OHL final: London Knights beat Oshawa in Game 3 double-OT stunner (2024)

Article content

HUNTER EFFECT: An animated Dale Hunter was caught by TSN cameras multiple times arguing with the officials on calls he thought should have gone London’s way, or at worst, evened up. The Knights scored two power-play goals as part of their third-period rally and Oshawa coach Derek Laxdal thought Hunter played a role in it.

“I thought the referees (Sean Reid and Scott Ferguson) got intimidated by the other coach,” Laxdal said. “The whole game changed then. We took some undisciplined penalties. We took a tripping call at the start of the third. That’s a penalty. I’m not going to argue it. But the ones that weren’t called, there’s no excuse for it. Don’t rob these kids of an opportunity to get a win.

“They were robbed.”

Laxdal was particularly upset at Dylan Roobroeck being hauled down on a potential third-period scoring chance and play was allowed to continue.

“I thought that was (one) that is called 99 out of 100 times,” the reigning OHL coach of the year said. “It’s a poor decision by the referees. Our group deserves an explanation from somebody. That is a call that should be made. It’s not even close. It could even be a slew foot. He knocks the legs out from behind on Roobroeck. Not even a call.

“Is that the difference in the game? Maybe not, but it changes the whole flow. We get a power play, we score, it changes the whole flow.”

Instead, Oliver Bonk and Kasper Halttunen scored on London power plays to draw closer. Halttunen, who fired home a second straight hat trick, made it a one-goal game and Sam O’Reilly tied it with just under three minutes left in regulation.

“London can score at will,” Laxdal said. “They’re an offensive team. They come at you. Some of the antics, I don’t agree with, but at the end of the day, that’s the way they play.”

DEJA VU: Back in February, London made its lone regular-season visit to Oshawa and trailed 3-0 through 40 minutes. Halttunen scored twice as part of a three-point third period before Easton Cowan won it in overtime.

The Knights trailed 3-0 in the first period this time, but still found a way to win. So Halttunen continues to haunt the Generals while making history, too.

The 18-year-old Finn’s 15 playoff goals are an OHL record for import players in a single post-season. Knights grad Sergei Kostit*yn scored 13 in 2005-06, which was the previous mark he shared with several other skaters.

AROUND THE RINK: One of a coach’s most important jobs is to have his players prepared. Dale Hunter used Willmore in the final half-period of London’s 9-1 blowout win Saturday after Simpson took a knock in the head. So it’s not like Willmore relieved Simpson in Monday’s game without any recent game action. “We weren’t playing very well at the time and we were down a few,” Hunter said of the most recent pull. “Sometimes, you switch the goalies and give the guys momentum.” It couldn’t have worked better . . . London improved to 15-2 in the playoffs. The 2005 and ’16 Knights had a 16-2 post-season record before winning the Memorial Cup tournament . . . Easton Cowan added three assists and now has 11 points in three games. He also had nine shots on net . . . . London has pumped an average seven goals per game against the league’s top goalie Jacob Oster in this series. Nine of those have been power-play goals . . . What is more disheartening? Losing by seven or eight, or blowing a four-goal third period lead? That’s what the Generals are dealing with now . . . Oshawa over-age d-man Connor Punnett returned from injury and was a major physical presence in his finals debut. Forward Matt Buckley recovered enough to play, but scoring star Beckett Sennecke still hasn’t made an appearance. The Gens are 12-3 when Punnett plays and 0-5 when he missed time this post-season . . . The Generals scored three first-period goals in 67 seconds, added a pair in 35 seconds in the second – and still lost.

rpyette@postmedia.com

OHL PLAYOFFS

Knights 7, Generals 6 (2OT)
(London leads best-of-seven championship series 3-0)
London goals: Kasper Halttunen (3), Sam Dickinson, Oliver Bonk, Sam O’Reilly, Henry Brzustewicz
Oshawa goals: Connor Lockhart (2), Luca D’Amato (2), Calum Ritchie, Dylan Roobroeck

Next: Game 4 is Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Tribute Communities Centre.

Monday at Tribute Communities Centre

Knights 7, Generals 6 (2OT)

First period
1., Oshawa, Ritchie 7 (Danford, Roobroeck) 12:12
2. Oshawa, D’Amato 4 (Kumpulainen) 12:36
3. Oshawa, Lockhart 8 (Ritchie, Roobroeck) 13:19
4. London, Dickinson 3 (unassisted) 17:07
Penalties – Punnett, Osh (tripping) 7:10, D’Amato, Osh (slashing) 14:21, Nicholl, Ldn (boarding) 17:26, Gazizov, Ldn, Lockhart, Osh (slashing) 19:44.

Second period
5. Oshawa, Roobroeck 11 (Ritchie, Marrelli) 10:47 (pp)
6. London, Halttunen 13 (Cowan, Barkey) 13:35 (pp)
7. Oshawa, Lockhart 9 (Ritchie, Roobroeck) 13:58
8. Oshawa, D’Amato 5 (Punnett, Buckley) 14:33
Penalties – Edward, Ldn (cross-checking) 1:30, Edward, Ldn (roughing), S. Boulton, Ldn (interference) 6:43, Roobroeck, Osh (elbowing) 7:54, Cowan, Ldn (roughing), Bonk, Ldn, Lockhart, Osh (unsportsmanlike conduct) 9:52, Bedkowski, Osh (roughing) 11:59, Roobroeck, Osh (slashing) 14:54, Gazizov, Ldn, S. Boulton, Ldn (10-minute misconduct) 17:25.

Third period
9. London, Bonk 7 (Julien, Barkey) 1:04 (pp)
10. London, Halttunen 14 (Bonk, Cowan) 11:07 (pp)
11. London, Halttunen 15 (Cowan, Bonk) 13:00
12. London, O’Reilly 5 (McCue, Gazizov) 17:03
Penalties – Ritchie, Osh (hooking) 0:13, London, bench (too many men, served by Halttunen) 3:46, Gazizov, Ldn, Dickinson, Ldn, Danford, Osh (roughing), Punnett, Osh (roughing double minor) 10:30.

First overtime
No scoring.
Penalties – None.

Second overtime
13. London, Brzustewicz 2 (George, Halttunen) 2:00
Penalties – None.

Shots on goal by
London 9 10 14 8 2–43
Oshawa 7 12 6 11 0–36

Power plays: Ldn 3-7. Osh 1-6.

Goalies (shots-saves): Simpson, Ldn (19-13); Willmore, Ldn (W, 1-0) (17-17, 0:00 of third period). Oster, Osh (L, 12-8).

Referees – Scott Ferguson, Sean Reid. Linesmen – Ryan Card, Brian Birkhoff.

Attendance – 5,939.

Three stars: 1. Kasper Halttunen, Knights; 2. Dylan Roobroeck, Generals; 3. Calum Ritchie, Generals

Article content

Article content