The Prince Albert Raiders managed to earn a point Friday night, but that was little consolation after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Swift Current Broncos.
Matt Tassone's goal with 33 seconds left in overtime enabled the Broncos to move within four points of the Raiders in a head-to-head matchup with potentially significant playoff implications.
"It's not the result we wanted, but we can't look back on it," said Raiders defenceman Jordan Rowley. "Some of the stuff we did tonight, we should have done differently.
"We're a shooting team, but we were cycling the puck too much. We weren't throwing pucks to the net. That really hurt us."
The Broncos boast a slick offensive team, but it was a nip-and-tuck, playoff-style road game that enabled them to prevail in front of 2,192 fans at the Art Hauser Centre.
"They played well - you've got to give them credit - but if we were on top of our game, (the result would have been different)," Rowley said. "Our home record (22-6-2) proves it. We should have beat that team tonight."
Tassone, one of Swift Current's veteran talents, beat Raiders goaltender Garrett Zemlak on the blocker side shortly after an overtime faceoff in the Prince Albert zone.
"We lost the draw and I saw the D (defenceman) tried to go D to D," Tassone said. "The two P.A. guys kind of collided and one lost his stick, so I just forced him and the puck popped out and I walked out to the slot and fired it low, far post. There was a forward there for a screen, so I kind of used him."
Zemlak and Broncos goaltender Morgan Clark carried their respective teams into overtime, each making 30-plus saves. Zemlak snagged quality shots from Tassone and Cody Eakin with the teams tied 1-1 in the third period. Clark shut the door on Brandon Herrod during a P.A. power play with less than two minutes left in the third.
Young guns Mark McNeill of the Raiders and Adam Lowry of the Broncos scored in the first and second periods, respectively.
Lowry's shot fooled Zemlak on the blocker side, too, but that goal was weaker than Tassone's overtime winner.
Five of Lowry's 12 goals in his rookie season have come against the Raiders.
"A few were lucky bounces," said Lowry, 16. "Tonight, I'm sure Zemlak would like to have that one back. But it always seem to go in for me when I put the puck on net, so I'll take 'em."
And the Broncos take a much-needed two points.
"It feels really good," Lowry said. "(The Raiders are) one of the best teams on home ice, and to grab two points - although they got one - is huge. We're battling for position right now, and it definitely makes a difference when we win these games."
The teams face each other two more times in the regular season - Feb. 21 in Swift Current and March 10 in Prince Albert.
The Raiders are off until they begin a three-game Alberta trip Wednesday in Medicine Hat. Prince Albert might have to reverse its road ineptness to land a playoff berth.
"We want to take our home game on the road," Rowley said. "There's nothing else different that we want to do. We need to stick to our game - throw pucks to the net and be solid defensively."
