Raiders tie Eastern Conference Championship series with 6-3 win over Tigers
The Prince Albert Raiders recovered nicely after losing game three in overtime last night. Prince Albert took down the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-3 on Wednesday night in game four, levelling the Eastern Conference Championship series at 2-2.
The Raiders struck twice less than two minutes apart to jump out to a 2-0 lead. With the Raiders on the first powerplay of the night, Daxon Rudolph took just 11 seconds of that powerplay time to find the back of the net. Taking a pass from Braeden Cootes, Rudolph took a shot from the point through traffic that beat Jordan Switzer. Aiden Oiring provided a terrific drifting screen in front of Switzer, taking his eyes away from the shot, as Rudolph scored for the second straight game with his seventh of the playoffs.
Evan Smith doubled the lead with 8:20 left in the first, finishing a great forechecking play from Connor Howe and Riley Boychuk. From the half wall, Boychuk fed a pass to Smith at the top of the left circle, and the 19-year-old beat Switzer blocker side for his third of the playoffs. Smith used a pair of Tigers as a screen in front, as Switzer couldn’t react to the shot until it was already in the back of the net to make it 2-0.
The Tigers would strike back just eight seconds later, however, as Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll scored. Taking a pass from Josh Van Mulligen, Gordon-Carroll fanned on his one timer in the slot. Michal Orsulak must have thought the shot was blocked, as he got up out of his butterfly to try to locate the puck. However, the shot rolled towards the net, and rolled through Orsulak’s legs. Gordon-Carroll was credited with his fourth goal of the playoffs, as he made it a 2-1 game after 20 minutes.
Just 25 seconds into the second period, Rudolph scored his second powerplay goal of the night, as a Raiders man advantage carried over into the middle frame. Oiring smartly waited for a better option at the Tigers blue line, as he stopped up and fed a pass back to center ice for Rudolph. The defenceman carried the puck into the offensive zone, making a move around a pair of Tigers players, before sniping a shot top corner over Switzer’s glove. The perfect shot gave Rudolph his second goal of the game, making it a 3-1 lead.
Prince Albert then scored back to back goals to jump out to a 5-1 lead, as Oiring and Maddix McCagherty both found the back of the net. Oiring’s tally came off a reboud after an original shot by Justice Christensen was stopped by Switzer. The rebound was sitting loose in the blue paint, and Oiring was able to bury his sixth goal of the playoffs to make it 4-1. The goal yanked Switzer from the net, as his night came to an end after surrendering four goals on 15 shots. Carter Casey came in to replace him, making his first appearance since giving up eight goals to the Raiders in game one.
Just over two minutes later, McCagherty’s goal came off a great pass from Rudolph. Down the right circle, Rudolph pulled the puck to his backhand and looked like he was going to shoot, but instead sent it across the crease. McCagherty was right on the doorstep to bank a shot off of Casey’s pad and in, as he collected his second goal of the playoffs.
Medicine Hat responded quickly as they did on their first goal of the night, scoring 25 seconds after the Raiders made it 5-1. This time it was Ethan Neutens who scored, as he ripped a one timer under Orsulak’s blocker. Neutens picked up his fourth of the playoffs, making it a 5-2 game heading into the third period.
Max Heise struck at the 9:07 mark of the third period to make it a 6-1 game, showcasing his defence and offence in one play. Heise blocked a Tiger shot at the blue line, then collected the puck and worked his way down the ice, leading a two on one rush with McCagherty. Down the right wing, Heise finished the play himself, sniping a shot home, far side over Casey’s blocker.
Gordon-Carroll would score his second goal of the game for the Tigers with 4:40 to go. With a discarded stick laying in the slot, a point shot from Dayton Reschny hit it, and changed direction towards the net. Gordon-Carroll got a piece of the deflected shot, and put the puck five hole past Orsulak once again. The fortunate bounce for Medicine Hat would make it a 6-3 game, but that’s as close as they would get to completing the comeback.
Prince Albert would tick down the final minutes of the contest with a five on three powerplay, as they cruised to a 6-3 win to even the Eastern Conference Championship series at 2-2.
Game five of the series will be on Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre. Puck drops at 7pm.
