Raiders double up Hurricanes

By Lethbridge Herald on November 8, 2023.

Herald photo by JUSTIN SEWARD Lethbridge Hurricanes forward Tyson Zimmer attempts to cut to the net past Jacob Hoffrogge of the Prince Albert Raiders during Western Hockey League action at the Enmax Centre on Wednesday night.

Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Hurricanes lost their fourth consecutive game on home ice  after a 4-2 loss to the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday night at the Enmax Centre.

“I thought it was fine until we ran into some decision making on the penalties that we took that hurt us,” said Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters.

“Obviously the game winner’s on a goal that’s scored off an ‘O’  (offensive) zone penalty. We took two ‘O’ zone penalties in the third. When you’re down 2-1, that makes it very hard.”

The Hurricanes ended up down to three lines in the game and Peters thought they looked tired.

“It’s tough, it’s a grind,” he said.

In a game where neither team wanted to take a grip on it, it was Hurricanes who finally scored in the second period.

Leo Braillard pounced on a rebound and shelfed the puck over the shoulder of Max Hildebrandt just 51 seconds into the second from Noah Chadwick.

However, the Raiders picked the right time to pick up their own game when Canes rookie Cole Cairns was assessed a five-minute penalty and game misconduct for checking to the head as well as a fighting major at 11:41 of the second period.

It was near the end of that five-minute powerplay that Brayden Dube notched his seventh of the season from Matej Kubiesa and Justice Christensen.

Then with 38 seconds left in the second period, Prince Albert’s Ryder Ritchie walked in from the side wall and snapped the puck over the shoulder of Canes goalie Harrison Meneghin.

Sloan Stanick and Eric Johnston notched the assists on the goal.

Christiensen made the score 3-1 Prince Albert at 11:50 mark of the third on the powerplay from Stanick and Ritchie.

Kooper Gizowski cut the Raiders’ lead to one with his sixth of the season 13:46 into the third period from Elias Knoester and Blake Swetlikoff.

The Raiders sealed the win with an empty netter from Aidin Oiring at 18:56 of the third period.

Defencemen Chase Pauls agreed it was a frustrating night.

“Yeah that’d  be a good word to use,” said Pauls.

“I think we were right there the whole game. We just take some unnecessary penalties in the third period and it ended up costing us.”

 The Hurricanes will look to get a home ice win  before heading out on  their B.C. trip when they host the Wenatchee Wild on Friday night at the Enmax Centre.