, as they managed only four shots, their lowest total of the season. In the final minute, Heise took a double minor for crosschecking and roughing, resulting in a powerplay for the Hurricanes to start the third period. After two periods, the score remained 2-0 in favor of the Raiders, with the shot count at 8-4 for the Hurricanes, bringing the overall total to 18-13 in favor of the Raiders.
The Hurricanes capitalized on their powerplay opportunity just one minute into the third period. Easton Daneault assisted Kyle Heger, who unleashed a one-timer from the right point that found its way past Bass, narrowing the gap to 2-1.
The Raiders quickly regained their two-goal advantage just 1:11 later. At 2:11, Aiden Oiring fought for a faceoff, and Brayden Dube helped free the puck for Brandon Gorzynski in the slot. Gorzynski”s initial shot was deflected, but he quickly recovered and slid the puck around the goaltender for his 18th goal of the year. The final score ended with the Raiders winning 3-1, and the shot count showing 11-6 in favor of the Raiders for the period and 29-19 overall.
Steele Bass finished the game with 18 saves on 19 shots, improving his record to an impressive 6-0-0 in his debut WHL season, boasting a save percentage of 0.947. Aiden Oiring”s assist on the third goal extended his point streak to nine games, where he has accumulated 4 goals and 11 assists during that stretch. Linden Burrett also continued his scoring streak, now with 1 goal and 3 assists across the last three games.
This game marked the first time this season that the Raiders did not receive a powerplay opportunity throughout the match. Although they were set to receive one in the third period, a delay of game penalty on Matyas Man for playing the puck over the glass negated that chance. The Raiders are set to continue their road trip against the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday, looking to build on their recent success.
