The London Knights are one win away from advancing to the second round of the OHL playoffs, and they’ve got the momentum to make it happen tonight in Owen Sound.
After taking the first three games of their first-round series against the Owen Sound Attack, the Knights are looking to close things out in Game 4 tonight at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
The Knights have been absolutely on fire in this series, with Game 3’s 7-4 victory on Tuesday night putting them in prime position for a sweep. Sam O’Reilly played hero with his second goal of the night standing as the game-winner, while the Knights flexed their special teams muscle with two shorthanded goals.
In what’s becoming a pattern for London in this series, they showed their offensive depth as Sam O’Reilly, Easton Cowan, and Sam Dickinson each posted four-point performances in Game 3. Cowan and O’Reilly both nabbed two goals and two assists, while Sharks prospect Dickinson added a goal and three helpers.
The Attack had moments of brilliance, with Ben Cormier opening the scoring and both Tristan Delisle and Declan Waddick notching goals to briefly tie the game at 4-4. But the Knights’ firepower proved too much for Owen Sound to handle.
Game 2 saw another Knights star shine as Philadelphia Flyers prospect and team captain Denver Barkey put on an absolute clinic with a five-point night (2G, 3A). Landon Sim, Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, and Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen added two points each in London’s 6-3 victory.
The series opened with a dominant 6-1 win for the Knights, led by San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson’s three-point night (2G, 1A).
London’s playoff run comes after an incredible regular season that saw them finish as OHL regular season champions with a 55-11-2-0 record, capturing the Hamilton Spectator Trophy for the second consecutive year. The Knights dominated their season series against Owen Sound, going a perfect 6-0, though the first three matchups required extra time to decide.
If Owen Sound can somehow stave off elimination tonight, Game 5 would shift back to London tomorrow night. But with the Knights outscoring the Attack 19-8 through the first three games, the odds heavily favour London punching their ticket to round two tonight.
Fans can catch tonight’s potential series-clinching game on RogersTV, Channel 13 and OHL Live, or listen to the radio call with Mike Stubbs and Jim Van Horne on 980 CFPL.
For more details on the series, including full game recaps and the remaining schedule, you can check out the London Knights official site.