KNIGHTS BATTLE BACK WITH 5 UNASWERED GOALS
The Erie Otters threw a whole lot of déjà vu at the London Knights to start their game in Erie on Wednesday. As they had done on February 8th, Erie scored three times to take a 3-0 first period lead. But London battled back with five consecutive goals to win 5-3 and pick up their eighth straight victory.
Erie got goals from Andre Burakovsky, Spencer Abraham and a flying Connor McDavid to start things off. McDavid streaked down the right wing, cut to the London net and put a shot over Knights’ goalie Jake Patterson to make it 3-0 and make the Knights think they were living a modern-day version of groundhog day, only with a bunch of Otters at the controls.
Then the Knights changed the course of the game in an unlikely spot. With the OHL’s best power play on the ice on a 4-on-3 man advantage, it was the Knights who capitalized. Captain Chris Tierney carried the puck in across the Erie blue line. He was held up, but managed to drop a pass off to Dakota Mermis who went high on Otters’ goalie, Devin Williams to make it 3-1 after one period.
The second period saw heat from the Knights and eventually a goal as Michael McCarron threw a puck on net from a bad angle. It hit Williams and went in to close the gap to 3-2.
The Ryan Rupert started a play that Matt Rupert finished with contributions from C.J. Yakimowicz and Nikita Zadorov in between and the game was tied.
Matt Rupert rang a puck off the crossbar before the buzzer, but the teams remained tied 3-3 after two.
In the third, both teams created chances, but neither could score. The Knights were given a penalty with just over four minutes remaining and had killed most of it when Matt Rupert drew a call on the Otters for interference.
After a brief 4 on 4, London went to their own power play and Max Domi found Chris Tierney in the slot and he wired home the eventual game winner.
Josh Anderson added an empty-netter and the Knights ended the season series with the Otters by earning a 5-3 victory. The teams each went 2-1 at home against each other.
London now returns home to host Owen Sound on Friday at 7 PM at Budweiser Gardens.
Mike Stubbs
NewsTalk 1290 CJBK – Play by Play Voice of the London Knights
