For the first time since 2016 the London Knights are headed to the Ontario Hockey League Championship series.
London eliminated the Sarnia Sting with a 5-1 victory at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Sunday afternoon.
It was the first time in the series that the road team managed to win a game.
But it wasn’t as easy as the score might have indicated because for the sixth game out of six in the series the home team struck first.
Chicago Blackhawks prospect Ethan Del Mastro skated in behind the Knight net and slid a pass out front to Marcus Limpar-Lantz and the Sollentuna, Swe., native slid it in for a 1-0 Sarnia lead at 12:08 of the first period.
London struck back before the period ended. Sean McGurn jumped out of the penalty box and into the play in the fading seconds and helped to tie the game.
McGurn tried once to centre a pass only to have it knocked away but Oliver Bonk got the puck to the London co-captain a second time and he put it off Sarnia goalie Ben Gaudreau and Denver Barkey got his stick on the rebound and knocked it across the goal line to tie the game 1-1 with 0.8 seconds remaining in the opening 20 minutes.
The Knights took the lead at the 2:30 mark of the second period when Ryan Winterton set up Easton Cowan and Cowan put a backhand behind Gaudreau. Barkey, the third member of the trio that is being called the “Twinterton line” made a big play by jumping back over the blue line to keep the play onside.
London came close on a couple of chances after that but the puck stayed out of the Sting net, even going off the back of Gaudreau’s leg at one point as he was facing away from the play.
With just under five minutes remaining in the period Knights goaltender Zach Bowen saw Sarnia changing on the penalty kill and zipped a pass ahead to Barkey who send the puck to Cowan and Cowan found Logan Mailloux going to the net and he chipped a shot over the glove of Gaudreau for a 3-1 London lead heading into the third period.
London held the Sting to nine shots in the final 20 minutes and scored twice into an empty net.
The first by Ryan Humphrey won’t count officially as an empty-net goal but the Knights winger did fire it into an open goal cage as Gaudreau tried to get to the bench for an extra attacker. Gaudreau injured himself trying to dive back into the crease and left the game. He did not return.
Winterton scored his third empty-netter of the series (all from shots that came from inside his own blue line) and that comopleted the scoring at 18:24.
Winterton led all scorers in the series with 11 points.
London outshot the Sting 25-24 in the game and will face either the North Bay Battalion or the Peterborough Petes in the OHL Championship.
Evangelista vs Stranges
When the Milwaukee Admirals eliminated the Manitoba Moose on May 6 the stage became set for the teams of two former Knights teammates to meet in the American Hockey League’s conference semi-finals.
Luke Evangelista and the Admirals will go head-to-head with the Texas Stars and Tonio Stranges. Evangelista was recalled by the Nashville Predators to end their season and played in 24 games and had seven goals and 15 points. The former London captain has carried that production right into the AHL playoffs where Evangelista is on a point-per-game pace.
In his rookie season in the pros Stranges had four goals and 12 points in 19 games with the Stars. He has appeared in two playoff games for Texas so far.
Crouse and Middleton off to World Championship
Canada will open the 2023 Men’s World Hockey Championship on Friday, May 12 against Latvia at 1:20 p.m., and London,Ont., and area will be well represented. Lawson Crouse of Mt. Brydges, Ont., and Jake Middleton of Stratford, Ont., have been named to the Team Canada roster. Londoner and member of the London Knights organization, Bob Martin will once again serve in the role of security liaison for Canada.
Crouse had a career year with the Arizona Coyotes setting new personal bests in goals (24) and points (45). Middleton also posted career bests as he played his usual rugged and steady style for the Minnesota Wild. Middleron played in 79 games and had 15 points and was a plus-15 overall in plus-minus.
Up next
The Knights will face either the Peterborough Petes or the North Bay Battalion in the OHL final.
Coverage will begin at 6:30 on 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
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