2025 OHL Playoffs Game Recap - Round 2 Game 4 London 4 vs Erie 3 OT - OHL Overtime

For the second round of the 2025 Ontario Hockey League Playoffs, Brandon Caputo and Colin Ward from the OHL in 60 Podcast record our game recap LIVE from Erie Insurance Arena for a Thursday Night matchup between Western Conference rivals (1) London Knights and (5) Erie Otters in Game 4 of their seven-game series, with London remaining undefeated in the playoffs, advancing to the third round with an 8-0 record, albeit after an entertaining overtime thriller against Erie in the final game. 

Postgame comments from Erie Otters head coach Kris Mallette on his short time in Erie and looking forward for what's to come with the organization next season, as well as London Knights defenceman Sam Dickinson and San Jose Sharks prospect of the year on his strong play in the series, logging big-time minutes in all situations to help London succeed and move on to the Western Conference Final for a third straight season.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to the Armchair GM Sports Network.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
This is Jim Jelker's voice of the Cakes to Fro. Next,
you're listening to OHL Overtime and in depth interview show
highlighting the players, coaches and broadcasters from around the Ontario
Hockey League to make the league so great, as well
as in person coverage of events such as the OHL Playoffs,
OHL Championship Series, OHL Combine and more exclusively on the

(00:48):
Armchair GM Sports Network. Here's your program host, Brandon Computer.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Welcome into another episode of OHL Overtime right here on
the armshair GM Sports Network. This is our OHL playoff
game recap from Game four between the London Nights and
the erie Otters in Round two of the Western Conference
Playoffs in the twenty twenty five OHL season, the London
Night sweeping the best of seven series four to nothing
over the erie Otters. We're gonna hear from head coach

(01:25):
Chris Molette of the erie Otters following their season coming
to an end, as well as Knights defenseman Sam Dickinson,
first round pick of the San Jose Sharks. We're gonna
get into all that four nothing victory last night. Thank
you everybody that's been patiently waiting for this. Last night's
game obviously went to overtime, and there was a lot
of stuff afterward with it going a little bit late,

(01:46):
with the series ending and the handshakes and things like that,
so I wanted to bring it to you the next
night and please to welcome on Colin Ward from the
Ohl and sixty podcasting contributor here with the Armchair Gmsworts network.
Also it does great work with the dogcast on the
Bulldogs Audio Network with Reese Domeni. Collin thanks a lot

(02:07):
for joining us. You joined us following Game two postgame
recap there in London, and I don't think much changed
in your mind as far as what you thought would
happen in this series. Erie was able to push it
to overtime, but ultimately the top seeded Nights come away
with their second straight sweep here in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (02:26):
Yeah, first off, Brandon, thanks for having me on all.

Speaker 5 (02:27):
He's a blast to tak hockey growing up a lot
of Nights fan, It's always going to talk about the
Nights still. But all in all, I mean I thought
the Erie Otters came out and they played the best
they could possibly play last night.

Speaker 4 (02:41):
The outcome is what the outcome is.

Speaker 5 (02:43):
But Charlie Burns was incredible back there in the back
and then net for them, panel femous all series long
in the face sauce. Those are two guys, Brandon, you know,
especially Pano seeing when he's brought on the table in Niagara.

Speaker 4 (02:55):
I mean, the the effort was there for Marie.

Speaker 5 (02:58):
But but just London is just so good, Like they're
so deep, and that's what makes them so good.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
They're so deep. They have so many different elements.

Speaker 5 (03:07):
And we talked about this last time I hoked on
with your Brandon about and they show all the elements
to their game that they have. They showed the balance
in their lineup. You know they have the scoring on
one to two lines, but then they show they show
the defensive playing the third line. The fourth line is
tough to play against. That their guys that you're constantly
looking over your shoulder against because you know they're gonna

(03:28):
hit you and you know they're dragging into the fight.
They have so many different elements, and I mean the
London Knights played a really good game. They had to
match that intensity. They put away a game. Those the
elimination games are so hard because you know the team
that's down is gonna be desperate and they're playing all
they're playing with everything they got, right, and that's kind
of what Eerie showed last night. I just think they

(03:49):
ran out of gas. You're playing a deep London team,
right and London did Casper halt and then did Denver
bark in Easton counted Sam O'Reilly? Did those guys come
off the ice at all lot last night last night?
Like those guys like it felt like every other shift
right and there, then you really turn the matchup into
it out. You turn the matchup into the London Knight's
favor on the road instead of your reatter's favor because

(04:11):
with the double shifting like that, and when you're constantly
have to shift, when Eerie just didn't have the depth
to match up with London like that, you're gonna lose
shifts or guys on the third line and you possibly
you gotta sneak a third line out there and against
the against a London Night top line, and that's kind
of that's not the matchup the eereatters would want in
that series, just because it wouldn't. It's not a favorable
matchup for them and you gave everything you had. If

(04:34):
you'r Eerie, you really did. Charlie Burns, I mean it.
You know the winner, you're and it's tough, like as
a goaltender you're always thinking about I remember games where
you give up an overtime winner and it's like you
think about that your whole life. You're thinking about that
all the time. If only I did this right. But
you didn't do it in the moment. But I thought
that the game winner. Maybe you want back, but you're

(04:54):
you gotta be careful on the post right easton Cowen's
there's a damn good player and you gotta respect what
he's gonna do with the puck and it comes out
to the middle stick on the ice. But anyway, I
thought that Burn's played incredible and every every Otter you
really have nothing to hang your head on.

Speaker 4 (05:10):
You know you're out. You're out.

Speaker 5 (05:12):
Matthew Shaffer, who's a star, Krantz is out like it's
a That was an upill battle for the Eerie Otters one.

Speaker 3 (05:21):
They did well getting past the Saganaw Spirit in round one.
But again, any team going against this London Nights team,
especially when you're without your best player, probably arguably two
of your three best players, and Kerrie Turants and and
Matthew Schaeffer, and you're starting goaltender Noel Urladen, you know,
didn't play other than a one and a half games
in the four game series. It's tough and even the environment.

(05:44):
I was there for both games in Eriie and three
ninety eight was the announced attendants there in Erie for
Game four. But they definitely get on those London nights
the sweet Caroline London sucks chance and they were on
the officials both games as well. It's a it's a
hostile environment. I think London feeds off of that being
the villain when they go down there to play those games.
It was a great atmosphere. And again, even though you

(06:08):
can say an undermanned Eriaters team, I think they gave
what they had and had a good showing regardless of
it being a four to zero sweep. But we'll get
things going here. Call in with the game stats. London
outshot Eerie fifty to twenty eight by the end of it,
by the three periods and then the overtime period that
didn't last long. But again you mentioned Charlie Burns there

(06:31):
having to start in place of Noah erladin his second
straight start, technically two and a half because he came
in in game two midway through and a guy that
you know, really hadn't had any playoff experience and coming
over from Niagara last season in a trade, you thought, okay,
you know what would Charlie Burns be? And I think
that now they know that Charlie Burns is a guy

(06:51):
that they can maybe rely on going forward. Had two
really good games here. You know, London can put up
eight goals in their sleep. So the fact that he
was able to them to four in both games and
you know, kicked them to overtime in this one. Fifty
to twenty eight were the final shots on net. Taking
nothing away from what Austin Elliott did because he made
some spectacular saves in the last two games as well,

(07:13):
just not tested as much as Burns was. I think
forty six of fifty can't ask for much more from
Charlie Burns.

Speaker 4 (07:21):
Yeah, no, you really can't. Especially you know, when you
when you're going to the postseason, you're.

Speaker 5 (07:26):
Not the guy, but you gotta stay sharp, right, you
gotta stay ready for your moment, and he was definitely
good when he got his moment and he just ran
into a buzzsaw. He just ran into a heck of
a London team. And I mean, at the end of
the day, you made a lot of saves. You made
forty six on fifty an elimination game. You gave it
all you had and that's all and that's frustrating. But
when you're watching the overtime too, Brandon last night, it's

(07:48):
like London owned the pock and the one before the
no goal call and overtime and you see that and
that before that sequence, you know it's like, can the
Oders just get the puck one, just get one clear attend,
just get one breakout, get it far, get it in
the London zone, get a whistle, lived to see another day,
and you know you're playing with fire like that, we

(08:08):
can't get pucks out and then the second time the
good goal. Those are obviously frustrating, but he did. Charlie
Burns gave everything he had, like he really did. And
I thought he looked good a positioning too, like he
was square to the shooters. You didn't really get out
of position too much. And that's the one thing about London.

(08:28):
You got to have the angles right. You gotta be
in position. You gotta be square to the shooter because
you don't know where the puck's going. And they're so
good with the puck, but you gotta stay square to
the shooter. You gotta respect the shot. And that's one
thing I thought he did really well with in the
in the game last night as well, not just Game three.

Speaker 3 (08:46):
Yeah, the way London can move the puck around, they
can get you moving. Uh if you're a goaltender, Uh,
you move it on to the power play. London two
of four, Arie zero for four, And that was to
me the biggest difference because here he had I believe
they had over fifty percent power play going into games
three in the series and three let them down in
the last two. There, they had some chances, some opportunities
London takes advantage. The one will get into the scoring summary,

(09:08):
but Dickinson and O'Reilly the two power play goals there.
And the way the first unit London can throw out
there is just like insane. Like they have five players
that are NHL drafted on their top power play unit,
and all five of those guys are dangerous and can score.
You've got Dickinson out there, You've got Casper Halton in
with that one timer, You've got Barkie, you've got cow

(09:29):
and you've got O'Reilly and then even their second unit
is formidable as well. So London goes two for four
and the power play Eerie goes zero for four. Face
offs tonight or I guess last night, call him Pano Femis.
We talk about him, you know, breaking the record for
most face off wins in the Ontario Hockey League this year.
He goes twenty one of thirty one, so a respectable

(09:50):
night from him. On the dot, Gave Frasca struggled only
four of eighteen on london side, Sam O'Reilly fourteen to
twenty nine, Jacob Julians seven of fifteen. But to me
where London's face offs are so valuable is I feel
like every time they're on a penalty kill, they win
the faceoff to just kill about twenty or thirty seconds

(10:11):
off the power play. With the way that they're able
to win those defensive zone draws on the penalty kill
and start the power playoff from their own end once again,
well that's the.

Speaker 5 (10:20):
Start, right, Like when you watch games around the league,
that's that's the biggest part of penalty killing. If the
killing team can win that face off at the rate
at the start of the power play, they can win
that de zone faceoff and get it clear, you're killing
twenty five thirty seconds, I mean the draw. If a
team does the drop off like twenty feet backwards pass,

(10:42):
that kills off another five seconds and it allows the
penalty coilers to get positioned.

Speaker 4 (10:45):
So then you're at thirty seconds.

Speaker 5 (10:47):
You're a minute thirty power play instead of two minutes
time you gets set up. It's a minute twenty power play.
So you kill off forty seconds off that if you
can win the face off. And that's what London does
so well on the face offf thought, and that's where
I gave a lot of respect the panel femus in
the series.

Speaker 4 (11:00):
But the power play for the Ariatters, if you were.

Speaker 5 (11:04):
To if we were to say this, Brandon, when I
was on in game two, if we were to say
that the Otters penalty power play was gonna be good
and respectable in the first two games in London and
then not really show up in inn elimination game in
game four, I probably would have said, we're crazy to

(11:24):
even think about that, right, Like, but it sometimes it happens.

Speaker 4 (11:28):
You're going home.

Speaker 5 (11:29):
You think your power play would favor you, but sometimes
it just doesn't. It it's very interesting to see three
when you can't win faceofs. That was very interesting to
see that on the penalty or on the power play.
For the Eriotters, I thought that really it really put
them behind the eight ball, right, and it's an uphill
battle you gotta It's almost like and for me being

(11:51):
a dever Bronco fan, it's almost like playing the.

Speaker 4 (11:53):
Kansas City Chiefs.

Speaker 5 (11:54):
You have to play a perfect game against those teams,
and that's the most respect you can give an opponent,
like you have to play a perfect game against the
London Knights on the power play. If the Eerie Otters
go one for four, they win the game. They probably
win the game, and it's just the margin for air, right,
and you get the power play and the things are

(12:15):
tightened up five on five, you gotta score, and that
probably if you're the Eerie Otters just kicking yourself a
little bit, right, not being able to get success on
the power play. It's tough, but I mean again, Matthew
Shaffer's on there. What's the power play for the series?
What's the power play for the playoffs, right, like you
would still get on there throughout the regular season before
the Christmas or World Juniors, but.

Speaker 4 (12:37):
You definitely think that it would have been a lot different.

Speaker 5 (12:40):
But if I'm an Otters, if I'm in the Otters brass,
so I'm kicking myself a little bit about the power play.

Speaker 3 (12:46):
No, I would be too, because again missed opportunity there,
especially in a game where they were able to push
it to overtime. We'll get in the scoring summary here
calling Knights open the scoring six fifty eight into the
first period, and it was a great stretch pass from
Sam O'Reilly from his own net to find from his
own end to find Easton Cowen who went back backhand
five hole on Burns. Kind of the same goal he

(13:08):
scored in Game three as well to get the Knights
on the board early and one of his three points
on the night. Easton Cowen up to eight goals and
just continues to be a menace out there against the
Arie Otters and and now going into the Western Conference Final,
he definitely a number seven, is playing some of his
best hockey right now and continues to just show that

(13:30):
he at least a few times a game. He can
have these types of plays that can really be game
breaking and he gets them on the board first.

Speaker 4 (13:39):
A hundred percent.

Speaker 5 (13:40):
And you know, is there ever a game And we
talked about this after Game two, Brandon, is there ever
a game where Eastern Cowen isn't on the isn't on
the statue?

Speaker 3 (13:48):
Fairly?

Speaker 5 (13:50):
Yeah, that doesn't happen too often, but I feel like
it's just such a big that was such a big start,
right for the otters or for the night. You come
out and your leaders get a get you on the
score sheet right away, right, Jared Woolley not a big
point producer, but I see him go on the stat sheet.

(14:10):
Then Samuel Riley Easton Cowen do it with Denver Barky
has been incredible all playoff for the London Nights, and
that's just that's huge. When you get that first goal,
you kind of relax a little bit. You never get
the sense that the London Knights are overwhelmed and they've
been there before, right, They've been.

Speaker 4 (14:27):
Here and that's kind of the vibes you get.

Speaker 5 (14:30):
But when you get the first goal, it really puts
the pressure on the odders and then yeah, you make
eerie kind of chase you in their home arena, right,
and that's kind of with the London Nights with that,
that's so big for them.

Speaker 3 (14:42):
Again, we we go forward here and there were some
penalties back and forth as far as you know, the
fans in Eerie were really on the referees tonight or
last night. Julian was called for holding on Royst and
then the power play quickly came to an end with
Spence was called for a cross checks m O'Riley. So
again some self inflicted wounds by Erie on the power

(15:03):
play as well didn't help. But it was late in
the first period and panel femus we're gonna talk about
him a little bit later as well. This would ultimately
be his final game in junior hockey in the Ontario
Hockey League, and he went out with a bang, took
the puck, came down the right wing and beautiful shot
up top on Austin Elliott nice Selly after as well
for the Richmond Hill native, who's committed to the Notre

(15:24):
Dame Fighting Irish next season. In the n C Double A,
it was on in four on four, kept on the
two on one and it's one one at the end
of the first, and you know he had the Femius
had to step up in the series without guys like
Trance and and Schaefer in the lineup, and then me
Sheiak as well, who which you didn't mention, didn't play

(15:44):
in Game four, which was another big loss for Erie
upfront as well with Martin Mechiak. But really nice play
and Panel Femis showing why he's really taken a step
forward in his game ninth goal of the playoffs from
Sam Alfano. Quinn McCall won one game after the first.

Speaker 5 (16:01):
Yeah, you see Panel Femous get some playoff experience, right,
last year you got a taste, and then this year
and thanks to see him get that get that opportunity
to be the guy, right, and you really found that
earie a fair shot at their lineup. And I mean
veteran player, right, I mean twenty one for thirty one
in the faceoff doot as well.

Speaker 4 (16:18):
Bran and like talk about it.

Speaker 5 (16:21):
To be that shutdown center and to be able to
have nine goals in the postseason. On top of that,
I'm playing against the majority of the time, you're playing
the other team's best center. When you're the best faceoff man,
you're in the matchup. You gotta get the puck and
you go twenty one for thirty one. You find a
way to get on score sheet. That's a huge night.
You're that's a that's one of your most valuable players

(16:43):
for a team, especially for forwards.

Speaker 4 (16:46):
There's there's so.

Speaker 5 (16:47):
Much value behind that sock of.

Speaker 4 (16:50):
A job by a panel femus. I mean, what a
career he's had.

Speaker 3 (16:53):
Absolutely, and uh, then Eerie came out in the second
period early on and this was just a weird play,
Tie Hend. He tries the centering pass that hits off
of the stick of Cam Allen and directs right over
top of Austin Elliott, and uh, cam Allen sat for
a little bit after this this goal, but I'm sure
you know he bounced back in the third period and

(17:14):
you know it was getting booed all night, all series
long by the Eerie crowd. But regardless, Ty Henry, you know,
good for him as a defensive defenseman being able to
you know, get a lucky goal. But gets his second
career Ohl goal to give Erie e lead. And it
felt like, okay, like if if Eri's gonna get these
types of bounces where it goes off of a Knight's
defender and over top of your goaltender. Maybe the Erie's

(17:35):
gonna have a little bit of the tide turning in
this in this fourth game, as opposed to what we
saw in the first three.

Speaker 5 (17:41):
Absolutely, I mean, you get that goal, right, you get
up to, you get the you create opportunity and you
get up one and you get that opportunity and you
get confidence. It's just getting that next goal right. It's
a it's a mentality. We're you gotta get the next one.
You can't be satisfied. And it's nice too when you
get a bounce, right, that could be a bounce breaker

(18:03):
if the Otters come.

Speaker 4 (18:03):
Out and get the next goal.

Speaker 5 (18:04):
That kind of felt like it could have been a backbreaker, right,
you get a bounce, you get up too, you make
it three one at the time, But instead the flip
switch flipped.

Speaker 3 (18:13):
Yeah, Charlie Burns made a few big saves. But London,
as you mentioned, they're so good. They just come at
you in waves and waves and waves, and then they
control the game for most of it. Eerie scored those
two goals and then you felt like London was like, Okay,
we need to start turning this up a bit late
in the actually thirteen thirty mark of the second period,
the Knights were on a power play, and this was

(18:36):
all Denver Barkie because he skated around the entire zone.
It felt like to be able to create time and
space for his teammates and was able to you know,
he came back out towards the left faceoff dot and
just find Sam Dickinson who was able to kind of
sneak away and I ask him about that and we'll
get to in the postgame interview. And a beautiful one

(18:59):
timer goal that Charlie Burns just had no chance on.
We mentioned how London gets you moving left and right
and Burns, you know, was completely on the left side,
had to get over to the right, sprawled as best
he could. But Dickinson with a pro level shot on
that one timer that he's really worked a lot on
and it was getting the game tied up at two
on the power play, and that one felt like, okay,

(19:20):
London's that that was the momentum changer for London to
be able to get back in this game.

Speaker 4 (19:25):
Hundred percent.

Speaker 5 (19:26):
Denver Barkie twenty points in eight playoff games. You want
to talk about on pace to be the playoff MVP.
If the London Nights are successful as a team, he's
got to be the favorite.

Speaker 4 (19:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (19:39):
I mean, anytime you get the maturity to Barkie's games incredible.

Speaker 4 (19:43):
But anytime you can.

Speaker 5 (19:43):
Find Sam Dickinson too for a one time on the
week side, more often than not, you're gonna be successful.
I mean, he's so big powerful. Being a red Wing fan, Brandon,
it reminds me so much of a more outsider. Maybe
the physicality's not there, but the way the way he
shoots and the way he controls the puck reminds me
so much a more outsider.

Speaker 4 (19:59):
If you watch a Redwing game back there on the point.

Speaker 3 (20:02):
Yeah, the San Jose Sharks are gonna be happy with him,
and possibly Matt Shaffer too if they win the draft
latter that would be a heck of a first deep pair.
But regardless, Sam O'Reilly second point of the night, we
haven't heard the end of him, because later in the
second period you thought, okay, London or here he has
a two to one lead in this period, and then
all of a sudden, by the end of it, London's
got a three to two lead because they score another
power play goal and this was a great play. It

(20:25):
was originally off. They set up Casper Halton and for
that patented one timer on the left circle calling and
I think he either got Burns got a piece of it,
or he missed the net and it kind of the
puck bounced back out to Easton Cowen, who just circled around.
He got the puck like right in the middle of
the slot and you could tell he was just waiting
and toying with Burns to see where he was gonna

(20:48):
go next, because he had a couple of opportunities and options,
and he waited for sam O'Reilly to go right into
the blue paint and just put it right on his
stick for the perfect redirection. Sam O'Reilly really didn't have
to do a lot ex to have his stick on
the ice, and just great vision by Eastern Cowen to
get it to Sam O'Reilly. The Evonton Oilers first round
pick third point out of the Night of the Night

(21:08):
and gives London the three to two lead.

Speaker 5 (21:11):
No, no, absolutely, I mean the penalty is right two
for four and the then the timely power plays too.
It's well for long of to night when they needed
the most to scored, they capitalized on it, and it
was their veteran players. And when your big time players
got to play big time because they gotta have big
time games. And that's what they did there. And I
thought that, look, especially looking at the score sheet. I
mean you see you see it, you see it, and

(21:32):
it's the big time players. And I mean, when you
get a moment, they got to come through for you,
and they did.

Speaker 3 (21:38):
Yeah, I mean just the easies school, Sam O'Reilly's ever
gonna score. But that's why you go to the net
with your stick on the ice and go to the
blue paint. You gotta be willing to go there to score.
And O'Reilly did that there to give them.

Speaker 5 (21:48):
The lead ran And that's when you go in the
that's when you before you go on the train after
you score and you're saying, hey, thank you, thank you
Eastern Cowen a million times because you know why you
scored there.

Speaker 3 (22:00):
Nice feed absolutely And then in the third period Eerie
it got to give him credit. They fought back early.
At the two fifty six mark, Austin Elliott kind of
was sprawling around a little bit. Alfano kind of circled
the net and was able to find Malcolm Spence almost
in the same spot that O'Reilly scored on that same
end just the period prior. And Malcolm Spence, you know,
projected first round pick in this upcoming National Hockey League draft.

(22:23):
To me, he has been a little quiet in the
series as far as what you'd expect from a guy
being for a possible top fifteen pick in the NHL draft.
But he's able to score a timely goal for them
here to get it tied up, and early in the
third period, the Otters fans and the Otters themselves had
some confidence that Okay, maybe we've got a shot to
steal one.

Speaker 5 (22:43):
Yeah, in what are all Malcolm Spence has had in
the postseason, You think about the players he's went up against,
ry Michael Meeson the first round and in the second round.

Speaker 4 (22:49):
You look at the guy.

Speaker 5 (22:49):
He's playing in London Nights and to be able to
perform the way he has has been incredible. At the
tip of the cap to Malcolm, But yeah, big goal
for the Otters and you know when you that goal
to start the period, probably the message from Chris Malatt
is in the in the intermission, it's like, okay, guys,
just get a quick one.

Speaker 4 (23:05):
Can breathe a little bit, you know, it's only a
one goal.

Speaker 5 (23:08):
Get an opportunity, then we look ahead, right, let me
just keep going and that's how you want to start
a period. That's how you want to start a third
period on the elimination game down and take the stress away.

Speaker 3 (23:17):
Right, Malcolm Spence from sam Alfano and Pano femous panel
femous is third point of the night as well, second
point for Samuel Fano on the night. But then we
didn't get any more goals because this game ended up
going to overtime. Colin when there was some fireworks in overtime,
to say the least, London came out and just controlled

(23:38):
the play from the second the pug dropped in that
fourth period. It just felt like, you know, they put
their top players out and they were really controlling the
play that the puck ended up coming out to the
neutral zone. They got back in and found Casper Halton
and for what we thought was the the series clinching goal,
just risting one up top of Charlie Burns. London. You know,

(23:59):
they they mob them in their own end. They're celebrating
they've won the series. But hold on, Eerie did not
leave the bench, and we saw the the opening there
for the office officials and we're wondering, Okay, what's going
on here. Well, they're reviewing it for an off side
and you know, lo and behold it was offside. So
that continues on. But just talk about how difficult you

(24:21):
think that would be for guys, you know, celebrating, thinking
the games over, they won the series, and then they've
got to go back to the bench, get focus, refocused,
and then try to score another one that would actually count.

Speaker 4 (24:31):
Man one hundred percent. There's so much emotion.

Speaker 5 (24:33):
You think about the game of the Queue that had
five overtimes a couple of weeks ago, like those it's
so hard emotionally because like for twenty seconds thirty seconds,
if you're on the Otter standpoint, you're done, you know,
And it's like overagers, all the emotion that comes out.
You can't put it into words. I can't put it
into words. I wasn't over I wasn't lucky enough to

(24:55):
play in the OHL, and you know, I wasn't lucky
enough to be an overage. You're in to carry that wait,
but I would not want to go through that. I
feel like it would be so tough, right, like the
emotion that comes through for that twenty seconds and all
of a sudden you see the door open and it's like, well,
I got to regather my group here, and I mean
that's coaching staff, right. I thought the lot of Knights

(25:16):
did a really good job at that too, because I
think the lot of Knights realized it was an offside
after the fact that I went to the bench, Austin
Elliott didn't go to the bench. I think they kind
of realized it was offside. So then you regroup too,
because when you win, you think it's over right, sire, relief.
But I just think a lot of Knights have fun
playing hockey as a group.

Speaker 4 (25:35):
I really do.

Speaker 5 (25:36):
I think they have fun. It's hard to really get
that get in their head emotionally as a visitor, as
an opponent, I mean, it's kind of it's tough from
the Otter standpoint. I think in that in that message,
you just want to regroup here, okay, regroup, we got.

Speaker 4 (25:52):
A second chance.

Speaker 5 (25:53):
You never know, go down there, get one chance, chip away,
get defensively, keep them in front of you, and then
what happened happens.

Speaker 3 (26:02):
Especially when you got a stonefaced coach behind the bench
and Dale Hunter. I was like, I try to watch
him every game to see like if he never gets
too high, never gets too low. He's just the same
guy right back, unless he's looking at an iPad in
Peterborough in the OHL final two years ago. But I
like even when he when his team scores a goal
or gives up a goal, he's the same guy. Just

(26:25):
okay whatever, like we'll continue on here. And I think
that message rubs off on his players as well. It's just, uh,
it's it's incredible to see and you you know why
he's won a thousand games in this league calling You've
been uh you've been following the Knights for a long
time and uh you know Dale's a big part of that.

Speaker 5 (26:41):
Yeah, if you do the if you do the video
of the show, you got to post a picture seven
year old calling with Dale Hunter at the White Oaks
Mall in London, Ontario during March break of the Knights camp. Great,
but uh no, I give I have a lot of
respect for the for what the.

Speaker 4 (26:55):
Hunters have done.

Speaker 5 (26:58):
Dale Mark, Dylan, Rick Stadman, Rob Simpson, even like they
they're everything they do is is professionally done. And I
think that with with Dale Hunter. I mean it's so
big in teams. I mean we see this around the league,
right The good teams that have a coach that don't

(27:18):
get too high, don't get too low, are the good teams.
And there's no mistake the three coaches. And I don't
want it to be biased. I don't want to come
biased as all. Being with the Branford Bulldogs j McKee,
you see a Hocus wins Coach of the Year in
Dale Hunter. Is there any surprise you had Ryan ulahana
that mix as well as young well Ulahan, Jay McKee

(27:41):
got a Hocus guys that when you watch those guys
as well.

Speaker 4 (27:45):
Their teams never get too high or too low.

Speaker 5 (27:48):
You stay even keel and that's how you win the postseason.
And there's no surprise to me why the London Knights
have won so many games, why they've been so successful,
because that's how you have to approach your hockey. And
you always hear it from Dale Hunter. And I mean
talking with Mike Stubbs before the voice of the London
Knights and Brandon. You know, Mike's a great guy and
we talked about this that the London Knights they show

(28:12):
you their recipe to their success. It's there, but how
can how can opponents, how can they execute against them right?
And that's the thing they can't execute at the same
level because it's communication, it's being able to be a teacher.
You're dealing with kids, and the London Knights, the way
they do things is different than a lot of teams

(28:32):
in the entire Hockey League because it's hard to adapt
to that model when you at sixteen years old, you're
going to play a role. Now with the lot of Knights,
they're deeper than they ever been. So you got guys
in junior b are the geo developing playing their game.
You have how you treat your draft, your players and
so on and so forth. They have a process, they

(28:53):
have a system in place. They play to their structure
and the way they want to play it. The players
execute it and no surprise because their hands on they're
good teachers. And I mean during the game, yelling and
screaming at a seventeen year old or yelling even yelling
at the referees is not going to help when you
see a coach and we've seen this before and on

(29:15):
the NHL on sixty podcasts, I've been very critical of
this one, Brandon, and I think that when you see
a coach yelling at a referee and trying to have
a loud discussion with an official every single whistle, what's
the team doing? If you watch the bench, what is
the bench doing. The bench is getting on the officials

(29:36):
between on the ice, on the bench, they're saying stuff
every single close play they want to call a lot
of knights. You see that they don't. There's none of that.
There is none of that. The captain talks to the
officials as Denver Barkie. Other than the never really hear
Dale Hunter. You never really see him talk to the
officials throughout a game. It is what it is, and
I think that that's why I have so much respect

(29:57):
for what they've done there, Brandon. I mean, I've saw
my whole life growing up there, the guys they've had,
in the success they've had, it goes hand in hand.
But at the end of the day, you look behind
the bench and Dale Hunter's been a staple there for
a long time, and I mean everything he brings to
the table in London nights, I mean, there's a reason
why he's one of the best coaches in the CHL
and possibly CHL history.

Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah, well said, just can't say enough good things about
what they've done there in London for a long time.
And just you know, a staple franchise here in junior
hockey that a lot of teams try to try to replicate.
Get back to it here, Colin Sam O'Reilly ends up
getting the game winner here. And this was tough because
Chris Malette, hail Mary, you know, goalie interference challenge. What

(30:40):
do you have to lose? At that point, it looked
like maybe, But when you saw a couple of replays,
it looked like Burns was already way back in his
net because we were texting about this when it happened
that you know, cow and he had to overcompensate for
coming around the net, and then O'Reilly was just able
to kind of shovel that thing in. He did make
contact with Burns, but I think it was after the

(31:00):
puck was already you know, crossed the line and Burns
was basically on the goal line to begin with. Receiver
was already falling over to begin with. So o'reiley gets
credit for this one. Another long review. So London had
to wait this one out again. But this one stands
Sam O'Reilly's second goal the game, fourth point of the
night for the Evonton Oilers, first rounder from Cowen and Bonk,
and that seals the series. London wins at four to three,

(31:22):
uh in overtime and wins the series four straight. But uh,
you know the handshake afterward, and you know, classy by
both teams as well. Chris Mallette, great coach. Uh, you know,
got this eerie team turned around big time when most
people thought that they wouldn't. And uh, I think there's
a lot of respect there between him and Dale Hunter
as well. But Sam O'Reilly ends the series for London here.

Speaker 5 (31:45):
Yeah, I and that was the really goodest discussion we
had to last night when the goal went in. And
it's as a goaltender. And I've been thinking about this
now throughout the show and I know we don't we
don't have camera, but if we had camera, I'd be
going through the goalie motion right now. But Charlie Burns
a right handed catching goaltender, right yep, so he catches
the wrong hand from my perspective.

Speaker 4 (32:07):
But anyway, all jokes aside.

Speaker 5 (32:09):
If you have the stick out there, if you're hugging
the post, right, A lot of goaltenders used to cow
and then you gotta respect.

Speaker 4 (32:15):
That on the post. You have to because you know
what happens if you play the middle.

Speaker 5 (32:19):
He just tucks it back or he tucks it in
on the back door and wrap around attempt, and you
gotta respect that. With the puck, I was wondering, maybe
if you take the stick, put it in the lane,
that takes that pass away, so then you make him
shoot the puck there. Possibly, But if you're not gonna
play the stick, if you're not gonna use your stick

(32:39):
as a goaltender, which but anyone who listens to the
OHL's sixty podcast or listening to the Bulldog's Audio network
knows as a goaltender, I'm huge on using my stick.
I think not enough goaltenders used your sticks enough. You
gotta be aggressive of a player's gonna come in on
you like that. You gotta use your stick. Would you
rather give up a goal or make a safe common
sense one for me? But easier said the done. But

(33:01):
he Charlie Burns gets the puck and instead of using
his stick, if you're gonna play it the way you did,
it would have just been nice to get the stick
on the ice, so then you lock the five hole right,
you're square to the shooter. And we talked about that earlier.
You gotta have all angles. You gotta be square to
the shooter. You gotta square up to be successful against
the Alenton Knights. And it was just one moment that
he you know, you get off a little bit. Give him,

(33:22):
you give him. You play ninety five percent of a
shot ran against the Lonton Knights, it's still not gonna
be good enough. You got to play one hundred percent.
Even ninety nine percent might not be good enough because
they only need a spot to put a puck and
they can be successful. And that's kind of what happened there.
And say, you gotta give credit to Samue o'reiley. That
was a hard nose, gritty game.

Speaker 4 (33:39):
For Samuel o'reiley. Let's be honest.

Speaker 5 (33:41):
When he's playing with Easton Cownen and Denver Barkie, he's
the guy that's really not gonna be the sexy puck carrier.
You know you're not gonna be looking at him. He's
the guy that's gotta be out there. You gotta carry
the piano, you gotta you gotta be there in all
the battles, you gotta be puck hungry, right, and that's
kind of his role. And I thought that was a
perfect spot. That's where you got to go to score playoffs.

(34:01):
It's hard to get to that area in the playoffs
and when you get when you can get there, usually
get rewarded when you get those percentages there. But all
in all, it was a great shift for Samuel Riiley
and that chef. But I wonder if Charlie Burns would
have played that differently, that's what he would have did,
But all in all, he still played decently.

Speaker 3 (34:20):
Yeah, I mean that line of Cowen, O'Reilly and Barky
just complimenting each other so well. We talked to Samu
O'Reilly after the Game three postgame recap and you know,
just talked about how they are able to really just
know where each other are gonna be and they work
well with each other, compliment each other well, that sixth
sense almost of whether each of them are going to

(34:42):
be on the ice. It's fun to watch twenty three,
seven and eighty six in the offensive zone. But regardless
of that, let's go to Erie Otters head coach Chris
Molette with his I guess end of season thoughts here
after his team goes down in overtime to the year
to the London Knights and losing uh in the four

(35:02):
games to this top seeded London Nights. But uh, a
proud head coach, as you'll hear right now, what.

Speaker 6 (35:08):
Was it like?

Speaker 7 (35:08):
I mean there waiting the first of you you know,
to learn the learned the goal or no goal like that.
I mean, you know, just your emotions are one of
the team's emotions. Having to wait that out.

Speaker 8 (35:20):
Well, I mean, I think the first minute and a
half was me basically closing my eyes like it was.
It was intense to begin with. Guys were adamant that
uh it was offside. We didn't have a real great angle,
so sitting there just hoping, just hoping that you know,
we'd have another crack at it. And when that, uh,
that ruling came through, there was a sense of relief

(35:40):
with our group another.

Speaker 6 (35:41):
Chance and you know, lived for a few more minutes.

Speaker 7 (35:45):
Had you been any experience anything like that, I guess
in you know in the past, you know, playing in
this kind of scenario that you know, a goal got
waved off and you know postseason or something.

Speaker 8 (35:56):
Absolutely Oh, yeah, no, it's I mean overtime goals way off.
It's it's high pressure, high intensity, and our group was
wound tight. We want to play, We wanted to play more,
and you know, lucky that that one came through. And
the challenge was we knew it wasn't a goalie interference,
but why not test it out right, like you never
know if you get that another crack, But lightning doesn't

(36:19):
strike twice.

Speaker 6 (36:20):
Usually could just.

Speaker 9 (36:21):
Talk about Charlie's performance, and I mean he made some
incredible out of this world saves tonight, keeping this team
and things.

Speaker 6 (36:29):
Just talk about him.

Speaker 9 (36:30):
Obviously you could tell after the game he was feeling
down on himself letting the winner in. But just talk
about what he brought tonight.

Speaker 6 (36:37):
Online the only reason we were in that position.

Speaker 8 (36:40):
I mean tough as a backup goaltender to sit on
the bench knowing that you know you're getting your hand
full of starts. But always came to the rink every day,
worked extremely hard on the ice for practice, great attitude,
great person, throwing into the fire and did a hell
of a job in both games. He was he was
a different maker for us and really happy for.

Speaker 6 (37:02):
For him, and and you know, he should be confident
from it.

Speaker 7 (37:06):
How were how are the guys before the game? I mean,
you know, knowing the circumstances, never think, but what was
the vibe you got from you know, from from them
warming up?

Speaker 6 (37:14):
There was a calmness amongst our group. It really was.

Speaker 8 (37:17):
It was you know, you get into these certain situations
where you know that you know you've got nothing to lose,
and you know the pressure is across the hall and
our guys, I mean, was it pretty No, But did
we sacrifice Absolutely? Did we show that we wanted to
do whatever it took to try and win this hockey game.

Speaker 6 (37:35):
Absolutely, So there was a.

Speaker 8 (37:37):
Calmness knowing that, hey, we're in one and and our guys,
you know, got ourselves an opportunity to play some more
hockey and and overtime.

Speaker 6 (37:45):
Anything can happen.

Speaker 9 (37:47):
You kind of came in the middle of this season
when a lot of things had happened.

Speaker 6 (37:51):
Mister Waters.

Speaker 9 (37:52):
Passing the previous coaching scenario and all the injuries this
team has dealt with. C attest to that adversity during
your time here that the team had to overcome to
get themselves even into the second round of the playoffs.

Speaker 6 (38:04):
Now, I walked into a great situation. You know.

Speaker 8 (38:07):
I thank these guys that from the ownership to management
to these players for allowing me to be a part
of it. You know, I came in and it was
as seamless as seamless could be. They trusted me, They.

Speaker 6 (38:18):
Allowed me to lean on them to help them try
and get better.

Speaker 8 (38:23):
And yeah, they've gone through a lot individually and as
a team obviously an organization, so to see where we
got in that short of time, there was always potential
there with this group, and that's why I wanted to
come here. And you know, they lived up to those
expectations for me, and I couldn't be more proud.

Speaker 6 (38:41):
I just wish I had more time. What did you
take from this experience?

Speaker 7 (38:45):
Albeit maybe abbreviate that'll help you going forward, you know,
with this organization, this league.

Speaker 6 (38:50):
This franchise, fresh Start.

Speaker 8 (38:53):
You know, I think the the ownership, you know, obviously
the family taking over, we all have a common and
it's it's a positive, you know, environment that we want
to create. I think that it's exciting to be a
part of it. Knowing that every day you can come
to work and you want to come to work.

Speaker 6 (39:10):
It's not a job.

Speaker 8 (39:11):
It's somewhere you want to be and that's an environment
that we're trying to create. And I think this last
two months for me, and I said it to our
guys that you know, I enjoyed coming to the rink
and it's been a while. It really has it's it's
a pressure filled position and at times you can get
really really caught up in it. And these guys allowed
me to enjoy the game again and I'm really looking

(39:31):
forward to what lies ahead. And you know, it just
really sucks right now that that group won't be together anymore.

Speaker 3 (39:38):
Spent a lot of time in Kolona, coaches and that
does eerie feel like home now. In the short time
you've been here, what's been you know, the biggest change
for you coming from out west and now to here
in Pennsylvania.

Speaker 8 (39:48):
Yeah, I mean I've been embraced like almost rock starish.
I don't even the fan base, the people.

Speaker 6 (39:54):
It's been. It's been great.

Speaker 8 (39:56):
Like I said, the ownership management team has really embraced me,
as have the fans and the people of area. They're
very welcoming and warm, and I mean the biggest adjustment
for me is that my family wasn't here right now,
but they're going to be coming. Uh, you know, we'll
be moving out in August and we're going to be
Arie eight, I guess we call it, and we're going

(40:16):
to immerse ourselves within this community and I look forward to,
you know, some some real good times moving forward.

Speaker 3 (40:24):
Could you speak to obviously no Early and no Shaeffer,
no Trants. How did you think that the guys rallied
around them and how how were they kind of trying
to help the guys out even though they couldn't play tonight.

Speaker 8 (40:34):
Yeah, I mean those guys were good to have around,
right Carrie, and and and and obviously Matt Matthew great
to have is morale around the room, great leaders on
that side of things.

Speaker 6 (40:46):
But you know, in the midst of injury is.

Speaker 8 (40:49):
Opportunity for others to step up. And I thought that,
you know, there were some guys that ate a lot
of minutes with those guys out of the lineup, and
it's going to bode well for us moving down the stretch.
So you know into next year, there's guys that are
going to have expectations that a standard was set for
them down you know in the time that I was here,
So I'm looking forward to what lies ahead with this group.

Speaker 3 (41:11):
Lastly, taking nothing away from the other over agers. Can
he speak to panel femus guy that now is committed
to Notre Dame next year? You know it broke the
record for most face off wins in the Ontario Hockey
League this year and really grew as a person since
his two years here in Erie. Can you speak to
him playing his final OHL game, having a three point
night in it, and you know what, you think his
last thing impression will be on this group?

Speaker 6 (41:32):
Well, I think again.

Speaker 8 (41:33):
I mean just to speak to him, you know, you
don't you don't see a player of his caliber that
is so strong.

Speaker 6 (41:43):
In the face off.

Speaker 8 (41:43):
You know, he's a cerebral player, makes others around him better.
He's a guy that wants to be you know, he
said to me, thank you for trusting me. He wants
to be a guy that's out on the ice for
for key moments. And he proved time and time again
along with our older guys with you know, Marty and
and and Sam. But they are you know, there are

(42:05):
three players that are coveted. You know, you only get
three over ages and those three were real special for
our group, and they were ones that allowed us to
get to this position that we were at.

Speaker 6 (42:17):
You know, today.

Speaker 3 (42:20):
There was Erie Otters head coach Chris Mallette on their
I guess final post game of the Otters season, calling
a lot of good thoughts from Chris Mallett. I think
he's brought a lot of stability to Erie. Takes pride
in being the head coach of the Otters after, you know,
such a successful stint with the Colona Rockets in the WHL.
It seems like he's got a plan for what he

(42:43):
wants this Erie Otters team to to play like. And
I think a full season of full training camp. You
know this, This Otters team is in good hands with
Chris Mallett.

Speaker 5 (42:52):
One hundred percent they are. And I think that they
got their guy right. And it sounds like they have
their guy and he's happy to be there to relationship.
The communities really embraced him, it sounds like, and that's great.
This is only the start of the beginning for the
for the Eerie Otters. They're gonna be fine. I'm really
excited to see their future. They haven't had that guy

(43:16):
behind the bench in so long, you know, and I
think now that they have that guy, they have stability
for years to come like they did, like they once
did when they were winning all the time is huge
for them, and I think that that's kinda it starts
with Chris Malett, but it's huge with the front office
that they have to have a good relationship. But behind

(43:36):
the bench is everything in player development, and I think
that the otters is this is just the beginning for them.

Speaker 3 (43:42):
Colin. We've got a little bit of time here and
we still have to get to both the Sam Dickinson
post game as well. But Panel Femus just, you know
what more can you say? I put out a post
on X about you know what Panel Femus's journey has been.
You know, over eight coaches in his time, missed his
rookie season with COVID, you know, went through some trials
and tribulations with Niagara, got to Eerie, really took a

(44:06):
step forward with them, and again a guy that we saw,
we both saw grow up. His first interview was with
you guys on the Ohl and sixty podcast. His second
interview was with us on the Dog Pound podcast. That
was our first draft that we covered with on the network,
and you watched him grow up from a sixteen year
old and had to miss out on that first year,

(44:26):
was a step behind the eight ball, and you know,
really grew as a person and as a player. Uh,
became so good on the draws. This year in his
overage year, you know, went to a couple of rookie
camps so Toronto and Columbus, made a good impression, got
himself a commitment to Notre Dame. Got to play out
his last OHL game against his brother and Donnie Femus
over there with the London Night Ties of Vermont commit

(44:48):
I'm sure that was a special moment for him as well,
getting to shake him, shake his hand and hug him
in the in the line there, brotherly brothers going at it.
But uh, you know the femous family and Pano himself,
you know, one one of the guys you want to
root for. Just a stand up guy. And I know
he's going to be missed in in Erie and Niagara
and in the Ontario Hockey League because he deservedly so

(45:09):
graduates on to the NCAA Division one next year.

Speaker 5 (45:12):
The other thing about Panel Femis that has been incredible
to him. He's been so respectful to the organization he's
been into.

Speaker 4 (45:17):
And you know, being in Niagara. It wasn't it wasn't
a well ran organization for him. It wasn't a good spot.

Speaker 5 (45:26):
He goes to Erie, you know, and then it's another
situation for him where he goes to Erie and you know,
the opportunity that when he first went there it wasn't great,
but he comes out of it in a great spot.
The erie Otters did everything for him, and he did
everything for the erie Otters. It was a great relationship
in that remarks. But all the beast, I mean, what

(45:46):
a career. I remember when he came on the HL
sixty podcast the first time Brandon we talked to him,
and it's like the maturity and the winning, you know,
like that comes with him and he didn't.

Speaker 4 (45:57):
Sound like a sixteen year old at the time.

Speaker 5 (45:59):
And he's a veteran player in the league now and
it's it's wild out fast the careers go in the
Interio Hockey League.

Speaker 4 (46:07):
And to me, that is.

Speaker 5 (46:10):
Every single situation the best compliment I can get panel Phoenix.
Every single situation he's been in, he's literally made the
best of that situation that he could possibly make in
his OHL career. And the guys are professional. The guys
are professional and maybe before he goes to nor Amy
gets a contract. But we'll see what happens. But he's

(46:31):
well deserving to be a pro hockey player. One day,
he's definitely gonna get that opportunity, I would imagine.

Speaker 3 (46:37):
Yeah, great way to end his OHL career. Seventeen points
at nine playoff games a career high. This regular season
with eighty six points thirty two goals in sixty eight games.
It finishes over a point a game in his OHL career,
which are the first two years, you know, wasn't something
that maybe we expected. But he finishes with two hundred
and fifty three and two hundred and forty five games,
taking nothing away from the other over agers. But I

(46:58):
just wanted to give a show out the panel famous
because you know, we both you know, have covered his
whole career and it's gonna be cool to see him,
you know, wearing the fighting Irish colors next season, especially
with if they ever get to play against your the
Ohio State talk guys.

Speaker 5 (47:15):
Yeah, take it easy against the Ohio State Black guys. Piano, Yeah,
I'm taking it easy. And another good buddy of mine,
as you know, Brandon Gavin Bryan, I told him the
same thing as well, take it easy against the Ohio
State Black guys because for an order, dame, we all
know what happened in the Natty and football.

Speaker 3 (47:34):
Yeah yeah, yeah. So we're gonna get to our player
post game quickly, and it's with London Night's defenseman Sam Dickinson,
who after this. Of course it didn't happen beforehand, because
you know, it would have been nice for me to
ask him about it was the San Jose Sharks prospect
of the year named last night late in the night
with San Jose being out west. I believe it got
announced like eleven thirty, eleven forty five, something like that.

(47:58):
But regardless, here's what the Shark's first round defenseman from
this last draft in London Knight's, you know, the star
defenseman had to say about closing out the series and
his thoughts about the season so far back in the
post game with nice defenseman Sam Dickinson. Sam, first off,
you got to walk me through your goal, because I
was I was quite the setup and quite the play

(48:19):
there by Barkiy to find you on that that play
and then you just potting in that one time or
you know, how are you able to kind of elute,
you know, be able to get yourself open on that one.

Speaker 10 (48:28):
Yeah, you know, it was kind of a bit of
a broken play, broken entry late in the power play.
You know, it's something we've gotten pretty good at kind
of just being being positionless when we got in the zone.
You know, I was just trying to find open ice.
You know, I think anybody out there is good enough
to make a pass like that, and especially especially Denver.
So yeah, I was just looking for open space, and
you obviously just kind of put it in a great
spot for me and put it in.

Speaker 3 (48:48):
Seems like you've really been working on that the last
year or two. I see, I noticed that kind of
developed in your game there with that that that one time.
Or is that something that you've really tried to work on,
especially as you've grown into a bigger and older player.

Speaker 6 (49:00):
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 10 (49:00):
I mean it's it's a it's a big tool from
the point, you know, getting clutched through trying to just
create offense however I can. So, you know, definitely something
to put some time into.

Speaker 3 (49:08):
And talk about the series and in general. I know
it was a four game suite, but you know, the
otters really get gave you a run in this game
especially and the division rivals never gonna be easy. So
what was your guys' mindset going into each of these
games knowing that you were the favorites, but then leving
those expectations, knowing you have to go out there and
play four strong games.

Speaker 6 (49:25):
Yeah, it was.

Speaker 10 (49:26):
It was never you know, thinking out you know, where
we're the higher seed or you know, they're the under
underdog or anything like that. It was always coming out
with the same the same efforts, the same mentality. You know,
go out win each talkie game and you know, they
gave us a great series.

Speaker 6 (49:37):
You know, they're a great team.

Speaker 10 (49:38):
So you know we didn't we didn't expect expect anything,
but you know, we were just ready for everything.

Speaker 3 (49:43):
And this is all you've known. Now you three years
in the league and you've been to three straight Western
Conference finals. Uh, now that you're getting used to these games,
used to these situations. Uh, what makes you guys so
just dialed in when you get to these moments and
having that experience that you know that get into these deep,
deep playoff frons, you guys are gonna have success.

Speaker 6 (50:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (50:01):
I think it just starts from starts from the top
with DAYLN Mark. You know, they know what it takes
to get here. They've been here a lot more than
we have, and you know we'll be here a lot
more than we ever will. So it's just trusting them.
They know what they're talking about. They're putting in good systems.
And I think the second is just you know, they
want to win. That we have in that room is
you know, like something I've never seen before. So so yeah,
I think it's it's that's a big one is you know,
everybody in that room wants to play for each other,

(50:23):
wants to win, So it's it's an exciting time.

Speaker 3 (50:25):
Lastly for you, I feel like every time I look
on the ice to see Number three log in a
lot of minutes in the offensive, defensive zone, penalty kill,
power play, do you take pride in you know, log
in tough minutes and no matter what the situation is,
even on the penalty kill things like that down five
on three, Like, I notice that you've really, you know,
grown in all aspects of your game. You know, how
do you feel about, you know, playing so many minutes

(50:46):
out there?

Speaker 10 (50:47):
Yeah, I'm you know, I'm I'm for whatever's gonna help
his team win. And that's me having to play a
lot of minutes. You know, it's fine by me. You know,
whatever those minutes are, power played, penalty, kill, five on five,
you know, playing, not playing, you know whatever is going
to help to take this team, whatever's gonna you know,
helped his team win is you know.

Speaker 6 (51:02):
That's all I'm for.

Speaker 3 (51:03):
Thanks Sam, best of luck in the West Final.

Speaker 6 (51:05):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (51:07):
There was London NIC's defenseman in San Jose, Shark's first
round prospect and prospect of the year, Sam Dickinson. Colin,
you know, gave all the respect to in the world,
to to Mark and Dale. Hunter says, you know what,
they know what they're doing. So we just go out
there and they've been doing it a lot longer than
we've been here, and they'll do it a lot longer
when we're not here anymore. But talked about not getting

(51:27):
too high too low. They had to, you know, go
into those tough games with the same mindset that you
know wasn't going to be easy, and just just trusting that,
you know, getting through this process and getting getting through
to the to these big games and these big moments.
You know, he's really relishing and taking those those big
time minutes in all situations hundred percent.

Speaker 4 (51:48):
Sam Dickinson devolve as a player.

Speaker 5 (51:50):
I mean right from his time in his draft here
in the entire Hockey League go Gid he was as drawing,
he was on the plock. I was always a big
fan of him, and then going over to London, getting
the opportunities there and getting the coaching that he deserves,
getting the organization in London. I mean it's a perfect
fit for both sides. And I mean with with his game,
then the evolving he's taken that's taken place San Jose.

(52:13):
They know they got a star there and Sam Dickinson,
and I mean Markendale Hunter as you mentioned the back
of that statement, I mean you put they put you
in a good situation.

Speaker 4 (52:23):
They give you a situation to be successful.

Speaker 5 (52:25):
And as a player, that's all you want, right, That's
all you can ask to be successful, and you just
want situations that you can succeed. And that's what they've
done in London, and that's what Sam Dickinson's getting treated.

Speaker 3 (52:35):
Absolutely. Joel Vanderlin in Game three had him as the
player of the game just for the way that he
was able to really control the game from the back
end and just a special player. That I think the
the San Jose Sharks fans are going to be excited
about sooner rather than later. But his development the last
three years and going to three straight Western Conference finals
uh to start his OHL career just pretty incredible to

(52:57):
think about. Before we get out of here with a
call Ward on the spot with our stick Tap of
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families money. Colin, who's your player of the game from
last night?

Speaker 4 (53:15):
And this one? Before we get the player of the game,
I just want to say, Charlie Burns, what an effort, Absolutely,
what an effort.

Speaker 5 (53:22):
And I mean if they were successful one thousand percent,
there's no one else even comes close to the player
of the game, right but it's a team game. But
Charlie Burns, what a what a game? Honestly, nothing to
hang your head on. Incredible effort. Not a lot of
goaltenders in the entrail hockey ygu could have had that
effort in a particular game, like like he did in

(53:43):
that get in a game for backs up against the wall.
So shout to Charlie Burns, shout a panel femus thirty
one faceoff attempts the stress in that in his role
into all the other odders aways that are that have
now graduated from the Antario Hockey League. Thank you guys
for everything you do or everything you did for us.
I mean Brandon, you and I both. It's always nice

(54:05):
when players come in. They treat the league with respect,
they play the right way. It's that's what we want
to cover. And thank you to all of the oays.
But my player of the game, sam o'reiley plus two
four point night got into the dirty area, scored a
big goal in overtime. As we know, he just played

(54:25):
his role to a team and he played his role
to a tea and that's kind of and that's that's
what's gonna take to be successful. Lot of nights, big
time players came and played big time games and that's
what they did.

Speaker 4 (54:35):
And sam o'reiley to me, is my player of the game. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (54:41):
Two goals to assist, I mean overtime winner plus two
pretty hard to to to bet against Samuel o'reiley in
this game. But yeah, Honor will mention to Charlie Burns, man,
he really, you know, left it all, left it all
in the table in that game forty six of fifty.
Just an incredible performance. Not an easy situation, not even
though when you're gonna start this series, you know, Earlden
gets hurt and then you got to go in and

(55:02):
in the middle of game two, you know, in a
tough situation. Game three, in game four when you're backsup
against the walls, you mentioned, Uh, that's gonna be great
for Charlie Burns's development with the arie Otters going to
the next season. If he is back with them, we'll
have to wait and see. But definitely showed that he
could be in Ontario Hockey League goaltender this year after
a limited playing time in Niagara last season. But so Colin,

(55:25):
that's gonna wrap it up. London's going up to the
Western Conference Final. The time recording this winsor still up
three to one on Kitchener in the series should be fun.
I know you guys are gonna talk about the preview
at length on the Ohl and sixty podcast, but it's
gonna be tough to beat this London Knight's team. There
are still undefeated eight to oh so far in the
in the OHL playoffs. So give you a final word here.

Speaker 5 (55:46):
Yeah, No, London's gonna be tough. They're playing their best hockey.
BHRC wins your kitchener. That's gonna that's gonna be tough.

Speaker 4 (55:53):
It's gonna get.

Speaker 5 (55:54):
Harder and harder for London Nights and they know that
they've they're battle tested, they've been through it before, but
all it honestly feels like testing for the London Nights
to make the Memorial Cup.

Speaker 4 (56:02):
It what their unfinished business that they have, and I
know that's their plan. Yep.

Speaker 3 (56:05):
OHL champions last year and uh again they want that
Memorial Cup trophy on their mantlea with this amazing group
that they've been able to build over the last three years.
So with that said, Colin, thanks a lot for joining us.
I know we haven't heard the last year. We're gonna
do lots of good stuff, uh, you know, with a
with the network and as well with you guys over
at the OHL sixty podcast for the Western and East

(56:27):
Eastern Conference finals and then the OHL Championship. It's gonna
be a fun, fun ride my friend, and appreciate you
hopping on.

Speaker 5 (56:33):
No, thank you, Brandon, appreciate it. Like I said, I
want to I want to keep earning credibility, keep earning
opportunity and uh, no place I'd rather do it more,
uh than than yourself, Brandon. So thank you for all
that you do for myself. And it was a great series.
It was great to see, uh honestly what what you did.

(56:55):
Yeah for going through all the places you did. Go
from Nagara Falls to London is a tough drive going
to Erie the border like that. Everything you've done Brandon
in this series, congrats to you and thank you for everything.

Speaker 3 (57:07):
Oh, thank you. And I know you're never gonna miss
in a moment to come and talk about the London Knights,
just you know, a franchise that we both respect and
you're growing up going to the games. I'm sure it's
great to come on and talk about them. But that's
gonna wrap it up for our Game four OHL playoff
game recap between the London Knights and the Eerie Otters.
The London Knights taking the series four oh and we'll

(57:28):
await their opponent in the Western Conference Final. Thank it
everybody this tuned in live on our armchare GM Sports
Network YouTube channel, and those listening later when I post
this episode on all on demand audio platforms, make sure
to give us a follow on x at Armchair GM
pod as well as at the OHL and sixty podcasts
for all of our great content we are doing for
the playoffs and armchrgmsports dot com for all of our

(57:49):
game recaps in written form. So for Colin Ward, my
name is Brandon Pudo. That's gonna be it, and we'll
talk to you again when the Western and Eastern Conference
finals begin. Right here on OHL Overtime. Have a good
rest of the night.