The good news for the Wheat Kings was their penalty kill, which had been going through a rough stretch, had its best outing of the season against the Prince Albert Raiders. The bad news was, it also had its busiest and that left them fighting from behind.
Luke Mistelbacher scored the lone goal for the Wheat Kings as they fell 4-1 to the Prince Albert Raiders. Jayden Kraus was strong in his return to his hometown, stopping 28 of 31 shots he faced.
“It was hard to get flowing in the game and I thought we were flat,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “Part of it was a little recklessness, and part of it is when you’re a half step behind, you take those sorts of penalties.”
Though the Wheat Kings killed the first Raiders’ power play of the game, they gave up the opening goal at even strength. Matyas Man held the blue line from the left point for Prince Albert and let a shot go through traffic for his first of the season and the first tally of the game.
The Wheat Kings’ penalty kill was inordinately busy in the first period, and on their second of what would be four kills, the Raiders stretched their lead. Riley Boychuk fired a shot pass from the right circle to the mouth of the crease where Max Heise tapped it in.
After another string of successful penalty kills, the effort of playing down a man caught up to the Wheat Kings at even strength. A feed from behind the Wheat Kings’ net bounced off a skate and went to the left circle for a waiting Brock Cripps, who snapped it in.
When the power play pendulum finally swung their way, the Wheat Kings made it count. Mistelbacher waited for a lane to open up at 5-on-3, and ripped it to the top corner for his 16th.
But the Wheat Kings had played hard minutes on the penalty kill, and that and some injury related absences finally caught up to them. With a minute on the clock in the third, the Raiders stole the puck and sent it into the empty net to seal the game.
The Wheat Kings have little time to rest. They’re back at it tomorrow against the Saskatoon Blades in Saskatoon. Puck drop is 7:00.
