Kaleb Lawrence scored twice and Michael Simpson made 23 saves as the London Knights shut out the Flint Firebirds 3-0 to open the 2024 post-season on March 29 at a sold-out Budweiser Gardens.
Simpson was last season’s playoff MVP in leading the Peterborough Petes to an Ontario Hockey League championship and posted his second straight shutout.
The Londoner made 19 saves to blank the Guelph Storm in a 3-0 Knights win to end the regular season and then denied every Flint opportunity that reached his net in the first game of the Western Conference quarterfinal series between the two clubs.
London has now gone 137 minutes and 49 seconds without allowing a goal.
Lawrence was named the first star of the game and was a force all night and not just on the scoresheet. The L.A. Kings prospect won 16 out of 20 faceoffs.
The Knights also got great contributions away from the stat sheet from a smothering team defence that blocked shots and passes all game.
Lawrence kicked off the scoring using the reach of a six-feet-six-inch forward as he wrapped the puck around the right post and in from behind the Firebirds net to make it 1-0 London at 3:29 of the first period.
London recorded the first six shots of the game. Flint recorded the next six.
The second period went by a similar script.
Lawrence scored his second goal of the game and the Knights held the Firebirds to another half-dozen shots and London led Flint by two heading to the third period.
Flint got a big chance in the middle period when Jacob Julien and Sam Dickinson were called for minor penalties at the exact same time.
The Firebirds man advantage only lasted 52 seconds as Easton Cowan raced down the ice after a puck and drew a holding-the-stick penalty that turned a five-on-three power play into a four-on-three power play.
The Knights killed off the remaining seconds and then Flint killed off the ensuing London man advantage as the penalty kills stayed perfect through 40 minutes.
Neither team scored a power play goal in the game.
After Max McCue was denied an empty-net goal by a post and then a blocked shot at the goal line Easton Cowan and Denver Barkey combined on a goal on a two-on-one into an empty net when Barkey fed Cowan with 50 seconds to go.
The Firebirds outshot the Knights 23-21.
Simpson and Willmore take home Dave Pinkney
Since 1949 the Ontario Hockey League has been rewarding the goaltending duo with the lowest goals-against average over the course of a season while playing for the same team. This year, the trophy went to Michael Simpson and Owen Willmore who combined to surrender just 197 goals in 68 games.
Simpson led the OHL in goals against average for the year. They join names like Pat Riggin, Jeff Hackett, Jim Rutherford and others. The last Knights goalies to win the trophy were Tyler Parsons and Brendan Burke in London’s 2015-16 Memorial Cup winning season.
Up next
The teams will play Game 2 on Sunday, March 31 at 2 p.m., at Budweiser Gardens.
Coverage will beguin at 1:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
Remaining series schedule
Game 2: Sunday, March 31 – Flint at London, 2 p.m.
Game 3: Tuesday, April 2 – London at Flint, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Thursday, April 4 – London at Flint, 7 p.m.
Game 5: Friday, April 5 – Flint at London, 7 p.m.*
Game 6: Sunday, April 7 – London at Flint, 4 p.m.*
Game 7: Tuesday, April 9 – Flint at London, 7 p.m.*
*-if necessary
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