The Knights wrapped up their season with an impressive 40 wins, building on their recent success in the Memorial Cup finals. Even after trading away four key players, they remained a formidable force on the ice.
“It was a great regular season,” said Steadman. “They navigated the ups and downs, including trades involving close teammates.
They fought hard and secured a solid position. Now, we’re hoping for a Windsor win, but either way, we’re ready for Game 1 of the playoffs.”
AROUND THE RINK: The Knights posted a 20-13-1 record on the road and went 1-3 against Flint this season. Aleksei Medvedev, a Canucks second-round pick, faced a tough situation, coming in after the Firebirds’ fourth goal.
He allowed just one more, a breakaway by Kevin He, but it was enough to tag him with the loss. “We were pushing hard for that next goal,” Steadman noted.
“We got a bit loose, leading to the breakaway, but he made a crucial save on their power play to keep us competitive.”
Sebastian Gatto is expected to start in net for Game 1 against the Soo, despite being pulled twice recently against top teams. The Knights faced starting goaltenders from Western Conference powerhouses all season, with Flint’s Mason Vaccari and others consistently in net, showing how much teams wanted to challenge London.
Jimmy Lombardi led Flint with three goals and seven points in four games against the Knights. Meanwhile, Kitchener had a wild 8-7 loss at Owen Sound, resting players like Sam O’Reilly and Jared Woolley.
The London Nationals are looking to bounce back in their series against Stratford, trailing 3-2. They’ll have their chance at Western Fair.
The Knights boasted three 20-goal scorers this season: Ryan Brown, Jaxon Cover, and Braiden Clark, a drop from eight last year. Kings first-round pick Henry Brzustewicz and Braidy Wassilyn both scored Saturday, just missing the 20-goal mark by one.