Victory falls through Raiders’ grasp again

Wheat Kings rally for 5-4 win after tiebreaking shootout

The Wheat Kings celebrate a shootout winner from Tyson Zimmer (#25).

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – The Prince Albert Raiders were lamenting the one that got away for a second straight game.

On Friday night playing before 2,234 spectators at the 2,580 Art Hauser Centre, the Raiders held a 3-2 lead going into a third period. After the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings tied things up at 3-3, the Raiders got ahead 4-3 with 8:18 remaining in the third.

The Wheat Kings tied things up at 4-4 on a power play and proceeded to take the WHL regular season encounter 5-4 after a tiebreaking shootout.

Brett Hyland had a goal and two assists for the Wheat Kings.

The Wheat Kings took the shootout 2-1 with right-winger Tyson Zimmer potting the winner in the third round.

In Prince Albert’s previous outing last Saturday, the Raiders led the Hurricanes in Lethbridge 3-2 going into the third period. The Hurricanes proceeded to score three goals inside the final six minutes of the third frame to prevail 5-3.

 “We deserved better,” said Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid, whose team’s record moved to 2-7-0-1. “We should have won.

“We should have won the last two games. We got one point out of four, so that is disappointing. A couple of goals they scored we probably gave it to them.

Kaiden Guhle had three assists for the Raiders.

“We made a couple of glaring errors, and it ended up in our net. We also need a save.”

Friday’s game started with Raiders star centre Ozzy Wiesblatt laying a big crowd pleasing hit on Wheat Kings captain Ridley Greig early in the first period.

The Raiders proceeded cash in on that energetic start going ahead 2-0 on goals from Remy Aquilon and Reece Vitelli.

Before the opening frame ended, the Wheat Kings answered back pulling even at 2-2 with goals coming from Zimmer and Belarusian import Zakhar Polshakov. Those tallies came 19 seconds apart from each other.

The host side got the only goal of the second period. At the 10:56 mark of the frame, Raiders right-winger Cale Sanders picked up a loose puck at the left side of Brandon net, and he put the puck home into an cage to give Prince Albert a 3-2 lead.

Remy Aquilon had two goals for the Raiders.

The hosts ran into penalty trouble to close out the second frame too. At the 12:11 mark of the second, Aquilon received a double minor for checking from behind for a hit he threw on Greig behind the Prince Albert net. Greig was helped off the ice and didn’t return.

The double minor by Aquilon will be automatically reviewed by the WHL office for a possible suspension.

The Wheat Kings were unable to score on those chances with the man advantage.

With 2:53 to go in the second, Raiders 17-year-old left-winger Niall Crocker received a slashing minor, and Brandon was unable to score on that power play.

Nolan Ritchie had a goal for the Wheat Kings.

After the penalty expired, Crocker emerged from the penalty box and was sprung on a breakaway after receiving a stretch pass coming from the Raiders zone. Crocker ended up firing the shot wide of the Brandon goal.

“Our forwards have to score,” said Habscheid. “Everybody wants to score.

“You just have to play the right way.”

At the 4:38 mark of the third, Wheat Kings left-winger Brett Hyland scored to even the score at 3-3. Hyland had two assists to go along with his goal for a three-point night.

With 8:18 remaining in the third, Aquilon fired home a point shot for his second tally of the night to put the hosts up 4-3.

When it appeared the Raiders were going to close out the contest, rookie Belarusian import forward Vladislav Shilo took an untimely roughing penalty with 3:56 remaining the frame to put Brandon on the power play.

Niall Crocker eyes up a shot on a breakaway he would miss.

The Wheat Kings capitalized on this chance when left-winger Nolan Ritchie knocked home a rebound opportunity to even the score at 4-4 with 3:40 remaining in the frame.

Despite the fact Brandon tied the contest for a third time, Aquilon thought the players on his squad didn’t get emotionally down.

“The guys did a good job of keeping it up, especially the older guys trying to make sure to just shake it off,” said Aquilon. “It is definitely not the one we want to give up late in the third there.”

Before overtime came around, the Raiders were able to go on the power play, but failed to score. They were 0-for-5 with the man advantage in the contest.

Tyson Laventure had an assist and six shots for the Raiders.

“Obviously, special teams can win or lose you games,” said Raiders 18-year-old right-winger Tyson Laventure, who had an assists and six shots on goal in the setback. “Obviously, we went 0-for-5 which didn’t help.

“They got a goal on their power play, which ended up tying the game and giving them the win. We have to be better on the power play in the future for sure.”

The Raiders had a 4-1 edge in shots on goal through the scoreless three-on-three five-minute overtime period.

In the tiebreaking shootout, captain Kaiden Guhle scored for the Raiders, while Hylund and Zimmer responded for the Wheat Kings to give them the win.

Tikhon Chaika stopped 18 shots on goal over 65 minutes for the Raiders and one of three shooters in the shootout. Ethan Kruger turned away 33 shots on net over 65 minutes for the Wheat Kings (5-6) and two of three shooters in the shootout.

Ethan Kruger made 33 saves over 65 minutes for the Wheat Kings.

Guhle collected three assists and posted a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department for the Raiders in the setback.

These two teams go at it again on Saturday at Westoba Place in Brandon, Man., at 7 p.m. local time.

Laventure said his team needs take advantage of chances to close out games, when his squad has a lead in the third period.

“Obviously our last couple of games we’ve been going into the third period with the lead and having it with less than 10 minutes left,” said Laventure. “We just have to finish those off.

The Wheat Kings celebrate their win on Friday night.

“We can’t be giving up games in the last 10 to five minutes in the game. We have to look to close one out tomorrow.”

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