The top-scoring defenceman in the OHL’s regular season led the offence for the Erie Otters on Friday night in a 5-1 win over the London Knights in Game 2 of their second-round series.
Erie defenceman Darren Raddysh recorded a hat trick and added an assist, starting and completing the scoring to even the best-of-7 Western Conference semifinal series at a game apiece.
The Knights did a good job early, working pucks down low in the Erie end. They came as close as a Max Jones shot off the crossbar and a pinned puck against the post from scoring first, but the puck stayed out and Raddysh took advantage.
He carried the puck into the London end, made a move, had it knocked away, but followed the puck behind the Knights’ net and wrapped it around the goalpost, and it was in for Erie’s first goal of the series and a 1-0 lead.
Less than two minutes later, Raddysh wristed a puck from the middle of the blue line on an Otter power play and it found its way through a maze of legs, sticks and bodies and past Tyler Parsons for a 2-0 Erie advantage.
London killed off a penalty that stretched between the first and second periods, but the Otters extended their lead as Anthony Cirelli raced in behind the London net off a faceoff and wrapped a pass out front to Kyle Maksimovich, who squeezed a shot between the goalpost and Parsons’ skate to make it 3-0 for the Otters.
London cut the Erie lead to 3-1 with more solid work deep in the Otters’ zone on a 4-on-4. Max Jones and Cliff Pu buzzed around along the boards and Pu eventually left a puck for Mitch Vande Sompel on the right side — he cut right to the net and snapped a shot past Timpano for his first goal of the playoffs.
As time wound down in the middle period, the Knights found themselves back on the penalty kill and inches away from getting a puck out of their zone. Had it happened, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Mitchell Stephens might have been off to the races on a breakaway.
Instead, Erie kept the puck alive and got it to a another Lightning prospect instead — Raddysh came off the left side and sent a shot into the London net with 2.5 seconds to go, putting the Otters ahead 4-1.
The clock didn’t seem to waste much time, moving along in the third and the score stayed exactly where it was into the final eight minutes.
A penalty to Owen Headrick put London back on the power play. With 7:36 to go, Knights head coach Dale Hunter elected to pull Parsons for an extra attacker, and that began almost six full minutes of play with an empty London net. Neither team was able to score.
Victor Mete did a great Parsons impression as he kicked away a shot in his own end during the open-net run.
Timpano held the fort at his end of the ice, while Raddysh sealed the victory with a wrister from the London blue line at 18:01.
That brought hats and yellow towels out of the seats and onto the ice to recognize Raddysh’s third goal of the game.
The Knights and Otters will now have three full days off before Game 3 on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Budweiser Gardens.
Game 4 will be played Thursday in London.
A new block of tickets was released early Friday morning. Tickets can be purchased at 519-681-0800 ext. 1, at the Knights’ Armouries or online at londonknights.com
The OHL Priority Selection takes place on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at ontariohockeyleague.com
Londoner Ryan Suzuki will be selected first overall by the Barrie Colts.
The Knights own 19 selections over the 15 rounds. They have the 18th pick in the first round.
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