The London Knights are now on the brink of elimination.
Alan Lyszczarczyk scored the overtime winning goal as the Owen Sound Attack defeated the Knights 4-3.
London is now down 3-0 in the best-of-7-series.
If there is one thing the Knights can take away so far in the series? Their ability to battle back.
Two Brett McKenzie goals and a Sean Durzi one-timer had the Attack up 3-1 midway through the 2nd period.
Tyler Rollo banked a puck in off of Olivier Lafreniere and then with 4:59 left in the 3rd period, on a 4 minute power play, Evan Bouchard squeaked a puck through the Attack netminder to even the game at 3.
It took the Attack 33 seconds into overtime to win.
McKenzie threw the puck on net, and the rebound landed right on Lyszczarzyk’s stick, who tapped the puck in to pull the Attack within 1 win of sweeping the Knights.
The Knights may be within 1 game of elimination, but for the overage Rollo, he doesn’t want his OHL career to end.
“It’s in the back of my head. I know the young guys have a couple more years ahead. I have talked to them about it and I don’t look at it as it’s my last game, I wanna win for the younger guys too.”
Rollo’s mind remained on his younger teammates.
“They have experience to come and the farther we go, the farther they have experience. I don’t look at it like it’s my last game, I just look at it like I just want to win another hockey game.”
If the Knights can shut down the Lyszczarczyk-McKenzie-Szypula line, they will have a good chance to climb back in the series.
Those 3 have combined for 13 points in 3 game.
A positive for the Knights is although they are down 3-0, each game they have played were all 1 goal games, and 2 were lost in overtime.
The Knights have done a great job of shutting down Owen Sound’s top line of Gadjovich-Hancock-Suzuki.
Puck drop for Game 4 at Budweiser Gardens is scheduled for 7.
Shutting down Knights top forward
It’s no secret that London winger Alex Formenton has been dominant in the series.
He has 5 goals and 1 assist in 3 playoff games.
Who has the job of trying to shutdown the Senators prospect?
Trenton Bourque.
“You review video and review what he has done in the past couple of games. You try and adapt and fix what you were doing to limit what he has been getting.”
What is the hardest part about trying to limit the Knights forward? His speed.
In the OHL coaches poll, Formenton was voted the best skater.
“I don’t think it’s frustrating. It’s more challenging yourself to improve and limit him as much possible to ultimately help our game.”
For the St Louis Blues prospect, he sits even in the series.
