OHL FINALS: 5-3 loss pushes London Knights to brink

Peterborough Petes player Jax Dubois attempts to deflect the puck past London Knights goalie Zach Bowen as Oliver Bonk moves in on defence during Game 4 of the OHL finals at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Wednesday May 17, 2023. Clifford Skarstedt/ Peterborough Examiner

PETERBOROUGH – The London Knights are giving up too many big offensive periods in the OHL final.

The Petes scored three times in the second period – their third three-goal frame in as many games – and have pushed the Knights to the brink with a 5-3, Game 4 victory before a club record 4,046 Wednesday at Peterborough Memorial Centre.

“We gave up a couple in the second and they got the lead on us,” London coach Dale Hunter said of Peterborough’s third straight comeback win. “We battled back (on two late power-play goals with the goalie out for an extra attacker) but it wasn’t good enough. We were close but not close enough.”

Hunter pulled starter Zach Bowen after allowing a fourth goal to low-scoring defenceman Donovan McCoy in the third. Owen WIllmore came on in relief but Hunter suggested not to read too much into the move.

“It was just to change momentum and get the guys going,” he said.

The Knights need to return to their stout defensive approach in a hurry. They have allowed 16 goals in the Petes’ three wins and haven’t been able to shift the momentum in time.

“We’re getting away from it right now,” said London co-captain George Diaco, who uncharacteristically has just one assist in the series. “We’re down by a couple here but it doesn’t really matter. It’s a one-game focus at a time, win one and hopefully, get home ice back.”

Is there hope left?

The Knights under the Hunters have already been in every conceivable situation in the league final. They trailed the Barrie Colts by this same 3-1 margin 10 years ago, but then won the final three games and advanced to the Memorial Cup in Saskatoon on Bo Horvat’s buzzer beater in Game 7.

One big problem this time is there haven’t been any real stirring London comebacks yet this spring. They are 0-4 when trailing after two periods in the playoffs.

The Petes keep scoring the goals that matter.

“(It’s) been huge for us at crucial times,” said J.R. Avon, who scored twice in the second. “Our firsts have been really slow, in my opinion. A goal early in the second brings us up and changed that game a lot.”

Peterborough is on the verge of the title but isn’t trying to get ahead of itself.

“I thought about (winning it) a lot but one game away doesn’t mean anything,” Avon said. “(The Knights) can do something crazy and come back. We haven’t won anything yet. We have to keep going.”

HUMPHREY TIFF: On Monday, TSN cameras caught Dale Hunter tapping violently at an iPad while complaining to the referees. On Wednesday, London forward Ryan Humphrey took an animated scolding from the Peterborough rink’s penalty box attendant, who appeared to make contact with the player while chewing him out. Humphrey was arguing vehemently about a third-period high-sticking call against him on Petes forward Brennan Othmann, who sold it well and snapped his head back.

Neither coach admitted to seeing the incident, but Hunter understood Humphrey’s frustration.

“It’s one of those things,” he shrugged. “He missed it, the ref, that’s all.”

Humphrey, who had two minor penalties in the third before being ejected, and the attendant appeared to make peace by the end of the skater’s stay in the box. The attendant patted him on the back as he left.

CONCUSSION PROTOCOL?: Humphrey’s skate collided with the head of Petes goaltender Michael Simpson in the third and it was a particularly nasty knock.

The London native went down in a heap and needed to be assessed by Peterborough’s athletic therapist. After an excruciating long delay, Simpson was deemed able to continue and, at no point, was ordered to leave the ice to enter the league’s concussion protocol.

“I asked them straight out and he took a knock and just needs some time to reset,” Petes coach Rob Wilson said. “The refs gave him that time. He’s totally fine.”

Simpson managed to hang in and make 24 third-period saves to give him 50 for the game. He was also outstanding in Game 2 at Budweiser Gardens.

“If he was unable, they wouldn’t play him,” Dale Hunter said. “That’s the rules and he was able to go. He played well after.”

The Petes are now angling for the referees to watch for the Knights barging into the crease, but believe their veteran stopper can handle it.

“He stood tall for us all year and he can take knocks,” Wilson said. “He’s not worried about that. He’s going to be fine to take that. You hope the officials see that stuff and they take care of it.

“I never saw the replay. I think it crossed but the ref said it crossed after his whistle.

BUSY WILLMORE: Owen Willmore has served as Knights backup goaltender in the series and finally saw his first action in Game 4. There was a stretch during his Sutherland Cup final run with Jr. B Stratford that he dressed for games in nine of 10 days between the Warriors and Knights. “Great time, but super busy,” the 18-year-old said. “I would be starting in Leamington one night, then in Sarnia with London two nights in a row, then back to Stratford again. I was back and forth. But It’s all just hockey. I wasn’t worried. It was fun.” Willmore won four games with the Knights last year when he filled in while Brett Brochu was out with an ankle injury and has been around the team for the past three years. “Even during the Covid skates,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity and being in the finals is not somewhere I ever thought I would be, so I’m super excited.”

AROUND THE RINK: Ryan Winterton had a goal called back that might have made the difference. After a review, Hunter said the ref told him the puck did cross the line, but it was after he blew the whistle . . .The Knights fell to 1-7 in OHL final games against Peterborough . . . The Knights welcomed back Denver Barkey and Easton Cowan to the top line and they both scored, but lost import forward Ruslan Gazizov due to illness. Rookie Sam O’Reilly stayed in the lineup . . . Petes forwards Avery Hayes and Othmann played in their 40th OHL playoff game. Diaco andHumphrey appeared in their 38th game while Winterton got into his 37th. Playing on two straight OHL final teams helps . . . The Seattle Kraken are the real winners of the OHL playoffs. They boast Winterton, Peterborough’s Tucker Robertson, North Bay defenceman Ty Nelson and forward Kyle Jackson and Sudbury’s shifty David Goyette among their prospects . . . Mt. Brydges native Lawson Crouse of the Arizona Coyotes scored twice in Canada’s 5-1 victory over Kazakhstan at the men’s worlds in Riga, Latvia Wednesday. He was named player of the game for the winning side . . . The Knights have been second-best on the draw this series. They lost 49-22 on faceoffs in Game 4.

[email protected]

Petes 5, Knights 3

(Petes leads best-of-seven championship series 3-1)

Peterborough goals: J.R. Avon (2), Owen Beck, Donovan McCoy, Avery Hayes

London goals: Easton Cowan, Sam Dickinson, Denver Barkey

Next: Game 5 is Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Budweiser Gardens.

Wednesday

At Peterborough Memorial Centre

Petes 5, Knights 3

First period

1., London, Cowan 8 (unassisted) 1:19

Penalty – Gauvreau, Pbo (cross-checking) 16:52.

Second period

2. Peterborough, Avon 8 (Lockhart) 1:19

3. Peterborough, Beck 8 (Othmann, Stillman) 9:50

4. Peterborough, Avon 9 (Lockhart) 11:01

Penalties – Mailloux, Ldn (cross-checking) 5:54, Lockhart, Pbo (tripping) 7:29.

Third period

5. Peterborough, McCoy 2 (Lefebvre, Robertson) 7:44

6. London, Dickinson 4 (George, Winterton) 13:59 (pp)

7. London, Barkey 10 (Mailloux, Winterton) 16:51

8. Peterborough, Hayes 11 (unassisted) 17:24 (en)

Penalties – Humphrey, Ldn (high-sticking) 5:27, Humphrey, Ldn (slashing), Lockhart, Pbo (diving) 10:32, Mayer, Pbo (slashing) 12:24, Mayer, Pbo (slashing) 15:35, Humphrey, Ldn (10-minute misconduct), Winterton, Ldn, Smith, Pbo (roughing double minor) 18:25.

Shots on goal by

London 14 13 26–53

Peterborough 16 10 8–34

Power plays: Ldn 2-4. Pbo 0-2.

Goalies (shots-saves): Bowen, Ldn (31-27) (L, 4-5), Willmore, Ldn (2-2, 7:44 of third period). Simpson, Pbo (W, 15-6).

Referees – Dave Lewis, Joe Monette. Linesmen – Dustin McCrank, Justin Noble.

Attendance – 4,046.

Three stars: 1. J.R. Avon, Petes; 2. Michael Simpson, Petes; 3. Owen Beck, Petes