First round series classic David versus
Goliath match up
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| Evan Herman and the Raiders are set for the playoffs. |
On Friday, the Raiders open a first round best-of-seven series against the Ice in Winnipeg (7 p.m. local time, Wayne Fleming Arena). On paper, the series is a classic David versus Goliath matchup.
The Ice finished first overall in the WHL posting a 53-10-3-2 record and are rated second in the CHL Top 10 rankings. Winnipeg posted a 13-0-1-1 record in the month of March playing those 15 contests in a span of 28 days.
The Ice were an impressive 18-1-1-1 in their 21 regular season outings leading into the post-season.
The Raiders posted a 28-35-4-1 mark to finish eighth overall in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and take the conference’s final playoff berth. Prince Albert had to win its last two straight games to sneak into the playoffs.
“We’re up
against it,” said Habscheid, who sits fifth on the WHL’s career regular season
head coaching wins list with 582 victories. “We know that.
“We’ll just
figure out a way and try and get it done. Like I said, we’re up against it.
They’re a good team.”
Due to
challenges relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the
world, no WHL Playoffs were held in 2020 and 2021 and there was no Memorial Cup
tournament to crown a CHL champion in either of those years also.
When the WHL Playoffs were last held in 2019, the Raiders captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions. During that post-season, the Raiders created the most memorable moment in the history of their storied home rink – the Art Hauser Centre.
The 2019 WHL Final between the Raiders and the Vancouver Giants went to a series-deciding Game 7. With 1:35 remaining in overtime, overage centre Dante Hannoun scored to deliver the Raiders to a 3-2 victory.
During the 2018-19 campaign, the Raiders topped the WHL regular season standings with a 54-10-2-2. The Raiders had a deep team where they could roll all four forward lines, had a stellar starting six on defence and received a CHL goaltender of the year award winning performance from Ian Scott.
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| Keaton Sorensen wants his squad to focus on team play. |
The Raiders
are skating through a transition type reload year. They captured a post-season
berth due to the fact their team play has improved as the campaign has gone on.
To close
the regular season, the Raiders faced basically two must-win games when it came
to making the playoffs. They played arguably their two best games of the campaign
downing the Broncos in Swift Current 4-1 last Friday and dumping the Brandon
Wheat Kings 5-1 last Saturday at the Art Hauser Centre.
“I’ve said
it all year we’ve got a good group, a hard working group,” said Raiders veteran
left-winger Evan Herman. “(We have) a bunch of great guys in there.
“I’m just
super excited that we got those two must wins. That is just more experience now
going down the road as we head into playoffs here.”
Raiders
veteran centre Keaton Sorensen said his squad showed how strong they can be
when they are focused on team play in their two regular season ending wins.
“When
everybody is rolling and everybody is doing their jobs, it is really important,”
said Sorensen. “When we just keep to the structure, it all works out.”
The Ice had
eight players put up 50 or more points during play in the regular season, while
the Raiders only had one skater hold that distinction.
Centre
Matthew Savoie led the Ice in scoring with 90 points coming off 35 goals and 55
assists. He had a plus-54 rating in the plus-minus category.
Veteran
right-winger Connor McClennon topped the Ice with 43 goals to go along with 38
assists and a plus-46 rating. Veteran left-winger Mikey Milne appeared in all
of the Ice’s 68 regular season contests posting 38 goals, 43 assists and a
plus-56 rating.
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| Captain Reece Vitelli led the Raiders in scoring this season. |
In goal, Hauser posted a 34-3-1 record, a 2.00 goals against average, a .914 save percentage and eight shutouts. The Chestermere, Alta., product’s shutout total was tops in the WHL, and he equaled Kamloops Blazers star Dylan Garand for the most goaltending victories on the circuit.
The Ice get steady guidance from head coach James Patrick, who played defence for the Raiders way back in the 1980-81 campaign when they were still in the junior A ranks and won the Centennial Cup as national junior A champions.
Overage captain Reece Vitelli led the Raiders in scoring with 51 points coming off of 25 goals and 26 assists to go with a plus-five rating. Herman topped the Raiders with 28 goals to go along with 19 assists appearing in all the team’s 68 regular season games.
Sloan Stanick, who is an 18-year-old right-winger, posted 49 points coming off of 22 goals and 27 assists appearing in 66 games between the Regina Pats and the Raiders. The Raiders acquired Stanick in a trade early in the season with the Pats.
Veteran 19-year-old defenceman Landon Kosior led all Raiders blue-liners in scoring collecting 18 goals and 27 assists appearing in all of the Raiders 68 games. Standout rearguard Nolan Allan, who has a signed entry-level contract with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, had a strong campaign for the Raiders recording seven goals and 34 assists in 65 appearances.
Import netminder Tikhon Chaika, who became the Raiders starter as an 18-year-old rookie, improved steadily as the season progressed. He posted a 22-21-4 record, a 2.79 goals against average, a .904 save percentage and three shutouts.
Chaika was named the WHL’s goaltender of the week for the week ending on Sunday for his performance in the Raiders last two regular season wins.
In the eight head-to-head regular season meetings between the Raiders and Ice, the Raiders were able to win three of those contests. Sorensen believes his team can make some noise against the Ice.
“I think we have good chances when everybody comes to play and everybody is focused and everybody knows the structure,” said Sorensen. “We’re a good team, and the easy part of the year is over and the hardest part starts now.”
With star
right-winger Ozzy Wiesblatt out for the rest of the campaign due to injury, the
Raiders have no holdovers who were regulars from the 2018-19 WHL Championship
winning season. Herman and Allan are the only current Raiders who saw action in
regular season games during that league title winning season.
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| The Raiders aim to play spoiler against the Ice. |
“In (2019),
it (the Art Hauser Centre) was an unbelievable place to be, and it still is,”
said Herman. “The fans here, I don’t have a work to describe how awesome they
are for us.
“You know what? I think we look forward to playing in front of them every night. We’ll I guess we will continue to see that here as we move on now.”
Pats’ Bedard exits WHL campaign with a roar,
other notes
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| Connor Bedard posted 51 goals and 49 assists for 100 points this season. |
On Sunday playing before 5,545 spectators at the Brandt Centre, Bedard collected two goals and three assists to power the Pats a 7-4 victory over their archrivals in the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors in the regular season finale for both sides. The North Vancouver, B.C., product finished the campaign posting 100 points coming on 51 goals and 49 assists to go with an even rating in the plus-minus department in 62 appearances.
The Pats finished the regular season with a 27-36-3-2 record to sit two points back of the Prince Albert Raiders for eighth place and the final playoff berth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The Warriors finished fourth overall in the Eastern Conference with a 37-24-4-3 mark.
Bedard became the youngest player to ever score 50 goals in one WHL regular season. There were stories about his performance on Sunday by a number of national media outlets.
Before Sunday’s game, Bedard took home a number of Pats team awards including player of the year, the Torchey Schell top scorer award and the three star award.
On Monday, the accolades kept coming for Bedard. He was named the WHL’s player of the week for the week ending on Sunday.
He was also named to Canada’s roster for the world under-18 hockey championship tournament, which begins on Saturday and runs through to May 1 in Landshut and Kaufbeuren, Germany.
- Red Deer Rebels overage left-winger Arshdeep Bains led the WHL in scoring during the regular season with 112 points coming off 43 goals and league high 69 assists. He also posted a plus-35 rating. Bains finished seven points ahead of teammate in 19-year-old centre Ben King. King collected 105 points on 52 goals and 53 assists to go with a plus-36 rating. King’s goal total was a league high.
- Pats left-winger and Prince Albert product Tanner Howe had a stellar 16-year-old season with the Pats. Howe recorded 69 points coming off 27 goals and 42 assists to go with a plus-three rating in 64 appearances. He made Canada’s roster for the world under-18 hockey championships. Howe claimed the Pats Nick Papas rookie of the year team award.
- Victoria Royals 17-year-old defenceman and Clavet, Sask., product Kalem Parker earned a spot on Canada’s roster for the world under-18 championships. Parker appeared in 66 games this season with the Royals posting two goals and 18 assists.
- The Swift Current Broncos had six players named to Canada’s roster for the world under-18 championships. The Broncos contingent included four forwards in Josh Davies, Josh Filmon, Mathew Ward and Connor Hvidston. Defenceman Owen Pickering and netminder Reid Dyck will also suit up for the Canadian side. The Broncos have a seventh player heading to under-18 worlds as defenceman Rayan Bettahar will play for Germany.
- I have to admit it is fun seeing the excitement of a couple of young sportswriters as the WHL Playoffs near. Kyle Kosowan will be covering his first WHL post-season covering the Prince Albert Raiders for the Prince Albert Daily Herald. Logan Lehmann will be working his first WHL post-season writing about the Saskatoon Blades for the team’s website. For an old veteran like me, I enjoy seeing that first time excitement again. I hope both of them enjoy the moment in the present.
- The WHL Playoffs officially begin with one game on Thursday. The Lethbridge Hurricanes will travel to Edmonton to face the Oil Kings in Game 1 of a best-of-seven first round series at 7 p.m. local time at Rogers Place. The Oil Kings finished second overall in the WHL with a 50-14-3-1 record, while the Hurricanes were seventh overall in the Eastern Conference with a 33-30-4-1 mark.
If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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