Erie Otters end London Knights' run of Memorial Cup trips: OHL post-game questions

The torch passed on both Western fronts. Taylor Raddysh tipped in the series-winner as Erie brought down the curtain on the Max Domi era with the London Knights, scoring four unaswered to complete the sweep. Meantime, Sault Ste. Marie finished the job against defending champion Guelph.

Each Eastern semifinal is at 2-1

On with the post-game questions:

Western Conference

Erie 5 London 2 (Otters win 4-0) — How much of a toll did the round, as short as it was, take on the Otters? You are talking about the suspensions, correct? A week or more off allows plenty of time for Erie to rest up to play the high-tempo, deep-benched Greyhounds. Defenceman Kurtis MacDermid, suspended for a headshot on Domi in the opener, will not be able to play until Game 6 (if necessary), while 6-foot-3 wing Mason Marchment's head-checking ban being settled at 10 games means he won't play at all, even if the series goes seven.

Not having Marchment and MacDermid could catch up to it at some point in the Western final, especially with the Soo's stable of sinewy wings such as Nick Ritchie, Justin Bailey and Jean Dupuy. Nevertheless, Erie, notwithstanding Connor McDavid scoring or setting up 14-of-21 goals in this round, did show it is a team of many facets during this round, albeit against depleted London. Tuesday's tying and winning goals each came from 16-year-olds, Kyle Maksimovich and Raddysh (each of whom has an older brother on the squad).

"We just have to stick to little things, keep working hard," Raddysh, whose winner came via redirecting a Troy Donnay shot with 3:47 left, told Sportsnet 360. "We need all four lines going. They have a lot of good players on that Soo team."

Likely Top 5 NHL draft pick Dylan Strome (1G-1A, +4)  perked up in the finale, scoring the first Otters goal after coach Kris Knoblauch improvised a Strome-Alex DeBrincat-McDavid line in the second period. Strome also had the secondary assist on Raddysh's decider.

With Dale Hunter's Knights vanquished, Knoblauch is the only skipper left in the field with a league title on his coaching CV. He took the Kootenay Ice to the WHL title in 2011.

How bitter is the end for London? Domi has, and will have, a charmed hockey existence. In a few years' time when the Knights retire No. 16, the recollections will focus on Domi's two league championships, three Memorial Cup competitions and a vital role in ending Canada's world junior gold medal drought, not to mention the 391 points across 302 OHL games.

It's not every spring that the OHL sees off a four-year player who's so decorated, since someone of Domi's ability often doesn't stay in the league until his age-20 season. Ryan Ellis, whose Windsor Spitfires tenure ended four years ago, might be the only comparable.

Domi did his utmost to prevent Tuesday from being a last gasp in green and gold, blending combativeness and creativity. He drew McDavid into an off-setting penalty in the first period. In the antepenultimate minute, on the shift after Erie went ahead, he had two strong chances, but Otters goalie Devin WIlliams came up with the saves.

Beyond Domi being done in the OHL, the Knights would have had a puncher's chance if Marner had not been injured in the third period of the series opener.

Sault Ste. Marie 3 Guelph 2 (Greyhounds win 4-0) — How fair is it to keep harping on the 'Hounds penalty parade, when the won? It is never too early to run a pre-series storyline into the ground. The Soo went a man down 24 times across the four games, but killed off 20-of-24 Storm power plays, including 17-of-18 over the final three. Erie, it barely bears repeating, led the OHL in power-play efficiency and has a more identifiable point man with Travis Dermott.

The 'Hounds, with Darnell Nurse having a clean sheet on the blueline (on for all the Soo goals and off for both Storm markers) and Nick Ritchie potting his 10th of the playoffs, played just well enough to handle Guelph's best on Tuesday. Pius Suter scored both Storm goals.

Eastern Conference

Niagara 7 Oshawa 3 (Generals lead 2-1, IceDogs host Game 4 on Thursday) — What did the 'Dogs do differently, as they got back in the series despite the news about coach-GM Marty Williamson? It must be something in the water lines at the Meridian Centre. The 'Dogs, paced by a hat trick from overage wing BIlly Jenkins (who also had a multi-goal night in Game 3 of the first round against Ottawa), got back in the series with relative ease.

Prior to the game, Niagara announced that Williamson will not be on the bench for the rest of this round "heart issues which he is working to address." With David Bell and Billy Burke at the reins, Niagara was able to go toe-to-toe with the bigger, older Generals physically and played at a higher tempo.

Speed killed on Jenkins' go-ahead goal in the second, where Maletta's shot from right wing on a 3-on-2 became a quasi-pass after goalie Ken Appleby gave up a juicy rebound. During that frame, Bell, was able to get better matchups and zone starts for Josh Ho-Sang, Brendan Perlini and Carter Verhaeghe.

That trio was out against fourth-liners when defenceman Aleksander Mikulovich scored for a 4-2 lead in the frame's final 90 seconds. A too-many-men penalty and a Verhaeghe goal at the start of the third iced the game.

The IceDogs will have star defenceman Vince Dunn back from a two-game slew-foot suspension on Thursday. If the 18-year-old can get his groove back, there's a strong chance of a 2-2 tie.

Meantime, one would hope Williamson has a swift and safe recovery.

North Bay 4 Barrie 2 (Battalion lead 2-1, host Game 4 on Thursday) — What will Barrie have to switch up for the next gotta-have game? Fifteen shots on goal, even with the vagaries in statkeeping from rink to rink in the OHL, is a proof a team was reticent to shoot early and often. Barrie will have to get more obstructed-view shots on Battalion goalie Jake Smith in order to come home tied for the fifth game on Friday.

The way the game turned will be a test of the Colts' resolve. With goalie Mackenzie Blackwood turning in 'hey Hockey Canada, you watching this?' performance, they had a chance to go into the third level. With 1:45 left in the second, veteran defenceman Jonathan Laser took a puck in the face and was in obvious distress. The play continued and Laser was trying to get to his feet just as Brenden Miller carried into the slot and scored a dead-to-rights goal.

Blackwood's night included a spectacular toe save on Ryan Kujawinski on a 2-on-1 in that period. Kujawinski got payback with a power-play goal 3:50 into the third.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.