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Raiders wrapping up the first half in style

12/16/2009 9:58 AM - Drew Wilson
The Raiders host Saskatoon Friday in the opener of a home and home series to close out the first half...a memorable first half.
 
Tuesday's 3-0 win over the defending Memorial Cup champion Kelowna Rockets gives P.A. a 19-15-1-2 record for a team that has to be considered one of the pleasant surprises of the 2009-10 WHL season.
 
The Hockey News and WHL broadcasters had the Raiders pegged for dead last but they have defied the experts and are a bonafide contender to make the playoffs in the tough Eastern Conference.
 
Brandon Herrod and Craig McCallum continue to add to their career year totals.  Herrod's shorthanded goal in the second period was his 22nd of the season already surpassing last year's total by six.  McCallum's two assists gives him 42 points, already 3 better than his best season in Edmonton.  Linemate Jordan Hickmott added another to his career year goal total with his 15th into an empty net.
 
Speaking of difference makers, how about Garrett Zemlak's fourth shutout of the season, tying him with Brandon's Andrew Hayes for the league lead.  Zemlak also leads the league in saves, and is fourth in save percentage.
 
The addition of Colin Reddin from Portland gives the Raiders three lines of offensive depth while Jordan Rowley and Nathan Deck have provided frequent and consistant offensive support from the back line. 
 
Who would have thought it would take until game 37 for Ryan Button to record his first goal (his original first tally of the season was reviewed and given to Herrod).  However, Button's offensive numbers have been climbing steadily and his plus minus is back in postitive territory as a result of improved play over the past month.  He also had an oustanding game defensively against Kelowna.
 
The Raiders were seven games under .500 at this time last season but know with 18 of 32 games after Christmas on the road they will have to continue to improve to get into the playoff dance in mid-March.
 
While the Raiders are fighting to remain fifth in the East, the Blades are trying to chase down Calgary for first.  Parity is the operative word in the Conference and this head to head matchup is no exception.  The Raiders beat the Blades 2-1 in a shootout in P.A. back on October 2nd, while Saskatoon came back to take a 4-3 shootout victory at Credit Union Centre on November 7th.  
 
There is likely to be a head to head showdown in goal between former teamates Garrett Zemlak and Steven Stanford.  While Stanford has been solid in goal for the Blades since the October trade to Saskatoon, defenseman Brendan Wall has been a steadying influence on the Raider blueline and the other former Blade Tyler Yaworski continues to learn on the job and is developing into a big, tough, hard to play against rearguard.
 
The fact it's the Blades against the Raiders should be enough reason alone to create excitement.  The fact it's the first game back in P.A. since the big trade make's these games even more interesting and well worth the price of admission.   


Get ready to Toss Your Teddy's!!!

12/11/2009 1:41 PM - Drew Wilson
It's Teddy Bear toss night at the Art Hauser Centre with the Raiders hosting Red Deer.
 
It's the Rebels first visit of the season and they are a team very much in the playoff picture in the wild wild East.
 
Red Deer is tenth in the conference, three points back of Moose Jaw, Kootenay and Swift Current who are tied for the final two playoff spots.  However the Rebels have one game in hand on the Warriors, two in hand on the Ice and have played three fewer games than the Broncos.
 
P.A. who is fifth, has an eight point advantage on the Rebels but have played five more games so putting Red Deer another two points back in the rear view mirror is the task at hand tonight.  To show you how tough it is in the East... 10 of 12 teams are above .500 while only 6 of 10 teams out West have more wins than losses and 8 in each make the playoffs.
 
While Igor Revenko remains overseas with his Belurussian bretheren, the Rebels will likely be without two big wheels in their offense.  Landon Ferraro has been in Vancouver getting his injured knee examined while former Brandon Wheatking Nathan Green is out with a broken leg.
 
The Raiders raised their home record to 13-4-0-1 with Wedensday's 5-1 victory over Moose Jaw with Brandon Herrod still holding the hot hand.  He added another three goals (He was awarded what was Ryan Button's first of the year after a review) and has 21 on the season icnlduing 13 in the past 15 games.
 
Craig McCallum's three assists means he has rolled up 26 points (including 6 goals) in the past 13 games.  Colin Reddin has scored in two in a row and has three goals in his last four games.  The power play picked up another three against the Warriors and is operating at about 34% over the past 14 games.
 
The only piece of the puzzle that's missing is fans.  Average attendance for Raider games is just above 2-thousand, well below the financial break even point.  A big crowd tonight would be a big boost to a group of hard working players who have earned your support, and it would ensure a Merry Christmas for many needy children in Prince Albert. 



Gook Luck Igor!!!!

12/08/2009 12:23 PM - Drew Wilson
Igor Revenko is on his way to Poland to suit up for Belarus in the World Junior 1-B Championships.
 
Last year at this time Igor left P.A. after a challenging first half of the season and lit it up for his native land.  Igor's 11 points in five games led Belarus to a second place finish in their pool.  More importantly for the Raiders he was a new Igor upon returning.
 
The vast majority of his 11 goals and 18 assists came in the second half as he got a chance to skate along side the likes of Justin Bernhardt and he has never looked back.
 
Revenko has 19 goals and 20 assists in 33 games and is the top scoring import in the WHL.  His quick release of an accurate shot makes Igor a threat from virtually anywhere in the offensive zone.  Revenko has also proven he is tough.
 
He returned to the game Saturday in Swift Current despite taking a puck in the chin which looked like it had a golf ball stuffed inside. 
 
As the team's top scorer Igor is drawing the type of attention you would expect and has been on the recieving end of many hits and not all of them clean.
 
In Brandon the night the Raiders won 4-0, Revenko set up Dustin Cameron's second period power play goal after taking a vicious elbow to the chin a couple minutes earlier.  Not long after that he was caught trying to cut through the middle at the Wheat King blueline and was levelled with a bone crunching body check.  But Igor didn't miss a shift.
 
Expect Colin Reddin to take Igor's spot on the wing with linemates Ryan Harrison and Dustin Cameron.
 
Here's hoping Revenko has another tremendous showing at the qualifying tournament and carries that momentum into the second half with the Raiders.
 
Meanwhile the Moose Jaw Warriors will be without a big gun when they invade P.A. Wednesday.  Jason Bast remains out with a facial injury and joining the 20 year old sniper on the sidelines will likely be Jesse Paradis who is suffering from the flu.
 
Although the offense dried up Sunday in Regina, Brandon Herrod and Cameron are coming off outstanding weeks.  Herrod had four goals and three assists while Cameron found the net five times and assisted on Colin Reddin's goal against the Pats.
 
This Friday the Raiders wrap up the week against the Red Deer Rebels.  Both games at the Art Hauser Centre get underway at 7 o'clock.
 
The Raiders have also announced season ticket deals for the second half of the season to try to increase attendance.  The idea apperently worked well during the 2003-04 season. 

The floodgates open as Raiders win their fourth straight

12/03/2009 12:13 PM - Drew Wilson
Wednesday's 7-4 win over Swift Current was extremely out of character for a pair of evenly matched teams who play very systematic and structured games.
 
The first period was pretty much as expected.  Garrett Zemlak made a pair of spectacular saves including the stoning of Stepan Novotny on a breakaway early in the game.  It was scoreless after one.
 
Garrett Zemack was upstaged by Captain Dustin Cameron whose hat trick including a wicked wrister into the top corner on a shorthanded breakaway was the difference in a 4-1 lead heading into the third.
 
Two quick goals by the Broncos set the stage for a wacky third period with each team scoring three.  Brandon Herrod's clincher into an empty net was his third of the night meaning he is the WHL's hottest shooter with goals in six straight games.  Craig McCallum assisted on four while linemate Jordan Hickmott had two helpers.  The line of Herrod-Hickmott and McCallum combined for 10 points.
 
Other streakers for the Raiders are Hickmott who has points in five straight games and Ryan Harrison who has points in seven in a row.
 
Meanwhile the Raiders chased a starting goaltender for a second straight game as newly acquired Mark Friesen replaced Morgan Clark to start the third period. 
 
Swift Current's top shooter was rookie Adam Lowry who potted a pair and has scored four of his eight goals against P.A. 
 
Up next are the Brandon Wheat Kings Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre.  The Wheaties are 7-and-3 in their last 10 including Wednesday's 7-2 spanking of the Saskatoon Blades and since P-A is 6-3-0-1 in their last 10...it's a clash of two of the hottest teams in the East.
 
The Raiders have won both matchups thus far... a 6-1 opening night victory at the Art Huaser Centre and a 4-0 upset in Brandon on November 6th.  On that night Garrett Zemlak was the difference with 42 saves including his save of the year off Aaron Lewadniuk during a Wheatking 5-on-3 power play in the second period. 
 
It's also a key game in the Eastern Conference standings.  Brandon is third, three points up on the fifth ranked Raiders and both have played 31 games.
 
Brandon's offense is daunting.  Brayden Schenn is fourth in league scoring with 43 points while linemate Matt Calvert, one of the fastest skaters in the league is just two points behind Schenn.  Calvert passed up a pro contract in the Columbus Blue Jackets system to remain with his home town Wheatkings as they host the Memorial Cup.  Thier linemate Scott Glennie who along with Schenn will try out for Canada's National Junior team...sits at 34 points along with the 20 year old Lewadniuk.     Meanwhile let's not forget about 20 year old Jay Fehr who has 38 points.
 
However the Raiders balanced offense leaves them in a virtual tie with the Wheatkings in power play percentage while P.A.s' penalty kill is about 7 points better.   Mind you the Raiders PK and Zemlak will have to be at their best.
 
It's always fun when Kelly McCrimmon brings his team to town.  The rivalry is a long standing one and the game itself has the makings of a dandy.. one worthy of a crowd that has recently seemed to be by invitation only. 
 
Consider this an invitation to buy a ticket for what should be a great game and be the 7th man for a Raider team that richly deserves one  (The Raiders will do their best to keep six on the ice).  Besides, the 18-hundred to 2-thousand die hards who give the team unconditional support would love some company.
 
The Raiders also hit the road for games Saturday in Swift Current and Sunday in Regina.  You can catch all the action on 900 CKBI and 900ckbi.com and watch for my weekly features on SHAW cable T.V.