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OHL Playoffs: Knights vs. Spirit, Round One

By Melissa Kania

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The best team in the OHL will kick off the first round of the playoffs on March 22 when the London Knights host the Saginaw Spirit.

SERIES A: LONDON VS. SAGINAW

• Series begins Friday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. in London.

How the teams match up:

London Knights (50-13-2-3, 105 points — 279 GF, 180 GA)

  • Top Scorer: Max Domi (C), 39G, 48A, 87 points
  • Max Domi, Seth Griffith and Bo Horvat combined for 41 power play goals this season.
  • Griffith led the team with three shorthanded tallies, and also had 81 points (33-48) on the season.
  • Center Alex Broadhurst had 63 points (23-40) in 65 games.
  • Defenseman Olli Maatta led Knights blueliners with 38 points (8-30) in 57 games this season.
  • The Knights closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak with victories over Erie (3-1), Saginaw (3-2) and Sault Ste. Marie (6-2).

Saginaw Spirit (32-29-4-3, 71 points — 250 GF, 264 GA)

  • Top Scorer: Eric Locke (C), 44G, 53A, 97 points
  • Left winger Garret Ross was the only other Saginaw player to hit 90 points this season, as he had 44 goals and 46 assists in 61 games. Ross also led the team with 114 penalty minutes.
  • Dalton Young led Spirit defensemen with 45 points, while centers Jimmy Lodge and Justin Kea had 67 and 48 points each, respectively. Lodge also led the Saginaw squad with 13 power play goals.
  • Saginaw looks to rebuild after losing the final two games of the regular season: a 7-1 decision dropped to Kitchener on March 15 followed by a 3-2 loss to London to close the year.

The Season Series

London won three of the four meetings between the teams this season, including a commanding 8-2 victory at home on January 4 to open the series series. Saginaw won the next meeting, 5-2, on January 12, with London taking the final two meetings of the season. They won 3-2 on February 24 before defeating the Spirit 3-2 again on March 16.

SCHEDULE

Game #1: SAG @ LDN | Fri Mar 22 | 7:30 PM

Game #2: SAG @ LDN | Sun Mar 24 | 2:00 PM

Game #3: LDN @ SAG | Tue Mar 26 | 7:11 PM

Game #4: LDN @ SAG | Thu Mar 28 | 7:11 PM

Game #5: SAG @ LDN | Fri Mar 29 | 7:30 PM * if necessary

Game #6: LDN @ SAG | Sun Mar 31 | 7:11 PM * if necessary

Game #7: SAG @ LDN | Tue Apr 2 | 7:00 PM * if necessary

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