London Knights advance to the OHL Western Conference Championship with overtime victory in Game 4

You don’t usually get to celebrate an overtime winning goal twice.

The London Knights got to do that in Game 4 of their Western Conference semi-final series against the Erie Otters as Sam O’Reilly’s goal at 6:49 of OT gave London a 4-3 victory and a 4-0 win in the series.

London appeared to score an overtime winner just 2:32 into overtime when Kasper Halttunen fired a puck into the Erie net but after a long review it was ruled that the play was offside and the game continued.

Easton Cowan got deep into the Otters zone just over four minutes later and passed the puck in front through a defender where O’Reilly put it home to complete a second consecutive four-game sweep.

That goal went through another review as the Otters challenged for goaltender interference but after a much shorter review the goal stood and brought an end to the game and the series.

O’Reilly led the way offensively with two goals and two assists.

Cowan scored once and added a pair of assists as well.

O’Reilly sent Cowan in alone on a breakaway with a gorgeous long pass 6:58 into the opening period and Cowan deked home his 8th goal of the post season to make it 1-0 for London.

The Otters came back with a late first period goal by Pano Fimis who kept the puck on a two-on-one and ripped a wrist shot into the top corner of the Knight net at the 18:47 mark to send the teams to their dressing rooms tied 1-1.

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Erie took their first lead since Game 2 of the series when Ty Henry skated the puck inside the London blue line and attempted a pass into the slot that went off a stick and knuckled into the Knight goal to put the Otters up 2-1 at 3:35 of the second period.

Back-to-back power play goals by London tied the game and gave them a 3-2 lead as first Knights captain Denver Barkey wheeled around the Erie end and found Sam Dickinson for a one-timer at 13:30 and then Cowan sent a pass to the side of the net to O’Reilly at the 17:28 mark.

Malcolm Spence of the Otters tied the game 3-3 just 2:56 into the third period as he backhanded home a centering feed from Sam Alfano and the game stayed that way until overtime where the Knights eventually won it.

London outshot the Otters 50-28.

The Knights were 2-for-4 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.

They will now face either the Windsor Spitfires or the Kitchener Rangers in the third round.

The Ontario Hockey League held its U-18 Priority Selection on Wednesday, Apr. 16 and it produced 51 new draft picks.

London drafted defenceman Martin Maryanovsky with the 20th pick. Maryanovsky played last year with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens.

With their second selection the Knights chose Elgin-Middlesex Canucks winger Parker Graham.

In all three Canucks players had their names called.

Chase Pettipiece went 8th overall to the Flint Firebirds and forward Cole Edmundson was chosen at number 42 by the Sarnia Sting.

Elgin-Middlesex will be taking part in the Telus Cup national U-18 championship beginning on Apr. 21 in Fraser Valley, B.C.

Former London Knight Mitch Marner has joined another ex-Knight in Darryl Sittler along with Doug Gilmour and Auston Matthews as the only players in Toronto Maple Leafs history to record 100 points in a single season. Marner is currently tied with Connor McDavid for fifth in National Hockey League heading into the final night of the season. Marner and the Maple Leafs will play Game 1 of their first round series against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, Apr. 20 at 7 p.m.