No matter the style of hockey played on the ice, the St. Albert Raiders have found a way to adjust their game to skate away with wins.
Last weekend the Raiders (5-1-1) beat a physical Southside Athletic Club (3-3) at home 6-1. On Wednesday they managed to once again raise the bar with a resounding 4-0 win against the Maple Leafs (1-6) at Londonderry Arena.
The Raiders played a defensively sound game throughout the course of the match, but coach Sandro Pisani believes the effort displayed from his team was far from perfect.
“I don’t think we were great today to be honest. We were pretty sloppy,” said Pisani. “We capitalized on some opportunities but overall our game could have definitely been better.”
In the first period the ice was tilted heavily in the Raiders’ favour, with the scoreboard reflecting the results in a 2-0 lead and 10-6 shot total. Carson Samoridny and Carter Proft each scored. Samoridny would go on to net two more over the course of the game.
“It was great. Our offence played really good and the pucks went in,” said Samoridny.
While the Raiders managed to find the back of the net four times, their special teams took on the style of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Raiders were awarded eight power plays, including a five-on-three opportunity, but only managed two goals on the attack. Those results, combined with odd-man rushes by the Leafs on the penalty kill, are an area that needs immediate improvement, according to Pisani.
“I thought it was sloppy. Overall our team knows we weren’t very good. We all agree this game was an ugly win,” he said.
On the flip side of the ice, the Raiders killed off six short-handed opportunities.
Between the pipes, Wyatt Hoflin handled 19 shots, highlighted by a show-stopping save on a shorthanded breakaway attempt. Hoflin was pleased by his performance due to his ability to make the saves his team needed the most.
“It felt good just to back up the team,” he said.
Heading into today’s game against the Lloydminster Bobcats (3-3), Pisani said a couple of the elements the Raiders have been working on need to improve to ensure success throughout the rest of the season.
“We just have to be sharper. Our whole team needs to get better. Our passes have to be on the tape and our breakouts need to be cleaner.”
Faceoff is 2:30 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
