Max Jones scored twice but the London Knights lost to the Otters in Erie Saturday night 6-3.
Erie scored four unanswered goals to seal the Game 5 win and take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven OHL Western Conference Semifinals. The Knights now face a do-or-die Game 6 on Easter Sunday at Budweiser Gardens.
The Otters took control of the game at the beginning with two goals in the first period. Jordan Sambrook scored his first goal of the playoffs at 8:51 in the opening stanza. Alex DeBrincat doubled the Erie lead later in the period with his fifth goal of the postseason.
The Knights came back with three unanswered goals of their own in the second period. Jones scored two of those goals back-to-back, the first at 1:47 in the middle frame, the second just 51 seconds later to tie the game at two apiece. Janne Kuokkanen gave London the lead 19 seconds after that goal for a 3-2 London lead. Patrick Fellows, however, tied the game back up for Erie before the end of the period.
Erie kept that scoring onslaught going in the third period with three more unanswered goals. Taylor Raddysh broke the scoreless tie for the Otters at the halfway point of the third period. Dylan Strome picked up an insurance goal soon after, then Anthony Cirelli put the game out of reach for the Otters.
Tyler Parsons had 33 saves between the pipes for the Knights. Erie goalie Troy Timpano was pulled after the Kuokkanen goal in the second period and backup Joseph Murdaca finished the game in the crease. Together they 20 saves.
Puck drop for Game 6 Sunday is 6pm.