Raiders’ Chaika picks up first WHL shutout

Tikhon Chaika earned his first shutout win in the WHL.

Import rookie Tikhon Chaika enjoyed his brightest day in his young WHL career on Wednesday night.

The 18-year-old netminder from Minsk, Belarus, made 26 saves to pick up his first career WHL shutout as his Prince Albert Raiders downed the Hitmen in Calgary 1-0 in a regular season clash played before 4,080 spectators at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

Chaika, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 161 pounds, is going through a growing pains type of season that is understandable for an import rookie, who has to learn a new language and culture on top adjusting to a new hockey league.

As the season has gone on, his statistics are becoming a little more solid. In 33 appearances with the Raiders this season, Chaika has a 13-14-2 record, a 2.98 goals against average and a .900 save percentage to go with his one shutout.

The Raiders got their lone goal at the 12:45 mark of the first period on a gaff by Hitmen Belarusian import right-winger Anton Astashevich. Astashevich had the puck in his own zone and tried to make a cross-ice pass to a teammate.

Astashevich’s pass was picked off by Raiders centre Evan Herman. Herman broke in alone on the Calgary net and put a backhand shot past Hitmen netminder Brayden Peters.

Peters had a solid night himself making 25 saves to take the setback in goal as the Hitmen lost their eighth straight game to fall to 18-23-5-2.

The Raiders have won two straight contests to improve to 19-26-2-1.

They were without 19-year-old defenceman Trevor Thurston, who was sitting out the first of a five game league imposed suspension. Thurston was suspended for picking up a charging major, a cross-checking major and two game misconducts in the Raiders 4-1 victory over the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Monday.

Raiders HC Marc Habscheid picked up a milestone on Wednesday.

Prince Albert’s win on Wednesday unofficially marked the 573^rd career regular season head coaching victory for Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid. The win total includes Habscheid’s time with the Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, and the Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria Royals franchise. Habscheid’s first season holding a WHL team’s head coaching duties came in the 1997/98 campaign with the Blazers.

With that total, Habscheid passes Mike Williamson to sit alone for fifth on the WHL’s all-time career regular season wins list. Williamson collected his 572 regular season head coaching victories working behind the bench of the Portland Winterhawks, Calgary Hitmen and Tri-City Americans from the 1999-2000 campaign to the 2017-18 campaign.

Habscheid now trails Lorne Molleken for fourth place on the WHL’s all-time career regular season wins list. Molleken piled up 626 wins working behind the bench with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Saskatoon Blades, Regina Pats and Vancouver Giants during a period of time that spanned from 1989 to 2016.

Don Hay holds the record for career WHL regular season head coaching victories at 750. Hay collected his win total working behind the bench of the Kamloops Blazers, Tri-City Americans and Vancouver Giants during a period of time that spanned from 1992 to 2018.

The Raiders return to action on Friday when they travel to Red Deer to take on the 31-15-2-1 Rebels (6 p.m. Saskatchewan time, 900 CKBI).

Blades drop 6-5 OT heartbreaker in Brandon

Trevor Wong scored twice for the Blades on Wednesday.

Saskatoon Blades weren’t able to hold off a determined Brandon Wheat Kings side.

Holding a 5-4 lead entering the third period of a WHL regular season game at Westoba Place in Brandon, Man., the Blades had their hands full protecting their edge against a Wheat Kings side that carried play in the third frame. With 89 seconds remaining in the stanza, Wheat Kings 19-year-old centre Nolan Ritchie potted his 20^th goal of the season and second tally of the night to force a 5-5 and send the contest to overtime.

With less than six seconds remaining in overtime, Wheat Kings 20-year-old offensive defenceman Chad Nychuk potted the winner to deliver the host side to a 6-5 victory.

Vincent Iorio, Riley Ginnell and Marcus Kallionkieli all netted singles for Brandon.

Trevor Wong scored twice for the Blades, while Vaughn Watterodt, Kyren Gronick and Kyle Crnkovic netted singles.

Crnkovic, who is the Blades veteran star left-winger, continues to lead the WHL in scoring with 74 points coming off of 33 goals and 41 assists.

The Wheat Kings led 2-0 and 4-2, before the Blades scored three goals to close out the second period to take a 5-4 lead. That set up the dramatics late in the third period and in overtime.

Ethan Kruger stopped 23 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Wheat Kings (26-15-3-2). Nolan Maier turned away 24 shots to take the extra time setback in goal for the Blades (27-18-2-1).

The two sides will go at it again on Friday in Brandon (7 p.m. Saskatchewan time, 600 CJWW).

Elsewhere in the WHL on Wednesday night, the Regina Pats blanked the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers 2-0, and the Winnipeg Ice slipped past the Hurricanes in Lethbridge 3-2.

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