The Prince Albert Raiders lost a wild Game 4 of the WHL Final on home ice Wednesday, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. Prince Albert had two goals called back in the third period, ultimately falling 5-2 to the Everett Silvertips, who now lead the series 3-1 and are just one win away from their first Ed Chynoweth Cup. “That was a grind,” said Silvertips Head Coach Steve Hamilton. “You can bend but you can’t break. Our guys got some timely offense, got some great goaltending, some pretty key penalty kills and that was probably the difference in the game.” Everett led 2-1 after two periods, before a chaotic final frame. Everett would go on to score three more times, with Prince Albert adding one more, while also having two goals disallowed. “Our guys played hard right to the end,” said Raiders Head Coach Ryan McDonald. “Really liked our effort, liked our compete. Really liked our push, liked our urgency. That was a hard-fought battle.” The announced attendance was 3,299 — well over the seating capacity for the Art Hauser Centre, which has been selling plenty of standing-room tickets for the WHL Playoffs. Prince Albert hosts Game 5 Friday evening. If the Silvertips win, they’ll claim the WHL Championship. Games 6 and 7, if necessary, will be played in Everett May 17 and 18. All seven games can be watched on TSN in Canada.
