The London Knights started strong but were unable to finish the job on Monday afternoon.
The Mississauga Steelheads scored four straight goals spanning two periods in their 9-4 win over the Knights on Family Day at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre. Despite the loss, the Knights still have a hold on the top playoff seed in the OHL Western Conference. Their 85 points are six ahead of idle Sault Ste. Marie.
The game started well for London, as Kevin Hancock scored back-to-back goals, one of them on the power play, before the 13th minute of regulation. Mississauga responded with two goals of their own to tie the game at 2-2 following one period of play, with Alan Lyszczarczyk and Cole Schwindt the scorers.
Mississauga picked up where they left off in the second period by scoring two additional goals, from Cole Carter and Adrian Prueter, for a 4-2 lead. Connor McMichael then broke through for London when he cut their deficit to one, but Prueter put his team up by two again with his second goal of the game. Liam Foudy scored on the power play for the Knights, but a score by Nick Isaacson gave Mississauga a 6-4 lead at the second intermission.
London goalie Joseph Raaymakers was pulled at the beginning of the third period for backup Jordan Kooy. That frame was all Steelheads, with goals from Nick McHugh, Keean Washkurak and Duncan Penman. Two of those goals were empty-netters.
Raaymakers and Kooy combined for 26 saves in net. Jacob Ingham had 39 saves for Mississauga.
The Knights travel to Peterborough on Thursday night.