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London Knights Begin Playoffs 3-26-15 vs Kitchener Rangers

By William Grigsby

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London Knights begin quest for Memorial Cup

The London Knights were the third seed in the Western Conference standings of the OHL this season, and will face the sixth seed Kitchener Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. The London Knights connection to the Arizona Coyotes is that they have at least two players (Max Domi, Christian Dvorak) on their team whom may be a member of the parent club soon. Domi, hopefully next season, and possibly Dvorak, who just turned 19 in February. Both young prospects are tearing up the OHL in scoring. Domi came in with 32 G, 70 A, 102 Pts in 57 games. Dvorak had 41 G, 68 A, 109 Pts in 66 games.

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Another young prospect on the Knights is Mitch Marner. He had an excellent scoring year with 44 G, 82 A, for 126 Pts in 63 games. He won’t turn 18 until May 5th. He is eligible for the NHL Entry draft for 2015, and the Arizona Coyotes have a couple first round picks, so you never know… he could be in an Arizona Coyotes uniform in two to three years.

The Knights had a good season with a final record of 40-24-1 good for 84 points. What the Arizona Coyotes fans would love to see is the Knights get eliminated early enough from the playoffs so Domi could be called up. If the Knights playoff series against the Kitchener Rangers goes seven games, they will be done on April 7th. The Coyotes have two games after that date against the Canucks on the 9th, and versus the Ducks on the 11th.

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    • I was able to watch Max Domi at training camp, and preseason before the inception of the 2014-2015 season. He looked like he might be ready, and really clicked on a line with Martin Hanzal and Henrik Samuelsson. That line accumulated nine points in a 5-4 win over the L.A. Kings, with Domi and Samuelsson notching a shootout goal apiece. I think Max has improved his game enough to make the team next season. The Coyotes certainly need the inflection of scoring possibilities that Domi is sure to offer. Add in the scoring stats of Dvorak, and the future looks exciting. Of course fans see the inflated numbers young prospects throw up, and it is easy to think they will duplicate that in the NHL.

    Not quite.

    The level of competition in the NHL is very elevated compared to junior hockey. The players are bigger, faster, smarter and play more games. The grind of a NHL season may be  tough for a new young player to adjust to, and his level of play will suffer. Still, the Arizona Coyotes are stocked with draft picks this year and next, so it will be entertaining to see who they select to improve the future of the team.

    The fans are ready to see anything which is an improvement from this season. With some good coaching and the development of the young players, the playoffs may not be all that distant for the Arizona Coyotes. I’m more than ready to experience that, are you?

    Next: Will The Arizona Coyotes Improve With Prospects Added To The Lineup?

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