KNIGHTS HEAD SOUTH OF THE BORDER FOR GAME THREE
The Knights Head South of the Border for Game 3
By Yannis Economopoulos
LONDON, ON – On Sunday afternoon, the London Knights defeated the Flint Firebirds 6-4 in Game 2 of their first-round matchup. With a win in Flint tonight, the green and gold can take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Scouting the Knights (2-0-0)
Kasper Halttunen notched his first couple of playoff points with two one-time blasts for the Knights in Game 2. The Helsinki native completed his first OHL season with 32 goals, 29 assists, and 61 points. Last June, the 6-foot-3 winger was drafted 36th overall by the San Jose Sharks.
Max McCue scored, dished two assists, had six shots on goal, and went 9-for-10 in the faceoff dot on Sunday. The Sudbury, Ont. product is coming off a career year where he buried 27 goals and recorded 61 points. Through 18 playoff appearances last year, McCue had seven points.
Playoff Special Teams
- Power play: 42.9% (3rd)
- Penalty kill: 66.7% (12th)
Know the Foe – Flint Firebirds (0-2-0)
Heading into the postseason, the Flint Firebirds were on a three-game losing skid and owned a 4-5-1-0 record in their last 10 matchups.
Oliver Peer scored twice and registered an assist in Game 2. The overage forward, acquired by the Firebirds from Windsor in early January, tallied 33 points in 30 games for Flint. In 67 regular season outings, Peer had 37 goals and 80 points.
Tristan Bertucci, who tallied 44 points as a defenceman in the regular season, had a two-assist performance on Sunday.
Playoff Special Teams
- Power play: 33.3% (5th)
- Penalty kill: 57.1% (14th)
The puck drops from the Dort Financial Center at 7:00 p.m. EST.