Ice dominate Raiders

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This article was published 23/04/2022 (1327 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Ice juggernaut was too much Saturday night.

Too fast, too persistent and too hungry, which was too bad for the Prince Albert Raiders.

The Ice had goals from five different players and Carson Lambos chipped in with three assists and was plus-2 to go along with another monster game on the Ice blue-line as Winnipeg rattled off a 5-2 triumph over the Raiders in WHL playoff action at Wayne Fleming Arena.

“He’s so powerful — his strength is he can defend the best players on the other team,” said Winnipeg head coach James Patrick of his star blue-liner. “He can skate with them, he can out-muscle them, he can hold onto pucks and… calm things down in the D zone…

“I think defensively you could say we start with him because (we’re) not always matching lines as tight but we try to match our D pair. We make sure those guys (Lambos and partner Nolan Orzeck) are always against their top line and he’s done that all year long.”

Winnipeg took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal with Games 3 and 4 to be held at Prince Albert’s Art Hauser Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Both games start at 8 p.m. Winnipeg time.

The hosts were nursing a 2-1 lead on goals by Orzeck and Jakin Smallwood when they went on the attack, getting a power-play marker from Owen Pederson with five seconds remaining in the opening period.

Zach Benson and Conor Geekie increased the lead to 5-1 just 3:20 into the second period. Both took their fair share of physical abuse from the Raiders.

“They play physical most nights and I didn’t really feel as if I was a target, but I’m not too sure what their game plan was,” said Benson.

Benson’s shot found its way through P.A. goaltender Tikhon Chaika’s legs, prompting Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid to replace him with backup Max Hildebrand just 130 seconds into the period.

Winnipeg played without star forward and leading scorer Matt Savoie.

The 18-year-old, who shared team MVP honours with Lambos during the regular season, was struck with a puck and helped off the ice during the third period of Friday’s Game 1.

Patrick said Savoie is considered day-to-day and will be making the trip to Saskatchewan with the team.

He is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Winnipeg adjusted well to Savoie’s absence, slotting Chase Wheatcroft on a line with Geekie and Benson.

“I think everyone had to chip in a little more,” explained Benson. “Because obviously (Savoie’s) a huge part of this team. I think everyone just worked a little harder and dug a little deeper.”

“With Wheatcroft jumping up to that line, the line is still outstanding,” said Patrick. “Geeks scored, Zach Benson scored and I thought he fit right in. That’s definitely the strength that a different line can go each night. Last night it was the (Cole) Muir line that really carried the load.”

Ice forward Mikey Milne was a flurry of activity, creating mayhem for the Raiders although he was not rewarded with a point.

“Mikey’s played like that all year long — he’s created chances, he’s backed off the D and even when he’s not scoring I think he’s having an effect,” said Patrick. “Because he’s making it tough on the opposing D and it doesn’t always show on the scoresheet, but it is a factor in the game.”

Landon Kosior and Reece Vitelli, with his second of the series, replied with goals for the Raiders.

Daniel Hauser collected his second win in as many playoff starts for Winnipeg, stopping 18 shots. Chaika and Hildebrand combined for 24 saves.

Game 5, if necessary, will be back at Wayne Fleming Arena Friday night.

BLUE-LINES: The Ice connected on 2-of-3 power-play opportunities while the Raiders went 0-for-3… Three stars: 1. Carson Lambos, Winnipeg (three assists); 2. Tanner Brown, Winnipeg; 3. Zach Benson, Winnipeg (one goal)… Announced attendance was 1,983.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14