<div align="left">Letter of Marque
First Holes In The Ship
Article written by french sport journalist Evok
S35G01</div>

<div align="center">Colorado Mammoths 3 || Halifax Raiders 1</div>


The tension was palpable in the Scotiabank Centre the night of the game. After a rough pre-season, the Raiders were looking for a fresh start and a chance at redemption. It was the first SMJHL game for many of the Raiders players, but the pressure got the best of them. Their dream sank at the end of the second period as the home team was unable to capitalize on the indiscipline of the Mammoths.

The first period started with a canon’s blow for the Raiders. Yuri Boyka Jr., the second round choice of the raiders in the SMJHL draft, won the first face-off of the game. The two teams went back and forth the ice until a shot by Downski was deflected in the net by Boyka Jr. The Raiders were up by one goal 5 minutes into the game. A few minutes later, Colorado’s Chase Byron was sent for two minutes into the penalty box for hooking. It was the first of many penalties given to the Mammoths that night. Unable to take the opportunity given to them, the Raiders also saw Alexander Zajac deceive the attention of their returning goaltender FourFour Jr and even the score soon after the middle of the period.

Soon after the start of the second period, it was the turn of Teddy Kesler to be sent to the Mammoths penalty box. The center had been saw right it the act of hooking by the referees. The Raiders spent the next two minutes facing the Penalty Kill unit of the Mammoths who prevented them to shoot on the goal more than three times. A few minutes after the end of Kesler penalty, the pressure was too much to take for Raiders’ Werenski who roughed up the Mammoths. The referees not appreciating the act sent the defenseman to the penalty box to reflect on his actions. The situation seems to have fuelled the Mammoths as, despite being unable to score on the following power play, they got enough momentum to quickly score two goals on Jordin FourFour Jr. putting them ahead by two goals before the end of the period. Both Zbyněk’S and Uedo’s shots found the net behind the goaltender in less than 30 seconds apart.

It was now do or die for the Raiders in the third period. They had to take every opportunity given to them in order to even the score and try to win this first regular season game. Unfortunately, three holes in Halifax’s ship was too much for the rookies. Even with the Mammoths’ penalties to Ruggeri for Slashing, Heikennin for Hooking and Von Hammersmark for Roughing in the first 10 minutes of the third period, the Raiders were unable to score even one goal on their power play. They had to go back to the locker room to patch their sinking ship instead of celebrating their plunder.

The unsung hero of the match for the Raiders was Bar Downski. Downski’s shot was at the right place at the right moment to be deflected by Boyka Jr. He also had the most shots on goal of the team with Six and played 21 minutes of the game.