2019 Memorial Cup Presented by Kia: Three Keys – Raiders vs. Storm
Halifax, N.S. – The task remains simple – find a way to win. The Prince Albert Raiders must do exactly that, and nothing less, should they hope to extend their season beyond Tuesday night. Standing in the way will be the OHL champion Guelph Storm in Game 5 of the 2019 Memorial Cup Presented by Kia.
Your three keys to the game for the Prince Albert Raiders are as follows:
1) Remain confident: Head Coach Marc Habscheid along with forwards Noah Gregor and Cole Fonstad all echoed this sentiment following a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in Game 4 of the tournament. There was a lot the Raiders liked about their game. For the vast majority of the contest, the Raiders played well enough to win – but ultimately a few small lapses cost them. The belief amongst this group is that they are good enough to defeat Guelph should they play as well as they did against the Huskies.
2) Contain Nick Suzuki: There’s no question the prospect of the Montreal Canadiens is arguably one of the most skilled players in the tournament. After leading the OHL Playoffs in scoring with 42 points (16G-26A), Suzuki has two points (1G-1A) to this point in the Memorial Cup. Ever dangerous with the puck, the Raiders defence will need to maintain tight gaps and keep the 19-year-old product of London, Ont., to the perimeter.
3) Pucks on Popovich: It might seem rather simple to suggest putting pucks on net is a key to victory tonight, but with a goaltender who has shown he is consistently inconsistent to this point in the campaign, the Raiders will want to pepper Storm netminder Anthony Popovich at every given opportunity. Fans saw Popovich whiff on the first shot of the tournament he faced, allowing the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies to jump out to an early lead on Saturday night. With a 3.00 goals-against average and .909 save percentage, Popovich’s numbers are far from shining, but he has turned aside enough rubber to get Guelph to 1-1-0-0 at the Memorial Cup. The product of Belleville, Ont., owned a 3.12 GAA and .894 SV% through 24 games in the OHL Playoffs.
Game 5 of the 2019 Memorial Cup Presented by Kia is set for 5 p.m. MT/8 p.m. AT in Halifax. For complete information on the 2019 Memorial Cup, please visit chlmemorialcup.ca.
2019 #MemorialCup Presented by @KiaCanada:@PARaidersHockey Pre-game
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