Knights fall to Saginaw in final road game of the regular season – London

A giant second interval from the Saginaw Spirit led them to a 9-3 victory over the London Knights on Saturday night time in mid-Michigan.

With the win, the Spirit completed their 2021-22 season. They didn’t qualify for the post-season.

Mitchell Smith and Pavel Mintyukov led the best way for the Spirit with 4 factors apiece. Smith had a purpose and three assists. Mityukov had 4 assists. Nick Wong and former Knight Dalton Duhart every scored twice of their last recreation within the Ontario Hockey League.

The pair was honoured earlier than the sport together with London ahead and former Spirit captain Camaryn Baber. Baber performed his complete OHL profession with Saginaw earlier than he was traded to the Knights on New Yr’s Eve.

Baber was a part of a protracted checklist of London gamers who didn’t costume for the sport. Luke Evangelista, Sean McGurn, Tonio Stranges and Kirill Steklov have been additionally on that checklist. Brett Brochu, Logan Mailloux and Abakar Kazebekov remained out of the Knights lineup with accidents.

London jumped out in entrance to a 2-0 lead on targets by Liam Gilmartin and Ben Bujold, earlier than Duhart scored a pair of targets 12 seconds aside to tie it. Landon Sim and Wong exchanged targets earlier than the tip of the interval to ship the sport into the second interval, tied 3-3.

That’s when Saginaw took maintain and didn’t look again.

Josh Hannivan changed Owen Flores within the Knight web after the sixth Spirit purpose. The looks was the primary within the OHL for Hannnivan who’s from London, Ont., and performed this season with the U18 London Jr. Knights.

Kaeden Johnston additionally made his OHL debut for the Knights. Johnston spent this 12 months with the Komoka Kings.

Knights and Rangers prepared

London and Kitchener will open their Western Convention quarter-final collection on Thursday, Apr. 21 at 7 pm at Budweiser Gardens. The primary two video games might be in London, Ont., earlier than the collection shifts to Kitchener, Ont., for the following two.

Ought to the collection go to a Sport 5 there can be a 5 day break between video games. A lot of that’s as a result of OHL Precedence Choice being held Apr. 29-30.

Schedule:

Sport 1 – Apr. 21 – Kitchener at London – 7 pm

Sport 2 – Apr. 22 – Kitchener at London – 7 pm

Sport 3 – Apr. 24 – London at Kitchener – 2 pm

Sport 4 – Apr. 26 – London at Kitchener – 7 pm

Sport 5 – Might 1 – Kitchener at London – 2 pm* if essential

Sport 6 – Might 3 – London at Kitchener – 7 pm* if essential

Sport 5 – Might 4 – Kitchener at London – 7 pm* if essential

One spot left

The ultimate day of the OHL common season will resolve the ultimate playoff groups out of the 16 whose seasons will keep it up previous Apr. 17. It has come right down to the Sarnia Sting and the Erie Otters. Erie should get a minimum of one level out of their recreation with the Hamilton Bulldogs. Hamilton has already clinched first general within the league standings.

If the Otters lose the Sting will mechanically snag the eighth seed within the Western Convention. If Erie wins then Sarnia might be pressured to beat the Knights within the recreation that will get underway at 4 pm to leap previous the Otters within the standings. If Erie have been to earn a single level and have the Sting lose, or if the Otters win and Sarnia earns a single level then Erie and the Sting would meet in a one-game playoff for the ultimate playoff spot.

Main junior groups can’t be eradicated on statistical tiebreakers.

Up subsequent

London will play their last recreation of the 2021-22 common season on Sunday, Apr. 17 at 4 pm in opposition to the Sarnia Sting at Budweiser Gardens. Whereas the sport might resolve Sarnia’s playoff destiny, the Knights will use it as a last tune-up earlier than their first spherical collection with the Kitchener Rangers begins.

Protection begins at 3:30 on 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.