Knights prep for playoffs against top talent

Knight Watch: London wraps up regular season with three competitive contests this week; Sim hits 30-goal mark. Will Cowan, others follow?; Dickinson sets new D-man points mark; Playoff prep begins now …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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As the Knights head into the final week of the regular season, they can cement themselves as one of the best teams in franchise history. Sitting at 108 points with three games left, the team needs three points to surpass the 2003-04 squad for the second best regular season record all-time.

The schedule won’t be an easy one, though, with games against Windsor, Kitchener, and Erie to round out their regular season.

Knights forward Landon Sim has been a man on a mission lately. Currently on a nine-game point streak, the overage forward has five goals in his last five games, reaching the 30-goal mark for the first time (he’s the first Knight to reach the mark this season). The veteran says he’s loved his time in London, and he’s soaking in every moment.

“I only have however many months left with this team, and playing in this city,” he said, “so I want to make sure I use every second of it. I don’t really want to leave.”

As one of London’s longest-tenured players, Sim enters the weekend with 211 regular season games as a Knight, second only to Denver Barkey’s 227.

It was a record-setting weekend for Sam Dickinson (San Jose Sharks), who secured his 87th and 88th points of the season on Sunday, surpassing Evan Bouchard and Rick Corriveau for the most points by a Knights defenseman in a single season.

Only two teams have beaten London multiple times this season, Kitchener and Windsor, and the Knights will play both this week.

Although London will go winless in Windsor this season, they’ll get one more shot at the Spits on home ice as they look to even the season series. The Knights had opened the scoring in all three of those losses before Windsor stormed back and took control. The eight goals allowed in Sunday’s 8-5 loss was the most London has surrendered in a loss since falling to Flint, 7-4, in the first game of the season.

Looking ahead to this weekend, the Knights will likely continue to rest some of their top players, as there isn’t much left for the Knights to clinch. But there are some milestones to keep an eye out for: Easton Cowan (Toronto Maple Leafs) is one goal shy of the 30-goal mark, and both Evan Van Gorp and Kasper Halttunen (san Jose Sharks) need one more to reach 20.

Austin Elliott recorded his 30th win of the season Friday night, giving the Knights back-to-back 30-game winners. Aleksei Medvedev’s 22 wins this season is most by a rookie goaltender since Brett Brochu won 32 in 2019-20.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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UPCOMING GAMEDAYS

Tuesday (March 18, 7:00pm) @ Kitchener Rangers (46-13-4-2, 3rd in Western Conference)

The Rangers have played the Knights tough all season, winning two of the five meetings so far. Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) has four goals in the season series. Jackson Parsons has played every minute against London this year, and the overage netminder has been among the OHL’s best all season. However, Jason Schaubel could see his first action against the Knights. The rookie has started four of Kitchener’s last six games as the team looks to manage Parsons’ workload ahead of the playoffs. The Rangers have the league’s second best powerplay at 84.9%, just behind London’s 85.1%.

Friday (March 21, 7:00pm) vs. Windsor Spitfires (44-16-4-2, 2nd in Western Conference)

The Spits have had London’s number so far this season — after a year in which the Knights swept the six-game series in 2023-24. It’s been a different story this season, as Windsor is the only team with three victories over London — including Sunday’s 8-4 win in Windsor (the home team has been victorious in all five meetings so far). Jack Nesbitt, Cole Davis and Ilya Protas (Washington Capitals) each have three goals in the season series. Six OHLers have reached 100 points this season, and two of them play for the Spitfires in Protas and Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings). If Greentree can score one more in Windsor’s final two games, it will give Windsor two 50-goal scorers. First overall pick Ethan Belchetz is ninth in rookie scoring with 38 points this season. Only two other teams have scored more than 300 goals this season, with London and Saginaw being the others.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

Sunday (March 23, 4:00pm) @ Erie Otters (33-26-4-2, 5th in Western Conference)

The Otters are poised for their first playoff appearance since they won the OHL Championship in 2017. They get a ton of offence from their overagers, Pano Fimis (83 points), Sam Alfano (82 points) and Martin Misiak (55 points). Import goaltender Noah Erliden can be a difference maker. So, too, can draft-eligible forward Malcolm Spence, who is coming off a four-point game on Sunday. The Otters won the first meeting of the season between these teams, but London has been victorious in each of the four games since — including both contests in Erie.

KNIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS

88 - Sam Dickinson has set the franchise record for most points by a defenseman with 88 (and counting).

30 - Landon Sim reached the 30-goal mark for the first time in his OHL career.

13 - The Knights have 13 players who have scored at least 10 goals this season. And four more are a goal away from joining that group (Jared Woolley, Jesse Nurmi, Noah Read and Logan Hawery).

85.1 - The Knights currently boast the league’s best penalty kill with an efficiency of 85.1%, just slightly better than their league-leading total from last season (an even 85%).

A LOOK AT THE LOCALS

- Make it 40 goals for Londoner Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara IceDogs), who has 82 points in his sophomore season. The London Junior Knights graduate is a top prospect for the 2026 NHL draft.

- Ilderton’s Owen Van Steensel is starting to find his stride with his new team. The Barrie Colts’ forward has goals in each of his last four games, including the overtime winner against his former team on Sunday.

- Noah Nelson had a goal and an assist on Sunday to give him eight goals and 16 points on the season — both career highs.

- It was a three-goal weekend for Komoka’s Beckham Edwards, as the Sarnia Sting rookie hit the 25-goal mark.