For one night, at least, attendance woes were the least of worries for the Prince Albert Raiders.
The Raiders had enough other concerns, such as Jordan Eberle, Jordan Weal and the Regina Pats. Not to mention a shoddy performance on home ice.
The Raiders were mostly spectators as they welcomed Eberle back to the Western Hockey League - and lost 9-3 Wednesday at the Art Hauser Centre.
It was Eberle's first game since his return Monday from an impressive NHL pre-season with the Edmonton Oilers. The 19-year-old winger looked like a pro, and so did his understudy, Weal.
Eberle scored two goals and assisted on two others, and Weal picked up a hat trick. They looked good, and they got too much respect from the Raiders.
"It looked like we were standing around and watching the Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert show," said Raiders coach and general manager Bruno Campese.
"We weren't moving our feet. We weren't doing the things that we have showed that we're capable of doing."
Weal, the Eastern Conference rookie of the year last season, wheeled down the left wing and banked the puck off the skate of Raiders defenceman Jordan Rowley to score the opening goal. A couple of minutes later, Eberle cashed in on a power-play giveaway by goaltender Steven Stanford and made it 2-0.
"We work out together in the summer, so I'll have to thank him," Eberle said with a laugh.
But make no mistake, Eberle's efforts were no fluke. He danced around a couple of the Raiders' top defencemen - Rowley and Ryan Button - to set up Matt Strueby's fourth goal of the season.
And, most of all, Eberle clicked with linemates Weal and Brett Leffler, who scored a shorthanded goal and added three assists.
"I felt good out there," said Eberle, 19. "A lot of guys come back from the NHL and they don't try, and they think it's going to be easy. That's the main thing I wanted to do - try and work and beat people to pucks. I thought I had a pretty good game."
So did the crowd of 1,800 fans at the Art Hauser Centre.
Brayden Metz and Killian Hutt, in his first game as a Pat, scored the other Regina goals. Metz's power-play goal at 7:28 of the second period put the Pats ahead 4-0 and chased Stanford, who was replaced by rookie Jacob Edwards. Two minutes later, Eberle put a shorthanded goal upstairs.
The Pats didn't look like a team that entered the game with a 1-4 record. Of course, it helped to have the Eberle-Weal connection back in business.
"We're just both skilled guys and we really read off each other," said Weal, 17. "We have a year under our belt, playing with each other. We know where each other is on the ice, so I think it will work out really well this year."
It only helps that Weal has grown from five-foot-eight and 155 pounds to five-foot-nine and 165 pounds.
"It looks like he's a lot stronger," Eberle said of Weal. "You saw the goals he put in tonight, just around the net, beating guys. Me and him are good to play with each other, just because we see the ice well together and we're able to find each other."
Damien Ketlo made 30 saves as the Pats outshot the Raiders 50-33.
It was the second straight loss for the Raiders, who dropped to 2-3 as they began a string of three games in four nights.
Fittingly, two of Prince Albert's goals came from a man named Jordan as Jordan Hickmott upped his season output to four goals. Hickmott and Dustin Cameron scored power-play goals in a feisty third period.
One of the few bright spots for the Raiders was that 16-year-old rookies Harrison Ruopp and Mark McNeill acquitted themselves well in third-period fights.
"Our two 16-year-olds stood up and got challenged," Campese said. "I thought they were fantastic."
That's saying a lot on a night when the Raiders, overall, were anything but.
Prince Albert hosts the Saskatoon Blades at 7 p.m. Friday.
jmacneil@paherald.sk.ca
Raiders take one on the chin
Raiders take one on the chin
Sparked by returned veterans, Pats all over hosts in 9-3 romp in Prince Albert
For one night, at least, attendance woes were the least of worries for the Prince Albert Raiders.
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Comments
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- Scott
- - November 20th, 2009 at 13:14:07
I thought the Raiders (defence) was suppose to be the strength of this team...It didnt look like it on ths night. Sanford is very inconsistant at times. he goes on too many streaks, Raiders top Line players are third line players at best. This team is slowly turning the corner due to some poor drafting, but the fans are impatient because every yr its the same. wow this is going to be a long month.
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- GORDON
- - November 20th, 2009 at 05:00:09
OH BOY SMITTS.....How intelligent!!! You get kicked off the website and come back as cheryl van kogen?!? Come on...GET A LIFE!!! Good game Friday nite eh???
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- Gord
- - November 19th, 2009 at 19:32:15
I am not going to get into how the reff's are to blame or that the Raiders had a bad game.
The real problem is the lack of fans. All the rest doesn't mean a thing if the team can't pay the bills. This franchise better figure out how to put butts in the seats or were all going to be debating how the Raiders ended up in the SJHL playing against Laronge & Tisdale. Come on PA fill up that building now..... -
- Al
- - November 19th, 2009 at 18:47:52
x x... every night? I don't think so. Obviously you have not seen the Raiders play this year. Every team has off nights and this was one. It's part of the learning curve of a young team although the vets should know better.
We'll see how they bounce back against the Blades. That may be a sign. -
- x
- - November 19th, 2009 at 10:59:19
how does a team get 9 pp's to the other teams 4, and get outshot by 17. Coaching in PA is outclassed again. They are outclassed every night. Which team in the league has lesser coaching?
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- cheryl
- - November 18th, 2009 at 16:26:00
nice to see they got their butts kicked good.it is only payback time as years gone by they laughed at how bad they beat the pats . go back to the sjhl because that's your level of play you losers. ha ha ha ha ha.
