No team has won a WHL Final after being down 3-1.
After four games, the Prince Albert Raiders find themselves down 3-1 in the 2026 WHL Final. Prince Albert has fought hard throughout the series, but has run into an Everett Silvertips team that many consider the best in the CHL. With Game 5 on Friday, the Raiders will be focused on sending their fans home happy and the series back to Everett for Games 6 and 7.
History is not on Prince Albert's side, as no team has completed a comeback from 3-1 in WHL Final history. Three teams came close as the 2019 Vancouver Giants and the 1992 and 1994 Saskatoon Blades both forced a Game 7, but none were able to pull off a victory in the final game. As for the sporting world, teams have come back from 3-1 deficits, but rarely do so in the championship series.
If the Raiders are going to pull off a historic comeback, they need to be more disciplined. The Silvertips power play has found a way to convert in three of the four games and went two-for-five in Game 4. Prince Albert also needs to find a way to convert on the man advantage, as they are one-for-12 over the last two games.
The Raiders will also need Michal Orsulak to continue to stand on his head. Prince Albert's goaltender has faced at least 30 shots in each game and has a .910 save percentage. Orsulak has arguably been the Raiders' MVP during this year's final as he has kept every game close regardless of shot totals.
Ultimately, Prince Albert pulling off a comeback is unlikely, but not impossible. They are a deep team and have shown resilience throughout the season. If they do want a chance at history, it will have to start with a win on Friday at the Art Hauser Centre.
Prince Albert Raiders (Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders/WHL)Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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