By Les Lazaruk
PRINCE ALBERT – The toughest guy affiliated with either team Friday was Raiders’ Associate Coach Dave Manson. It almost seemed as if the Saskatoon Blades and P.A. decided to play a meaningless game in his honour – mean and nasty!
In a game in which there were as many fights as there were goals scored, the bridge city bunch rallied in the final six minutes of the third period for a 2-1 victory in the Raiders’ final regular-season home game.
Chase Wouters snapped a 1-1 tie with 1:41 left in the third period on a power play, sifting a back-hand shot through goal-mouth traffic past a surprised Ian Scott in the P.A. goal. The tally came almost four minutes after Max Gerlach got the blue and gold on the scoreboard off of a two-man advantage.
“Tyler Brown played outstanding again (stopping 24 shots as the Raiders out-shot the Blades 25-22),” said assistant coach Bryce Thoma. “Our guys played hard and that’s what we asked them to do. They played hard and it was nice to see them get rewarded.”
The only blemish for 20-year-old Brown came in the final minute of the first period, on a Saskatoon power play! Parker Kelly blocked a Dawson Davidson point shot, chased after the carom into the neutral zone and was able to get free of Kirby Dach before scoring to Brown’s stick side.
The teams split 62 penalty minutes with 30 of them coming from three sets of fighting majors, while six of the 16 minor penalties were for roughing.
“Much to do about nothing,” said Thoma about the spate of ill will between the two teams.
It was the second straight victory for the Blades, now 34-33-4 for the season, since being eliminated from playoff contention. The Raiders, now 32-26-13, are winless in three games. They had an 11-game run of collecting at least a point in the standings ended as well as a five-game, home-ice winning streak. Both streaks started after a 3-1 loss to visiting Regina on February 19.
The same teams close out the regular season Saturday at SaskTel Centre.
Pacman Points – Kelly’s goal gives him seven in as many games in the season series against Saskatoon.
The bridge city bunch ended up going 2-for-5 on the power play while killing off all five Prince Albert man advantages.
The blue and gold clinched the season series with the Raiders, winning for the fifth time in seven games…including twice in four visits to the Art Hauser Centre.
Gerlach’s goal was his fifth in the last six games. Add in six assists during that period and the 19-year-old Flower Mound, Tx., product has 11 points in the last half-dozen contests.
Wouters’ marker ended a personal eight-game goal-less drought.
Overage left winger Braylon Shmyr picked up an assist on Wouters goal, giving him 10 points in nine games, including five goals. The Calgary product has played 299 games in his WHL career…the last 171 with the Blades.
Saskatoon suited up both of their available affiliate players…defenceman Zach Ashton and right winger Ethan Mack. Head coach Dean Brockman scratched defencemen Seth Bafaro and Jackson Caller along with forwards Caleb Fantillo, Brad Goethals and Alec Zawatsky.
P.A. was without forward Brett Leason because of an upper-body injury. He’s expected to be ready for the Raiders’ first round playoff matchup against Moose Jaw. Defenceman Zack Hayes was a coaches decision.
Gage Ramsay led the bridge city bunch with four shots on goal, a total that was matched by the Prince Albert duo of Kody McDonald and Spencer Moe.
In the faceoff circle, the blue and gold won 32 of 60 draws, led by Kirby Dach who captured possession on 10 of 18 faceoffs. Overage forward Jordy Stallard won six of 11 trips to the dot to be the Raiders’ top man in the circle.
