Connor McMichael and Antonio Stranges each scored a pair in the first win of the year for the London Knights.
London scored a trio of third-period goals to put away a 6-2 victory over the Erie Otters Friday night at Budweiser Gardens. The win brings the Knights out of the OHL Midwest Division cellar, with their two points good for fourth place.
McMichael scored the lone goal of the first period for a 1-0 London lead, his third goal of the season. The Knights killed off three penalties and outshot the Otters 12-7.
London added another goal early in the second frame from Stranges at 3:47. Jack Duff picked up his first score of the year precisely three minutes later for Erie. Matvey Guskov gave the Knights their two-goal lead back before the second intermission with his goal of the season and a 3-1 London advantage.
Chad Yetman pulled Erie within a goal at 38 seconds in the third frame, but the Knights turned on the offence after that. Stranges and McMichael each scored their second goals of the game, which bookended the first goal of the year by Alec Regula.
Brett Brochu had 23 goals out of 25 shots faced in net for London. Daniel Murphy stopped 31 shots for the Otters.
The Knights will look to even their season record Saturday night when they visit the Bulldogs at Hamilton.