Tigers claw back late before dropping Game 5 to Raiders in WHL playoff action

The Prince Albert Raiders celebrate after defeating Medicine Hat 6-3 Friday night in Game 5 of their WHL Eastern Conference final. Game 6 is Sunday night in Medicine Hat.

The Medicine Hat Tigers fought back Friday night but couldn’t quite get over the hump as the Prince Albert Raiders hung on for a 6-3 win in Game 5 of their WHL Eastern Conference Final.

The win gave the Raiders a 3-2 series lead in the best-of-seven, with Game 6 set for Sunday at the Co-Op Centre in Medicine Hat.

Jonas Woo scored with just under three minutes remaining in the first to tie the score after Prince Albert’s Alisher Sarkenov opened the scoring for Prince Albert, sending the two teams to the dressing room at intermission tied at a goal apiece.

After outshooting the Tigers 16-3 in the first period, the Raiders continued to pour it on in the second, firing 18 shots on goal at Carter Casey.

Owen Corkish scored early and late -- 22 seconds in and another with six and a half minutes left -- and Ben Harvey added one in between to pad the Raider lead to 4-1 heading to the third.

Ethan Neutens scored his fifth of the post-season at the 1:55 mark to cut the Prince Albert lead to 4-2 and with just under 11 minutes remaining, Josh Van Mulligen cut the Raider lead to a goal.

However, the Tigers couldn’t complete the comeback and with Casey pulled in favour of an extra attacker, Corkish completed his hat trick to put the game out of reach.

Brayden Dube added one for Prince Albert to complete the scoring.

Prince Albert outshot the Tigers 48-27 on the night.

Puck drop for Game 6 is 6 p.m.