HIGHLIGHTS: LDN VS FLNT | SEP.27

The London Knights fell 7-4 to the Flint Firebirds on opening night. Flint came out strong in the first period, putting immediate pressure on London. Evan Konyen opened the scoring with two goals, quickly establishing Flint’s dominance. Nathan Aspinall added a third for the Firebirds just moments later, giving them a commanding 3-0 lead midway through the period. The Knights, however, managed to respond late in the first with a goal from Evan Van Gorp, who had a standout performance with a hat trick in the final preseason home game. Van Gorp’s goal gave London some momentum heading into the second period, cutting Flint’s lead to 3-1.

The second period saw Flint extend their lead again, as Artem Frolov found the back of the net. London continued to fight back, with William Nicholl (#73) scoring for the Knights with 7 minutes remaining in the period, narrowing the gap to 4-2. 

In the third period, the Knights capitalized on a power play, with Nicholl scoring his second goal of the night, bringing London within one goal at 4-3. Flint, however, responded with a crucial goal from Nolan Collins (#77) to extend their lead once again. With five minutes remaining, Kaden Pitre (#17) added another for the Firebirds, making it 6-3. Jacob Julien (#13) recorded his first of the campaign before the final buzzer.

The Knights will look to rebound with a rematch in Flint set for Saturday night in Michigan.