Prince Albert Raiders beat Red Deer Rebels 4:1 in the WHL on Thursday evening. The hosts had not won since September 19 and were sitting ten places below their visitors. The result broke a run of three defeats in a row.
Raiders started brighter than their recent form suggested. They pressed early and held the puck in the attacking zone more often than expected. and here's the thing, they did not need to wait long to take the lead.
We had called a home victory at 68 percent confidence before kick-off. to be fair, the prediction looked reasonable given how the teams had been matching up in previous meetings. The hosts carried that momentum into the first period.
Rebels responded with their own chances but could not find the net. They moved the puck well in the middle third but lacked the finishing touch. by then, the scoreboard told a different story to what the table showed.
The visitors had won two of their four games so far and sat third in the standings. This result meant they dropped further behind the leaders rather than closing the gap. The Raiders meanwhile picked up their first points of the campaign.
Recent form for both sides told a mixed picture. Raiders had lost three straight before this victory while Rebels had won two and lost two in their opening stretch. The difference tonight came down to who took their opportunities.
The win moves Prince Albert off the bottom of the table for the first time. Red Deer remain in the upper half but will need to respond at home next week. The gap between them and the top four stayed at one point.
