The Bradford Rattlers Jr. A Hockey team wrapped up its 2021-2022 regular season in second place in the Greater Metro Hockey League (GMHL) North Division, 5 points behind first place Temiskaming.
On Thursday night, the Rattlers played Game 1 in the opening round of the GMHL playoffs, against the seventh-place West Nipissing Lynx.
It’s a Best of 3 series in a shortened season, with no room for error – and the Lynx came to town determined to take home a win.
They set a blistering pace in the first period, relying on passing skills and star goalie Cory Richardson (#33) to keep the Rattlers at bay. A Bradford penalty 12 minutes into the frame – two minutes to Rizvan Mansurov (#9) for high sticking – gave West Nipissing their opening. With 6:54 remaining in the period, Hunter Chiblow (#16) scored on the power play, from Eric Mondoux (#21).
West Nipissing held the 1-0 lead until the final two minutes of the period. Lynx penalties, to Austin Rioux (#24) for tripping and Mondoux for holding, gave the Rattlers the advantage, and they capitalized. Tikhon Ashikhmin (#55) found a way to beat the netminder with help from Mansurov, tying the score at 1-all.
The Lynx came back in the second period on fire, blasting off the bench to surprise Rattlers goaltender Andrei Berezinsky (#1) with an unassisted goal by #77 Nathaniel Lalonde, just 19 seconds into the action.
They followed up with a third goal two minutes later, by Rioux from Caleb Boylan (#10) and Chase Kanasawe-Jacko (#13), and suddenly the Rattlers were down, 1-3.
Tensions rose as the period progressed, with Rattler Ashikhmin sent to the penalty box at 7:18 into the period, and Lynx Boylan penalized at 8:54 for slashing – resulting in a penalty shot for the Rattlers. #18 Florian Schaller took the shot, but was handily blocked by the Lynx netminder.
Less than a minute later, the Rattlers narrowed the scoring gap, when Michael Hill (#91) scored unassisted and short-handed, on the breakaway.
It seemed to be a wake-up call for the Rattlers, who took control of the puck and pressed hard – scoring a tying goal with 40 seconds left in the period, only to see the goal called back.
West Nipissing carried their narrow 3-2 lead into the Third – but it didn’t last. Less than 4 minutes into the period, Ashikhmin notched the Rattlers’ third goal, from defender Tyler Baxter (#17).
The Bradford squad swarmed the West Nipissing net, but Lynx goalie Richardson blocked shot after shot, until Mansurov found an opening just after the halfway point, and scored with help from Ashikhmin and Hill.
Leading 4-3, the Rattlers continued to battle hard. With 4:36 remaining in the game, they got an insurance marker from Swen Meusy (#20), with assists to #25 Vaclav Boguaj and Rattlers goalie Berezinsky.
As the clocked ticked down, the Lynx pulled their goalie – allowing Rattler defenseman Pavel Rozkhov (#7) to score on the empty net. The Rattlers recorded a 6-3 win.
Lynx goalie Richardson was recognized for an outstanding effort with the game's first Star, facing the Rattlers’ 65 shots on net and making 59 saves.
Star #2 went to Rattler Tikhon Ashikhmin, who notched 2 goals and an assist in the winning effort; Star #3 was awarded to goalie Berezinsky, who faced 34 shots and made 31 saves.
Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday night in Sturgeon Falls. If West Nipissing ties up the series on home ice, game 3 will be held back in Bradford on Sunday, March 12, at the BWG Leisure Centre, 7:30 p.m..
