The Edmonton Oil Kings now hold the series in their hands going into Game 4. They can leave tonight with a 3-1 series lead and put the Prince Albert Raiders on the brink of elimination. Likewise on the other side the Raiders can win back home ice advantage with a win in Game 4. The pre-analysis of this series is long gone, it’s all about how each team plays. Who wants it more? We’ll see in Game 4.
Myskiw and Scott will get the nods in net as expected.
Period 1
Pretty slow start to the first period. Nothing doing until Andrei Pavlenko would take a hooking penalty five minutes in. We literally had no shots in the game until then. The Oil Kings were successfully able to kill off the penalty. Hopefully gaining some momentum themselves as they still have no shots on goal.
Edmonton would finally get on the shot clock 8 minutes in. As the Raiders are playing like a team in a must win game.
6 minutes left in a terribly officiated first period the Raiders are ahead in shots 9-3. However, we are still tied at 0.
All of Edmonton’s shots have been A+ scoring chances though but Scott has been up the challenge.
We’d go into the first intermission scoreless as Edmonton would close the shot clock gap a bit. Raiders still have the advantage though 9-6.
Period 2
Edmonton started the second period with a powerplay basically as Noah Gregor would take a minor quickly into the period. Nothing doing for the Oil Kings powerplay though.
The referees I’ve already mentioned once in this article aren’t calling anything and it’s getting out of hand. Somebody is going to get hurt. Everybody is running each other and getting dirty.
Edmonton would get the benefit of there finally being a call with a Jakob Brook cross checking minor. He would come out of the box and the Raiders would score right away basically. Brett Leason would give the Raiders the 1-0 lead.
Ethan Cap would take an interference penalty a couple minutes later putting the Raiders on the powerplay and a chance to extend their lead.
They would throw that chance away though with a Parker Kelly slashing penalty.
Neither team would capitalize with power plays in the period as the shot clock would be even with a minute left.
That would be all for the second. 1-0 Raiders.
Period 3
Prince Albert comes out of the intermission and lots one fairly quickly as Noah Gregor would give the Raiders a 2-0 advantage 2:13 into the third.
Complete bush league reffing on both ends tonight. Myskiw gets knocked over in his crease, he gets up then literally headlocks the guy. Somebody will get hurt tonight at this pace.
Edmonton does something! 6:06 left in the third and we have ourselves a hockey game. Wyatt McLeod would get credited with the goal, the apple goes to Quinn Benjafield.
The Raiders would hold off Edmonton 2-1 and tie the series 2-2 going back to Prince Alberta. That ends the absolutely worst referee performance I have ever seen in my life.
Three Stars of the Game:
3rd – Dylan Myskiw
2nd – Ian Scott
1st – Noah Gregor