Raider Nation, we are officially back in action. Here is your weekend preview for our next 2 contests.
January 6th at 5:30PM, the Raiders are home to take on the Niagara Falls Canucks at Alcott Arena. This will mark the third meeting of the campaign for these clubs, with Georgetown taking the first 2 matches by a combined score of 10-4. Heading into the game, the Canucks sit in 10th place in the OJHL’s West Conference, with a 10-24-0-1 record in 35 games; they have 21 points. Niagara, similar to Georgetown, has had a full 2 week break from action. Both teams will be in the same place rest-wise heading into the game. Niagara is coming off 2 losses tom Brantford and Milton, respectively. They post a 2-8-0-0 record in their last 10, and have a 3-15-1-0 record on the road this year. Georgetown heads into the matchup with a 18-14-0-4 record, good for 5th in the West and 40 points. Georgetown is also looking to curb a 2 game losing streak tomorrow night, with losses at Collingwood and Toronto Patriots prior to the break cultivating the small skid.
A note for the Raiders is that of Niagara’s road Penalty Kill, which sits at 45%. If GTown can find success on the man advantage, they should put themselves in a good place to garner a win.
Leading scorer for the Canucks is Alex Hebblethwaite, with 22 goals and 23 assists (45 points) in 23-24. Leading scorer for your Raiders is Quinn Tavares, with 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points this season. Georgetown posts an 11-5-2-0 record at home this year and looks to add another victory to the record tomorrow night. A key to victory would be to score early and often to stifle Niagara’s attack. Georgetown has show the ability to come back from multi-goal deficits many times this season. However, it’s more ideal to lead early and for the entire game. Look for another instalment of GTown’s high flying offense.
A reminder that doors open at 5PM with alcohol sales beginning at the same time for the Booster Club. Puck drop is at 5:30PM, tickets are $15.00 at the door. Make sure you come out and support the Raiders are the push for the playoffs begins now!
Sunday, January 7th, the Raiders will have their passports ready as they will be travelling to Buffalo for another clash with the Jr. Sabres at the LECOM Harborcenter. This will be the 3rd meeting of the season for the clubs, with Buffalo winning both contests by scores of 5-2 on Oct. 1, and 2-1 on Sept. 16.
This is a game with large implications on positions in standings for the Raiders. The Sabres and Raiders have played 36 games apiece. Buffalo sits in 4th place with 44 points, while GTown is in 5th place with 40 points. This is a massive opportunity to gain 2 valuable points on a rival. With Leamington sitting in 3rd with 48 points, the 3-4-5 seeds in the West are wide open. Anything can happen, and GTown must strike while the iron is hot.
Buffalo’s leading scorer is Cameron Doran, who has scored 17 goals and 26 assists, good for 43 points. Buffalo is also 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games, coming off a 4-2 win over Brantford on January 4th. Buffalo has also won 4 of their last 5 contests. This is shaping up to being a potential statement game for the Raiders, who will have to dig deep for this one as the back half of a back-to-back. Buffalo’s power play at home is 13%, while the Raiders penalty kill on the road sits at 73%. While this bodes well for the Raiders, Georgetown has to be careful not to run into penalty trouble during this game and play disciplined hockey. Buffalo also returned from the Holiday break on Jan. 4th as mentioned above and won’t have a game on the 5th, meaning the rest advantage goes to the Sabres. GTown will dig deep and give their best effort in a big game.
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