Oliver Bonk scored the game winner on a power play with 2:18 remaining in the third period as the London Knights defeated the Flint Firebirds 6-4 at Budweiser Gardens on March 31.
The Knights now lead Flint 2-0 in their first-round OHL playoff series as the teams head to Flint for Games 3 and 4.
Sunday’s game had a completely different complexion from the series opener on Friday, which the Knights won 3-0.
Game 2 saw the teams combine for five goals in the opening 20 minutes.
London’s Kasper Halttunen opened the scoring on Sunday at 2:42 of the first period, but three fast replies from the Firebirds had Flint ahead 3-1 less than eight minutes later.
Coulson Pitre tied the game as he banked a puck into the Knight net off a London player. That goal ended 147 minutes and 29 seconds of shutout hockey by the Knights going back to the regular season.
Flint forward Oliver Peer then bounced a shot off a skate and in on a Firebirds power play to give Flint the lead and then stole a puck in the London zone and made it 3-1 for the Firebirds.
All three of those goals were scored in a span of just two minutes and 30 seconds.
The Knights responded quickly after the Flint burst as Max McCue set up New York Islanders prospect Isaiah George just 29 seconds later to get London to within one heading into the second period.
A pair of power play goals in the second period put the Knights back in front as a patented Halttunen blast tied the game 3-3 at the 3:37 mark.
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Max McCue converted a Kaleb Lawrence pass in front of the Flint net at 13:58 of the second as both players were being knocked down in front and the score was 4-3 in favour of London heading into the final period.
Flint’s Nathan Aspinall got his stick on a Tristan Bertucci shot during a Firebirds man advantage to tie the game 4-4 just past the midway mark of the third.
The game stayed that way until Denver Barkey was hooked down going to the net to draw a penalty with 2:26 remaining in the game.
London scored eight seconds into the power play.
Barkey got the puck at the left point and sent it to Easton Cowan at the right point. Cowan zipped the puck in to Jacob Julien and he fed Oliver Bonk in the bumper position. “Bumper Bonk” banged home his first of the playoffs to give the Knights a 5-4 lead.
Barkey added an empty-netter with 12.9 seconds to go in the game to seal the win for London.
McCue ended the game with a goal and two assists for the Knights.
Cowan had two assists for London and now has at least one point in 38 consecutive games.
Oliver Bonk ended with one goal and one assist.
Michael Simpson made 18 saves in net for the Knights.
Nathan Day stopped 33 of 38 shots for Flint.
London Jr. Knights are U16 AAA Alliance champions
The AAA U16 Alliance final between the London Jr. Knights and the Elgin-Middlesex Canucks got going on March 30 following the OHL Cup and the Jr. Knights swept the best-of-3 series with a 4-3 win in Game 1 on March 30 and a 5-2 victory on March 31. Former London Knights captain Danny Syvret has now won two of the past three Alliance finals. The teams agreed to play the series following the OHL Cup tournament to prevent a cramped schedule leading into it.
Up next
Game 3 between London and Flint will be played at the Dort Financial Center in Michigan on Tuesday, Apr. 2 at 7 p.m.
The Knights won both regular season games played in Flint in 2023-24.
Game 4 will take place at the Dort Financial Center on Thursday, Apr. 4 at 7 p.m.
Coverage will start at 6:30 p.m., for both games on 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
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