World Juniors Day 4: Raddysh shines for Canada

by Erik Erlendsson | @Erik_Erlendsson | Like us on Facebook
December 29, 2016

Rarely have the Lightning seen one of their junior prospects make headlines on the international stage.

On Thursday, Taylor Raddysh did just that with a record performance for Team Canada at the World Junior (under-20) championships during a game against Latvia.

Raddysh will wake up Friday morning with his name splashed across the top fold of just about ever sports front page across the Great White North as he put his name in to the Canadian World Junior record books.

Raddysh scored four goals and added a point in a 10-2 rout of Latvia, improving the Canadians to 3-0 in Pool B to set up a New Year’s Eve showdown against the United States for the top spot in the pool.

But on Thursday, Raddysh joined a short list of Canadian players who have scored four goals in a game at the World Junior tournament, placing his name next to Mario Lemieux (1983 vs Norway), Simon Gagne (1999 vs Kazakhstan) and Brayden Schenn (2010 vs Norway).

“You never really picture yourself being in the same status as them,” Raddysh told TSN’s Mark Masters after the game.

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Raddysh also registered a natural hat trick – scoring three consecutive goals. The run started with a power play coming with 40 seconds left in the first period to give Canada a 3-0 lead. Raddysh scored his second of the game 9:11 in to the second period with another power play goal and them completed the hat trick with an even strength goal for a 5-0 lead at 12:13 of the second period.

Raddysh put his name in to the record books with his fourth goal 2:07 in to the third period.

Mathieu Joseph, one of four Lightning prospects on Team Canada, picked up a pair of assists in the game while Anthony Cirelli picked up his second goal of the tournament.

Mitchell Stephens, the fourth Canadian forward drafted by Tampa Bay, was held out of the game with an upper-body injury. According to Masters, Stephens would have played if it was a single-elimination game, indicating he could return for the quarterfinals.

Goaltender Connor Ingram, who posted a six-save shutout in a victory against Slovakia, served as the backup for the game.

Video: Full game highlights from IIHF

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