By now, you probably know the story — the London Knights had gone into Game 4 on the road, down two games to one, knowing anything but a win would push them to the edge of elimination.
Early in the second period, they had taken the lead in the game. They could feel it — they were on their way to tying the series and going home.
But then somehow they lost that lead — the game ended up tied. Then all of a sudden, it was the other guys who were celebrating and London players were left wondering what had just happened.
Their opponent had a 3-1 series lead, and London was facing the one of the worst scenarios in sports: win three games in a row or your season is over.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? London and Windsor, first round of the 2017 OHL playoffs?
Actually, no — London and Barrie, in the 2013 OHL Championship series.
London came back. They got off to a fast start and they won Game 5. Then they won Game 6. They won Game 7 with 0.1 seconds left, clinching the series — and in that case, a championship.
There is no championship at the end of the conference quarter-finals between the Knights and Spitfires. There is only a series that will be just as difficult — if not more difficult — to win.
The Knights have not been off the ice for 24 hours yet, but they are already talking about a fast start.
“We have to come out in the first and use our home crowd to our advantage and put them behind the eight-ball,” says assistant coach Dylan Hunter. “It’s a case of trying to put them away as early as we can.”
Neither team has been able to build a lead of larger than three goals in this series. A three-goal lead has only happened once, lasting for just 25 seconds, following Max Jones’ second empty-net goal in Game 2.
Given some of the events of the series so far, it’s been a bit like watching two dogs fight over a bone, clamping down their jaws and refusing to let go.
The Knights have to bite down as hard as they can in Game 5 tonight, or their season — and the defense of their Memorial Cup championship — will slip right through their teeth.
AM980 will have coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. The puck drops just after 7 p.m.
Comments