The inter-provincial clashes continue, as the Prince Albert Raiders travel to Medicine Hat to take on the best in the west in the Tigers.
Prince Albert had the much more difficult road, needing seven games to sink the Edmonton Oil Kings, but they came back from a 3-1 series deficit to do it. With that said, the Raiders did have home ice advantage in that series and it came in especially handy in game seven where they took a 5-0 victory to clinch the second round.
As for Medicine Hat, they come in riding high after a five game set against the Swift Current Broncos. The only game the Tigers lost happened to be game three, thanks to a Carlin Dezainde hat trick and a late goal by Connor Dale. Medicine Hat only trailed two separate times the entire series, so scoring the first goal will be crucial for the Raiders.
The Tigers' key to victory, as it has been the whole season, is teamwork and the lead-by-example superstar Gavin McKenna. The 2026 NHL draft frontrunner is tied for first among all playoff scorers at 16 points, and he's done it in just five games. Right behind him is Oasiz Wiesblatt, with 12.
On the other side of the border, Prince Albert has been leaning heavily on three players: Lukas Dragicevic, Aiden Oiring, and Max Hildebrand. The latter of the three sits third among goaltenders in save percentage with a .941, and the former two have been unstoppable so far in the playoffs. If they can continue their heater, they could cause the Tigers fits.
On paper, the Raiders have a clear edge in the crease. Hildebrand has been on a spectacular run, but don't count out Harrison Meneghin as well as the sneaky line of Liam and Marcus Ruck, alongside Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll.
Prediction: Medicine Hat in 6
Season Series: Everett Wins 3-0-1-0
Playoff Scoring Leaders:
Prince Albert:
Lukas Dragicevic 7 GP, 5-7-12
Aiden Oiring: 7 GP, 6-5-11
Daxon Rudolph: 7 GP, 0-9-9
Rilen Kovacevic: 7 GP, 4-3-7
Niall Crocker: 7 GP, 5-1-6
Medicine Hat:
Gavin McKenna: 5 GP, 2-14-16
Oasiz Wiesblatt: 5 GP, 7-5-12
Ryder Ritchie: 5 GP, 4-4-8
Hunter St. Martin: 5 GP, 2-2-4
Liam Ruck: 5 GP, 0-4-4
Schedule:
Game 1: @ Medicine Hat, Saturday, April 12, 7:05 p.m. MT
Game 2: @ Medicine Hat, Sunday, April 13, 6:00 p.m. MT
Game 3 @ Prince Albert, Wednesday, April 16, 7:00 p.m. MT
Game 4 @ Prince Albert, Thursday, April 17, 7:00 p.m. MT
Game 5 @ Medicine Hat, Saturday, April 19, 4:00 p.m. MT*
Game 6 @ Prince Albert, Monday, April 21, 7:00 p.m. MT*
Game 7 @ Medicine Hat, Wednesday, April 23, 7:00 p.m. MT*
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