London Knights clobber Erie Otters to take 2-0 series lead - London | Globalnews.ca (2025)

London Knights captain Denver Barkey scored once and added three assists as the Knights downed the Erie Otters 7-2 on April 12 at Canada Life Place.

Barkey is now averaging about three points per game in the postseason, with 17 points in the six games they have played in 2025.

London as a team has scored at least six goals in all six of those playoff games.

Easton Cowan scored twice for the Knights and had an assist, while Will Nicholl had a goal and two assists.Landon Sim had one goal and one assist.

The Knights lead the best-of-seven series two games to none.

For the second game in a row, the Otters opened the scoring on a power play, and for the second game in a row, the goal started with a shot from Pano Fimis.

In Game 1, that shot went in. In Game 2, it produced a rebound that Sam Alfano swept over the goal line for a 1-0 Otter lead just 5:57 into the game.

From there, a hit by Ty Henry on Kasper Halttunen produced a penalty and seemed to jump-start the Knights and they scored three straight.

Cam Allen swung a behind-the-back pass to Nicholl, who moved across the Erie blue line and wired a shot past Noah Erliden to tie the game 1-1 at 9:27.

Barkey started a play in his own zone and then finished it at the other end of the ice to make it 2-1 London at the 14:32 mark as he started a break-out and then eventually took a feed from behind the net from Nicholl and scored.

Blake Montgomery broke up a pass in centre ice just under three minutes later and then corralled a puck off a dump-in that came off the end glass and into the slot and the Knights led 3-1 through 20 minutes.

Sim scored his fifth goal of the playoffs at 13:15 of the second period on a drop-pass from Halttunen, but the Otters got that back on a power play just under four minutes later and the score sat 4-2 into the final minute.

That’s when Cowan grabbed a puck on the left wing side of the ice and spun his way by a defender, took the puck to the net and deked home his fifth of the post-season with just 9.9 seconds left on the clock.

Cowan’s goal was scored on Charlie Burns who entered the Erie net with 3:33 to go in the second period.

Barkey used a stretch pass to free up Cowan just 1:08 into the third period and Cowan’s second goal of the night and sixth goal of the playoffs and that made it 6-2 for London.

Barkey set up Henry Brzustewicz as he faked like he was going to take the puck behind the Otter goal but put a pass back behind him to Brzustewicz for a tap-in and a 7-2 lead.

London outshot Erie 42-24.

The Knights were 0-for-4 on the power play while the Otters were 2-for-7.

Another OHL Priority Selection in the books

A total of 303 names were called in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection which began on April 11 and wrapped up April 12.

London’s first pick came 23rd overall and brought the Knights big centre Alex Campeau from the eastern Ontario Wild.

London completed the draft with the final selection when they chose Connor Brennan of the Burlington Eagles in the 15th round.

For full coverage of the Knights picks and area player who were chosen check out the two Special Editions of the Knight Shift podcast athttps://open.spotify.com/show/3HQ1MnhMRoZZcqwpTIYm8A.

Up next

The series between the Knights and the Otters now shifts to Erie, Pa.

Game 3 will be played Tuesday, April 15 at 7 p.m., at the Erie Insurance Arena with Game 4 on Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m.

Coverage of both games will begin at 6:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at980cfpl.caand on the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps.