Windsor head coach, Rocky Thompson had make it very clear that he expected a “war” in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarter-final series between his Spitfires and the London Knights.
He got one. Only, it was a tug-of-war.
In a game that featured a total of only 34 shots on net, the Spitfires knocked off London 3-1 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor to take a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-seven.
After the teams created a powder keg through the first two games of their first-round OHL playoff series with hard hits, two fights and even a suspension, Game 3 settled right in for a 15-round, heavyweight bout of shadow-boxing.
The Knights and Spitfires skated with each other stride for stride all night long.
“This was an example of two teams that know the other team has skill and can score goals,” said Knights’ assistant coach Rick Steadman. “This was a defensive battle.”
The game was as technical and textbook as two teams can play. Through 30 minutes, they each had 11 shots. Over the second half of the game, the teams had a hard time getting 11 more between the two of them. At the end of the game, the shot clock read: Windsor 18, London 16.
“It was definitely tight,” said London forward, Dante Salituro. “We need to get more shots on net, though. We seemed to miss the net a lot.”
Steadman echoed that point.
“We had some high-quality chances, down the middle and between the hash marks but we seemed to hit the glass more than we hit the goalie.”
The Spitfires opened the scoring on a power play as Jalen Chatfield’s pass that didn’t seem intended for Julius Nattinen, hit Nattinen and deflected over Tyler Parsons.
That was the only goal of the first period.
The Knights started very well in the second period as they were able to get pucks to the net and then take advantage of a pair of falls by Windsor defencemen who were trying to play keep-away from Max Jones. Jones was able to get underneath Windsor’s Sean Day and work a puck free that Jones carried across the slot. As the other defenceman on the ice, Austin McEneny, fell, Jones got a shot away and Janne Kuokkanen was there to bang in his first goal and third point of the series to tie the game 1-1.
Momentum was on the Knights’ side for just over four minutes. That’s when Windsor forward and top NHL draft prospect Gabe Vilardi grabbed a puck that popped free after a collision in the London zone and ripped a shot in to put the Spitfires back in front 2-1.
The Knights had a shot at getting things going their way again after killing a penalty halfway through the second period, but as Cliff Pu was leaving the penalty box, Christiano DiGiacinto skated across the London blue line, dragged the puck toward the slot and snapped a shot that deflected off a stick and into the top corner of the Knight net, and Windsor had their first two-goal lead of the series and they held on from there.
The third period featured just seven shots combined and that was something Steadman addressed after the game.
That may become a mantra for Thursday and Game 4.
The Knights knew coming in that this would likely be a long series.
“It’s one of those series that will continue to be hard fought. What we need right now is to win on Thursday and get our home-ice advantage back and then go home and get wins with the help of our great fans.”
AM 980’s coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. You can also hear the game at player.am980.ca and with the Radioplayer Canada app.
A block of tickets for Game 5 on Friday night at Budweiser Gardens will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Call 519-681-0800 x 1, visit the Knights’ Armouries, or go online to http://www.londonknights.com
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