OHL Notebook: Knights and IceDogs sweep to OHL final

The Ontario Hockey League final is set.

The Niagara IceDogs and London Knights have advanced thanks to wins on Wednesday night.

The IceDogs won the Eastern Conference final in a four-game sweep thanks to a 3-2 win over the Barrie Colts.

The IceDogs have now won 10-straight games in the playoffs. Before sweeping Barrie, the IceDogs swept the Kingston Frontenacs in the second round and beat the Ottawa 67’s in five games in the first round.

“They’re a team that’s on a really good roll right now,” said Barrie Coach Dale Hawerchuk in addressing media at the game. “We threw a hell of a game at them tonight. We definitely had some chances in the third period to tie it up and even go ahead. We had some good momentum in the third but couldn’t get a bounce around the net.

Josh Wesley’s goal at 6:31 of the second period was the eventual game-winner for the IceDogs.

During the post-game press conference, Wesley spoke of how the IceDogs “played unreal today” while Niagara General Manager/Coach Marty Williamson spoke highly of the blueline the team acquired from the Flint Firebirds in a trade that also brought in goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic.

“There were a bunch of teams lined up for him,” Williamson said of Wesley. “We just felt that with our blueline, he was the guy that if we’re going to go all-in, let’s get another top-end defenceman.”

Nedeljkovic made 27 saves while Wesley finished the night with a goal and an assist. Stephen Harper and Jonathon Schaefer also scored for the IceDogs. Blake Siebenaler assisted on two goals.

Kody Gagnon, who got into the lineup due to the suspension of captain Michael Webster, and Justin Scott had the Barrie goals. Mackenzie Blackwood made 26 saves. Dylan Sadowy had assists on both Barrie goals.

“I liked our effort tonight,” Hawerchuk said. “We got off to a good start and had a good first period. There was a bit of a hiccup in the second and some penalty trouble but we got it back online in the third and had our chances to tie it up. This team never gives up.”

High-scoring Colts forward Kevin Labanc spoke of losing the opening two games on home ice and the difference it made in the series.

“We lost a couple of games in our own rink and that shifted the momentum in their favour,” said Labanc. “We didn’t really get the bounces we had hoped for but they’re a great team. They played hard and played well.”

The Knights advanced to the OHL final thanks to a 5-1 win over Erie in game four on Wednesday night.

“It at the start of the series you would have said it would be 4-0, I would have said ‘Not a hope in hell’,” said London Coach Dale Hunter.

“It feels great,” London goaltender Tyler Parsons said in the post-game press conference. “The guys played great in front of me, especially our forwards shutting down their top line. Our D-zone was great and we limited their scoring chances.”

London outscored the Otters 23-7 in the series.

“We lost to a very good team,” Erie Coach Kris Knoblauch said in a post-game press conference. “The London Knights are very deep and very well-coached.”

“It felt like every time we had a chance, we couldn’t bury it and every time they had a chance they seemed to find the back-door guy,” said Erie forward Dylan Strome. “It’s frustrating but I give a lot of credit to London. They’re a heck of a hockey team.”

The IceDogs took a 3-0 series lead with a 6-3 win at home on Monday night.

Niagara scored four times in the second period en route to the game three victory. Harper had two goals and three assists to pace the IceDogs offensively. Josh Ho-Sang added a goal and three assists for Niagara. Pavel Jenys had a goal and two assists while Wesley and Christopher Paquette also scored for the IceDogs.

Justin Scott, Adrian Carbonara and Julius Nattinen scored for Barrie.

The Knights took a stranglehold on the series on Thursday night thanks to a 5-1 victory on home ice. Marner had two goals and two assists while Matthew Tkachuk chipped in with a goal and two assists. Christian Dvorak and Owen MacDonald also scored for the Knights in Thursday’s win.

“We made some good plays that got us opportunities and we scored on our opportunities,” Hunter told a media conference following game three.

Jake Marchment had the lone Erie goal in Thursday’s loss.

“We had our opportunities but for us to be successful and to win this series is to score on the power play,” Knoblauch said in a media conference following game three. “We just haven’t been able to capitalize enough in that area.”