Following their strong start in the opening game, Blake Montgomery and his London Knights teammates continued their impressive form, securing a decisive 7-2 victory over the Erie Otters in Game 2 of their Ontario Hockey League (OHL) playoff series at Canada Life Place.
The Knights once again established an early lead, mirroring their performance in Game 1 and demonstrating their offensive strength. This time, however, the Knights' scoring spree also contributed to a change in Erie's goaltending.
After Erie's Sam Alfano opened the scoring on the power play, London responded emphatically with four unanswered goals. The Knights' scorers during this crucial run were William Nicholl, Denver Barkey, Landon Sim, and Blake Montgomery. All four goals were scored against Erie's starting goaltender, Noah Erliden.
Erliden's time in net came to an unexpected end late in the second period. His departure was attributed to an issue with his goalie mask, rather than the Knights' offensive pressure. Charlie Burns took over in net for Erie, making his OHL postseason debut.
Despite the change in netminders, Erie coach Kris Mallette opted to send Burns back out for the third period, with London leading 5-2. Ultimately, Burns conceded three more goals, including two from Easton Cowan, as London extended their lead.
The Knights' dominant performance in this second game further solidifies their strong position in the series. Montgomery and his teammates will aim to maintain this momentum as they progress through the OHL playoffs.
