knights win ohl title in dramatic fashion
May 13th, 2013
It doesn't get any better than this.
Bo Horvat scored the ultimate buzzer beater, with 0.1 second left, as the London Knights defended their OHL title , beating the Barrie Colts 3-2 in game 7 of their series.
"It was a great play by [Alex Broadhurst] getting to the net," chimed Horvat. "I started to go there for a rebound. Fortunately, it went off the post and in."
“I wasn’t aware how much time was left,” added Broadhurst, “I just pinched on the boards, saw [Seth Griffith] going to the net. Next thing I know Bo buried.”
Horvat's goal, his second of the night, needed a long video review, after the play was originally waved off by the on ice officials, before they confirmed London's third OHL title in franchise history; all won since 2005.
“I was kind of just praying,” captain Scott Harrington added. “The longer it took, the more likely it would be a goal. And there it was.”
It wasn't all smooth sailing for London though.
Andreas Athanasiou notched his sixth goal of the series, tying Horvat's opening goal. And with the Knights unable to protect leads from much of the past month, Mitchell Theoret tied the game with 2:53 left in the third period, silencing 9,046 fans present at the Bud Gardens.
Overtime was looming.
And in the blink of an eye everything changed.
"It's pretty much like overtime," said a heartbroken Barrie captain Ryan O'Connor. "They scored so late, and there's nothing you can do to battle back and score with 0.1 second left."
As the Knights raced towards Jake Patterson to celebrate, the Colts made their way over to Mathias Niederberger to console the overager.
“When something happens like that, you want to sink into the floor a little bit and that’s what kind of happened to us there,” said Barrie's Alex Lepkowski.
Niederberger looked like the goaltender who carried this resilient Barrie team to the finals. He made 45 saves, many of them spectacular but came up just short. His counterpart, Jake Patterson, who started the last three games of the series was effective, stopping 30 shots.
The Colts missed superstar forward Mark Scheifele, who didn't travel with the team to London sidelined by an undisclosed injury. His linemate Anthony Camara was suspended for a hit on fellow Boston Bruins prospect Seth Griffith in game 5, leaving Barrie's top line in shambles.
They battled back bravely.
"I'm really proud of my guys," added coach Dale Hawerchuk. "They showed heart out there. It just didn't go our way."
For the Knights this victory will be all the more sweet, having come down from a 3-1 deficit. They become the third team ever to come back from 3-1 and win OHL final. The last time that happened was in 1990 when London native Eric Lindros' Oshawa beat Kitchener.
“We knew that we had it in us, that we were confident in our abilities,” added Harrington. “We weren’t overconfident by any means. We battled our hardest every game. They’re [Barrie] a heck of a team; that’s why they came back so often.”
The Knights now pack for Saskatoon for the 2013 Memorial Cup trying to avenge their overtime loss in the final last year in Shawinigan.
It's a quick turnover for the OHL champions. They face the Saskatoon Blades on Friday May 17 to open the tournament which also features the Halifax Mooseheads and the Portland Winterhawks.
They head out west, eager to right the wrongs of last season's Memorial Cup run.
----
GAME GLANCE
London Wins 2013 OHL Championship 4-3
London Goals: Bo Horvat (2), Olli Maatta
Barrie Goals: Andreas Athanasiou, Mitchell Theoret
---
OHL Final Series
Game 1 - Barrie 4 @ London 2
Game 2 - Barrie 1 @ London 4
Game 3 – London 3 @ Barrie 6
Game 4 - London 4 @ Barrie 6
Game 5 - Barrie 4 @ London 6
Game 6 - London 5 @ Barrie 4 OT
Game 7 – Barrie 2 @ London 3
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It doesn't get any better than this.
Bo Horvat scored the ultimate buzzer beater, with 0.1 second left, as the London Knights defended their OHL title , beating the Barrie Colts 3-2 in game 7 of their series.
"It was a great play by [Alex Broadhurst] getting to the net," chimed Horvat. "I started to go there for a rebound. Fortunately, it went off the post and in."
“I wasn’t aware how much time was left,” added Broadhurst, “I just pinched on the boards, saw [Seth Griffith] going to the net. Next thing I know Bo buried.”
Horvat's goal, his second of the night, needed a long video review, after the play was originally waved off by the on ice officials, before they confirmed London's third OHL title in franchise history; all won since 2005.
“I was kind of just praying,” captain Scott Harrington added. “The longer it took, the more likely it would be a goal. And there it was.”
It wasn't all smooth sailing for London though.
Andreas Athanasiou notched his sixth goal of the series, tying Horvat's opening goal. And with the Knights unable to protect leads from much of the past month, Mitchell Theoret tied the game with 2:53 left in the third period, silencing 9,046 fans present at the Bud Gardens.
Overtime was looming.
And in the blink of an eye everything changed.
"It's pretty much like overtime," said a heartbroken Barrie captain Ryan O'Connor. "They scored so late, and there's nothing you can do to battle back and score with 0.1 second left."
As the Knights raced towards Jake Patterson to celebrate, the Colts made their way over to Mathias Niederberger to console the overager.
“When something happens like that, you want to sink into the floor a little bit and that’s what kind of happened to us there,” said Barrie's Alex Lepkowski.
Niederberger looked like the goaltender who carried this resilient Barrie team to the finals. He made 45 saves, many of them spectacular but came up just short. His counterpart, Jake Patterson, who started the last three games of the series was effective, stopping 30 shots.
The Colts missed superstar forward Mark Scheifele, who didn't travel with the team to London sidelined by an undisclosed injury. His linemate Anthony Camara was suspended for a hit on fellow Boston Bruins prospect Seth Griffith in game 5, leaving Barrie's top line in shambles.
They battled back bravely.
"I'm really proud of my guys," added coach Dale Hawerchuk. "They showed heart out there. It just didn't go our way."
For the Knights this victory will be all the more sweet, having come down from a 3-1 deficit. They become the third team ever to come back from 3-1 and win OHL final. The last time that happened was in 1990 when London native Eric Lindros' Oshawa beat Kitchener.
“We knew that we had it in us, that we were confident in our abilities,” added Harrington. “We weren’t overconfident by any means. We battled our hardest every game. They’re [Barrie] a heck of a team; that’s why they came back so often.”
The Knights now pack for Saskatoon for the 2013 Memorial Cup trying to avenge their overtime loss in the final last year in Shawinigan.
It's a quick turnover for the OHL champions. They face the Saskatoon Blades on Friday May 17 to open the tournament which also features the Halifax Mooseheads and the Portland Winterhawks.
They head out west, eager to right the wrongs of last season's Memorial Cup run.
----
GAME GLANCE
London Wins 2013 OHL Championship 4-3
London Goals: Bo Horvat (2), Olli Maatta
Barrie Goals: Andreas Athanasiou, Mitchell Theoret
---
OHL Final Series
Game 1 - Barrie 4 @ London 2
Game 2 - Barrie 1 @ London 4
Game 3 – London 3 @ Barrie 6
Game 4 - London 4 @ Barrie 6
Game 5 - Barrie 4 @ London 6
Game 6 - London 5 @ Barrie 4 OT
Game 7 – Barrie 2 @ London 3
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