Game Notes: Stage set for Game 2 in London

2024 OHL Championship Series – Game 2

Oshawa Generals (40-19-7-2) at London Knights (50-14-1-3) – Sat., May 11, 2024
London leads series 1-0

The series at a glance:

Knights in pursuit of fifth OHL Championship: The London Knights are in the OHL Championship Series for the second straight year, pursuing their first title since 2016. Their four previous OHL titles include championships in 2005, 2012, 2013 and 2016. The Knights eliminated the Flint Firebirds, Kitchener Rangers and Saginaw Spirit to capture their eighth Wayne Gretzky Trophy in franchise history.

Generals back in OHL Final for first time since 2015: The Oshawa Generals are winners of an OHL record 13 J. Ross Robertson Cup titles, with the most recent coming in 2015, the same year they went on to win the Memorial Cup on an Anthony Cirelli game-winner in Quebec City. Oshawa’s previous OHL titles have come in 1938, ’39, ’40, ’41, ’42, ’43, ’44, ’66, ’83, ’87, ’90, ’97 and 2015.

See tonight’s game on TSN 3 and NHL Network: TSN will carry the 2024 OHL Championship Series in its entirety, with Games 1-4 on TSN 3. A possible Game 5 will be carried on TSN 5 before Games 6 and 7 would be on TSN 3. Game 2 of the series will also be picked up on NHL Network in the United States. Victor Findlay will provide the call on play-by-play, joined by London Knights alumnus and long-time NHL blueliner Marc Methot on colour.

London Notes:

Cowan’s five points in Game 1 a new career-high: Easton Cowan’s five points (1-4—5) in Thursday’s 8-1 win are a new career single game high. The OHL’s Most Outstanding Player was in on each of London’s first five goals in Game 1, becoming the first Knights player since Mitch Marner and Matthew Tkachuk (2016) to register five points in a playoff game. Marner had a six-point game in 2015. Cowan is up to third in OHL playoff scoring with 24 points (8-16—24) over 15 games.

McCue with assists in six straight: Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Max McCue enters tonight’s game with assists in six consecutive games, compiling nine over that span. The overage forward sits tied for third in OHL assists with 16 over 15 games. He leads the OHL Playoffs with a plus/minus rating of plus-18.

Simpson one playoff win shy of 30 on career: Knights netminder Michael Simpson has won 29 career OHL playoff contests entering Game 2, good for fourth in OHL history dating back to 1981. He trails former Knights goaltender Adam Dennis (36), former Belleville Bulls OHL champion Cory Campbell (32) and ex-Plymouth Whalers puckstopper Rob Zepp (30) on that list. Simpson recently surpassed former Knights goaltender Tyler Parsons (27) in the department.

Knights sign Bidgood, competing for Sutherland Cup: The London Knights announced the signing of seventh-round 2023 OHL Priority Selection choice Cohen Bidgood on Friday. The Peterborough, Ont. native is currently in the middle of the Sutherland Cup, Ontario’s Junior B Championship, as a member of the St. Marys Lincolns. Bidgood won an OMHA title with the Peterborough Petes U16 program in 2022-23. He recorded 45 points (18-27—45) in 52 games between Chatham and St. Marys this season. The Lincolns lost to the Listowel Cyclones 4-3 on Friday and trail their best-of-seven series 3-2.

Another sell-out crowd for Game 1: Budweiser Gardens saw a capacity crowd of 9,036 for Game 1 on Thursday as the Knights continued to see strong support in the 2024 playoffs. They’ve had sell-out crowds for seven of their eight playoff home games thus far.

Oshawa Notes:

Generals look for another strong response: The Generals fell 8-1 in Game 6 of their East Final Series against North Bay, coming back to win a decisive Game 7 by a score of 6-1. Oshawa looks for another bounce-back effort tonight at Budweiser Gardens.

Laxdal has seen success at many levels: Generals head coach Derek Laxdal’s crowning achievement has been a Memorial Cup as head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014, but he also coached Edmonton to a pair of WHL Championships in 2012 and 2014. He also led the Idaho Steelheads to an ECHL Kelly Cup title in 2007. Laxdal played in a Memorial Cup tournament as a member of the host Portland Winterhawks in 1983. Prior to coaching in Oshawa, he served as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars.

Delisle looks to follow father’s lead in OHL Playoffs: Generals rookie Tristan Delisle is getting an OHL Championship Series experience in his first season. Delisle is the son of former Ottawa 67’s forward Miguel Delisle, who played in 53 playoff games between 1998-2002, winning a Memorial Cup in 1999 and an OHL Championship in 2001. Tristan Delisle was Oshawa’s third-round pick last spring, and recorded 18 points (7-11—18) over 63 games in his 16-year-old season.

Bedkowski giving scouts an early look: Generals defender David Bedkowski is a late 2006-born talent, not eligible for the NHL Draft until 2025. The 6-foot-4, 205Ib. blueliner had 12 points (2-10—12) over 68 games this season, and scored his first career OHL playoff goal in Monday’ Game 7 win over the North Bay Battalion.

Generals’ backup Bender won Provincial Jr. C title in 2023: Generals goaltender Noah Bender has championship experience. The 6-foot-4, 190Ib. right-catcher from Waterloo, Ont. backstopped the Wellesley AppleJacks to a Schmalz Cup Championship last spring. Wellesley defeated the Stayner Siskins to in Ontario’s Jr. C title. Goaltenders coming out of the Jr. C ranks would be familiar to Knights fans, who saw Brett Brochu emerge as one of the best goaltenders in franchise history after developing with the Dresden Kings Jr. C program.