Dave Leaderhouse
Special to the Herald
If the Prince Albert Raiders were architects they would be proud of the blueprint they produced for a playoff road victory in Medicine Hat on Wednesday.
“I really liked our effort tonight,” said Raiders head coach Ryan McDonald moments after Prince Albert evened their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference final series at 2-2 with a convincing 6-3 triumph over the Tigers. “We made good puck decisions and we worked the puck real well. It was a real good 60 minutes.”
One night removed from a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss in a game the Raiders also dominated, Prince Albert made sure they were heading home with home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series as they controlled all facets of the game.
Goals by Daxon Rudolph and Evan Smith 84 seconds apart mid-way through the opening period set the tone and with three more markers by Rudolph, with his second, Aiden Oiring and Maddix McCagherty in the first six minutes of the middle session the outcome was pretty much determined. Rudolph, a projected Top 10 draft pick at the upcoming NHL entry draft, also added a pair of assists to increase his playoff output to a team-leading 19 points in 13 games. McDonald says Rudolph’s play always finds ways to impress him.
“He’s an elite player,” said McDonald. “He got that big goal to get us started; his offensive skills speak for itself, but his play defensively is also really good.”
Max Heise with a strong individual effort in the third period completed Prince Albert’s scoring while Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, with a pair, and Ethan Neutens responded for the Tigers, who were without Liam Rucks, the overtime hero the previous night, who was scratched from the line-up for unknown reasons.
For the two games prior to Wednesday’s tilt the Raiders could not solve the netminding of Jordan Switzer as the 19-year-old had allowed just one goal in a pair of Medicine Hat victories, but on Wednesday Prince Albert chased him from the net when they beat him four times on 16 shots in just over 24 minutes of action. Carter Casey came on in relief and was beaten on the first shot he faced, but ended the game with 18 saves on 20 shots.
Michal Orsulak, who has played every second of every playoff game for the Raiders, turned aside 23 of 26 shots including several big saves early in the third period to preserve the advantage for Prince Albert.
The series now returns to Prince Albert for Game 5 on Friday. McDonald says getting home-ice advantage back is huge, but now they have to make sure they protect it.
“It’s going to be a dog fight,” said McDonald. “You have to fight for inches offensively and you have to fight for inches defensively.”
GAME NOTES – For the second straight game Raider forward Brandon Gorzynski was on the sidelines after the Scottsdale, Az., native was injured during the second game of the series…It was announced on Wednesday that Steve Hamilton of the Everett Silvertips was named the WHL coach of the year. Hamilton was given the honour ahead of several other finalists including McDonald from the Raiders…The league also handed out the top executive award one day earlier with Fred Harbinson of the first-year Penticton Vees being selected ahead of other finalists that included Curtis Hunt of the Raiders…Still with the Silvertips, the WHL’s top team from the regular season is at home resting waiting for the winner of the Raiders-Tigers series after they completed a four-game sweep of the Penticton Vees on Tuesday to claim the Western Conference berth in the league championship series. Everett has lost just once in three playoff rounds and will have as many as 10 days off before the final series begins in the Washington centre…Friday’s game at the Art Hauser Centre, which is set for a 7 p.m. start, is expected to be another complete sellout. Following that game the series will return to Medicine Hat on Sunday for a 6 p.m. face-off and should a seventh and deciding game be required it will be back in Prince Albert on Tuesday.
