Otters upset London 6-2, win four in a row at home
Erie, Pennsylvania – Kyle Pettit scored two goals and Devin Williams made 21 saves in the Otters’ 6-2 win over the London Knights Saturday night. The win came after London gave Erie their first loss of the season Wednesday night on the road in the shootout.
London started off the night with a bang, leading the Otters 1-0 25 seconds into the first period. Aaron Berisha, acquired in a trade with the Belleville Bulls Saturday morning, found the back of the net for his first goal with the Knights. Taylor Raddysh quickly answered for the Otters, tying up the game a minute later from Mason Marchment and Dylan Strome. The celebration was short-lived though. London’s John Warren, also added to the roster on Saturday, gave the Knights a one-goal lead three minutes later.
The Otters had a strong opportunity to close out the period with Michael McCarron in the box for four minutes, two for cross checking and two for unsportsmanlike conduct. Tyler Parsons made several huge saves to keep Erie from tying the game.
The second period started off with a cluster of great chances for the Otters. Parsons stopped an attempt made by Connor McDavid through his legs before stopping Pettit. But Pettit’s next chance found the back of the net at 7:59 to tie the game at two with assists from Quentin Maksimovich and Troy Donnay.
With Kurtis MacDermid in the box for slashing, the Knights had a chance to pull ahead. London put pressure on Williams in front of the net, but Williams made two huge saves in a row before Patrick Murphy blocked a shot and sent the puck to the other end in a great defensive push. Erie killed the penalty, keeping their home penalty killing percentage at 90%.
Williams made a momentum-pushing save to start the third that ended in a review of the play. With the call on the ice confirmed, the Otters took the puck the other way and McDavid broke the tie with help from Alex DeBrincat and Troy Donnay. Dakota Memis was sent off for delay of game after a puck sailed into the seats in the defensive zone. With 12 seconds to go in the man-advantage, Strome scored his seventh goal of the season to give the Otters a two-goal cushion. McDavid and MacDermid picked up assists on the goal.
Another London penalty, this one on Chandler Yakimowicz for high-sticking McDavid, brought Erie’s goal total to five after Pettit scored his second of the game. Donnay’s assist gave him his third point on the night and TJ Fergus notched his fourth point of the year. Just over a minute later, DeBrincat took off on a breakaway from McDavid to send the puck flying behind Parsons for the 6-2 final. The Otters killed the final penalty to Kyle Maksimovich and solidified their fourth consecutive home win to stay undefeated in regulation.
The game continued the point streaks of McDavid and Strome, both having scored in every game thus far in the season. Donnay continued his scoring streak with assists in consecutive two games. Pettit’s two goals were also his first goals of the season after returning from camp with the Vancouver Canucks to start the year.
The Otters head to the home of the Buffalo Sabres for their next home game, taking on the Niagara IceDogs at the First Niagara Center on Wednesday, October 22 at 7 p.m.
The Iron Workers Local Union No. 3 Hardest Working 3 Stars of the Game:
3. Kurtis MacDermid – 1A
2. Connor McDavid – 1G, 2A
1. Kyle Pettit – 2G
