As could’ve been predicted, the Wheat Kings and Prince Albert Raiders played a close, hard fought game in their first meeting of the season. The two teams went to overtime.
Chase Surkan scored twice, and Jaxon Jacobson and Nicholas Johnson scored once each, but the Wheat Kings fell 5-4 in overtime to the Raiders. Jayden Kraus was strong with 40 saves in the loss.
“We took an unnecessary penalty at the end of the second and did a good job of killing it,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “But it tires guys out. We took some penalties in the third, starting with that five minute major and couldn’t get it done.”
Though the Wheat Kings killed off the first power play of the game, they surrendered the first goal at even strength. Harrison Lodewyk fed it across the crease to Evan Smith on the rush, and while Kraus made an excellent first save, Smith followed up and found his own rebound to open the scoring.
The top line for the Wheat Kings would provide the equalizer. As they broke in, Luke Mistelbacher feathered a perfect pass to Jacobson to send him into the clear, and the highly skilled forward made no mistake, lifting home his first of the season on the backhand.
Lodewyk and Smith connected again for the Raiders, however. This time, it was Smith feeding Lodewyk off the rush for a one-timer from the top of the right circle to give the Raiders another lead.
The Wheat Kings opened the second period on the power play, and in less than a minute they made it count. Jacobson fed it back door from the left circle, where Surkan was waiting to sling it into the net despite a diving effort from Michal Orsulak in the Raiders’ net.
Though the Wheat Kings gave up some chances in the middle of the second, Kraus turned in some of his best saves of the season. The Wheat Kings rewarded their goaltender when, off a draw, Surkan fed the slot and left the puck for Johnson, who swept a backhander past Orsulak for their first lead of the contest.
Just 1:23 later, the Wheat Kings extended their lead. Joby Baumuller forced a turnover and broke in to his right, and although his initial shot was partially blocked, he found his own rebound and sent it out front to Surkan for his second of the night.
Though they killed off a five-minute major power play to start the period, the Wheat Kings surrendered one at even strength when Ty Meunier found the rebound of several shot blocks and snapped it in.
Then, on their fifth power play of the game, after the Wheat Kings had flawlessly killed the first four, the Raiders finally broke through. Max Heise’s initial chance in close was stopped, but he wrapped home the rebound to tie the game.
In overtime, the Raiders got a break from the referee. Aiden Oiring tripped up a Wheat King behind the net and took the puck as a result, and as he worked it back in front, he let a shot go and ripped home the game winner.
The Wheat Kings will remain on home ice for the next weekend as they host opponents on both Saturday and Sunday evening.
