CREDIT: MATT HISCOX PHOTOGRAPHY
The London Knights are on fire as they win their first few playoff games against the Windsor Spitfires.

Coming off a strong season, which saw the Knights go 46-15- 6-1 and place first in the Ontario Hockey League's (OHL) Western Conference, much was expected of the team heading into the 2018- 19 playoffs. If the first weekend of playoff hockey was any indication, the Knights are more than up to the challenge.

After securing home ice advantage throughout the conference playoffs, the Knights began their quest for a fifth. J. Ross Robertson Cup at the Budweiser Gardens on Friday night against the rival Windsor Spitfires. It took the home squad exactly 2:27 to open the scoring, as Captain Evan Bouchard found the top shelf notching his first of the postseason in the process. Just over three minutes later Alex Formenton would add his first of the second season on a power play marker.

The second period would prove much of the same, after Windsor cracked the score sheet on some pretty passing leading to a goal by rookie Will Cuylle, London would find the scoresheet twice on goals from Bouchard (2) and fellow defenseman Alec Regula.

It looked as if it might be smooth sailing from there, as the Knights entered the final frame with a comfortable 4-1 lead. However the Spitfires had other ideas, and after outshooting the home squad 16-9 in the final frame the Spits scored twice in the final 36 seconds to the dismay of the home crowd. When it was all said and done the Knights salvaged a 4-3 win in game one, but after a rocky third period, one had to wonder if they had lost the momentum.

Any questions of the Knights complacency were answered promptly on Sunday afternoon at the Gardens when right winger Nathan Dunkley scored twice in the opening frame as the London outshot Windsor 15-3, tilting the ice heavily in the home teams' favour.

“Any time you can get ahead early you can deflate the other team,” Dunkley said post game. Deflate they did, after a quiet second period the Knights put up a three goal third on a short side blast from centre Connor McMichael, and two more insurance markers from power forward Cole Tymkin. Not to be outdone, goaltender Jordan Kooy notched his first shutout of the season on Sunday as the Knights took the second contest 5-0.

“He's playing his best hockey at the best time of the year for the club,” Dunkley added.

Coming away from the weekend with a 2-0 series lead, the Knights will head down the 401 to Windsor for Tuesday's contest at the Windsor Family Credit Union (WFCU) Centre. What can the team expect from their first road game of the postseason?

“They play good in their own barn, always have” said Assistant Coach Rick Steadman.

MVP of the Week

With two goals and an astonishing seven points in the first two games of the postseason, Captain Evan Bouchard is letting his play do the talking.

“He's our leader, and he's doing it everywhere for us right now” added Steadman. An understatement to be sure.