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Knight Watch: London looks to rebound from Windsor loss; Can clinch playoff spot — already — with win Tuesday; Julien picking things up; Medvedev Goalie of the Month; It’s Kitchener Tuesday, Petes Friday …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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The London Knights couldn’t hold off a late surge from the Windsor Spitfires Sunday, eventually losing the battle between the OHL’s top two teams.

The Knights jumped out to a three-goal lead in Windsor before the Spitfires started chipping away, scoring twice in the second period and adding two more in the third to complete the 4-3 comeback win Sunday evening.

Windsor becomes the first team to beat London twice this season, as the series now sits at two wins each. Kitchener can add themselves to that list Tuesday night as the Knights have a tough midweek matchup with the Rangers.

The Knights will look to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since early October, way back in the second week of the season. A win Tuesday would officially clinch a playoff spot, already, making it 23 straight postseason appearances for the Knights. A playoff berth is a foregone conclusion for the Knights at this point, but clinching it in the first week of February is an impressive accomplishment.

Tuesday night kicks off a stretch for the Knights that will see them play four of their next five games at home, which is certainly good news for a team that has won each of its last nine games at Canada Life Place.

Aleksei Medvedev is the OHL’s Goaltender of the Month for January, winning four of his six starts while posting a 1.99 goals-against average and .937 save percentage. He finds himself in the top five of the entire OHL in both categories. It’s the first time Medvedev has received this honour, although he was the Rookie of the Month back in November.

A check in on some streaks: Easton Cowan (Toronto Maple Leafs) picked up an assist Sunday to extend his regular season point streak to 64 games. Austin Elliot’s unbeaten run in the OHL came to an end as he finally suffered his first loss (in Windsor) in what was his 21st start as a Knight. Jacob Julien (Winnipeg Jets) has quietly put together a point streak that he extended to eight games on Sunday.

Easton Cowan’s point streak sits at 64 games entering action Tuesday (Feb. 4). (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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UPCOMING GAMEDAYS

Tuesday (Feb. 4, 6:30pm) vs. Kitchener Rangers (35-10-3-1, 3rd in Western Conference)

The Knights enter Tuesday’s game with a three-point edge over the Rangers atop the Midwest Division. Both teams are looking to get back into the win column after seeing their respective win streaks come to an end last weekend. London has one of the league’s most dangerous powerplays, but they’ve struggled with the man advantage against Kitchener this year, scoring just once in 11 opportunities. Jack Pridham has three goals in three games against the Knights this season. Keep an eye out for Aylmer’s Cameron Reid. He has 10 goals and 31 points from the Rangers’ blueline this season.

Jackson Parsons has made a strong case for not only OHL Goalie of the Year, but could very well be the first goaltender to win the league’s Most Outstanding player award since 2019. He’s a major reason the Rangers are competing for a division title this season. Overage forwards Adrian Misaljevic and Trent Swick have also helped pace the Rangers offensively. Captain Matthew Andnovski, an Ottawa Senators prospect, doesn’t jump out with his point totals, but he’s widely considered one of the top defensive defenseman in the OHL. He’s the first person to reach 100 penalty minutes this season.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

Friday (Feb. 7, 7:00pm) vs. Peterborough Petes (13-28-2-5, 10th in Eastern Conference)

The Petes had just two wins on the season the last time they played the Knights. Since then, they’ve rattled off 11 wins in 24 games. They are somehow within seven points of a playoff spot — not too shabby for a team that won just two of their first 25 contests. There are plenty of locals in the Peterborough lineup. Aiden Young has 11 goals and 25 points this season, while Brennan Faulkner and Liam Ladds have both posted career highs in their second season in the league. Former Knight Zach Bowen has started four of the last five games, while Easton Rye has been great when called upon. The Knights shut out Peterborough in their only other meeting this season. William Nicholl scored a pair of goals for London in the win.

KNIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS

95 - The Knights have scored the most goals in the OHL this season, all while allowing the least against, good for an OHL-best +95 goal differential.

3 - The London Knights only have four regulation losses in their last 20 games, but three of those came after London was leading going into the final period.

39 - Jared Woolley leads the OHL with his plus-39 rating. Sam O’Reilly is not far behind at plus-36.

A LOOK AT THE LOCALS

- Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara IceDogs) has goals in four straight games and has 14 points during his current seven-game point streak.

- Beckham Edwards (Sarnia Sting) has three goals and eight points in his last seven games.

- Ethan Weir (Saginaw Spirit) scored his first OHL goal, opening the scoring in Saginaw’s win over Kitchener on Saturday. He has four points in 10 games since joining the Spirit in a trade with Kingston.

- Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm) is coming off his fourth two-goal game of the season. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect has eight goals and 15 points over his last 10 games.

- Carter Froggett (Windsor Spitfires) stopped all 13 shots he faced after taking over midgame on Sunday, helping Windsor climb back and beat the Knights, 4-3. It’s his fifth win this season.