The game got marked on Kody McDonald's calendar the day he joined the Prince Albert Raiders three weeks ago.
The anticipation of playing his former team - the Prince George Cougars - at his new home in Prince Albert in his first game against his ex-teammates, gave McDonald added incentive to do exactly what he did to the Cougars Friday night.
One goal, two assists, a fight, and a first-star selection in a 6-2 victory. It couldn't have panned out much better for the 19-year-old from Lethbridge, who played three seasons for the Cougars before the trade was made. It was his night to shine.
Four unanswered goals spoiled an otherwise decent effort from the Cougars as they kicked off a six-game tour of the East Division. McDonald opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal 3:51 in. The puck got chipped off the sideboards behind defenceman Joel Lakusta and McDonald took off down the left wing and shrugged off a hold from Jared Bethune which would have drawn a penalty as he cut towards the net. McDonald finished with a high shot over Tavin Grant.
Midway through the period, the Cougars got back on even terms and it was a former Raider who did the damage. Josh Maser was set up by a pass from Aaron Boyd and collected his 22nd of the season, scoring on a 30-foot wrist shot that eluded Ian Scott. Maser, 18, a fourth-round bantam pick of the Raiders in 2014, played just one game for Prince Albert when he was traded to the Cougars in October 2016 for forward Adam Kadlec.
Twelve minutes into the first period, Jordy Stallard, the Raiders' leading scorer, filed away his 32nd goal of the season with a shot from the top of the face-off circle that sailed in over Grant's shoulder and the Raiders had two goals on their first shots of the game.
In the second period, Liam Ryan collected his second career WHL goal at the 6:03 mark. The rookie Cougar forward from New Westminster accepted a pass out of the corner from Ilijah Colina and let it go from the slot. Colina set up Ryan's first career goal Jan. 12 in Spokane.
After serving a five-minute sentence for a fight with Cougars defenceman Cam MacPhee, McDonald completed his Gordie Howe trifecta in the second period. He picked up the primary assist on Parker Kelly's goal 16:20 into the second which restored the Raider lead. He sprung Kelly at full flight and he went around former Raider Rhett Rhinehart and tucked a low shot in on the stick side of Grant.
The Raiders doubled their lead 1:22 into the third period. Curtis Miske took a drop-pass from Stallard and fired a 20-footer that slipped through Grant's legs. Cole Fonstad, on an assist from McDonald, and Sean Montgomery also scored in the third period.
The Cougars' power play struggled, going 0-for-2 in the first period and 0-for-5 in the game.
The loss dipped the Cougars' record to 18-24-4-3, while the Raiders improved to 19-20-7-2.
The Cougars play the Blades tonight in Saskatoon (5 p.m., 94.3 FM The Goat). Their six game trip also includes stops in Swift Current (Tuesday), Regina (Wednesday), Brandon (Friday) and Moose Jaw (Saturday, Feb. 2).
