No pressure! London Knights fans are expecting another deep playoff run
London was the top regular season team in the OHL, and that comes with expectations
Winning comes with expectations, but longtime Knights fan Sav Neth isn't worried about his favourite team crumbling under the pressure of the OHL playoffs.
"Playing in London is a different experience. We have more fans than some NHL teams. Pressure and dedication and passion, the everyday grind, these kids can definitely stack up to the best of them," Neth said. "You see it in their eyes, you see the dedication. They're ready."
Neth, the founder of the London Knights fan club, has good reason to be confident. The team won 50 regular season games and finished first in the OHL standings with 104 points. But past results no longer matter when London's postseason starts Friday night against the Flint Firebirds.
"It's one game at a time. These eight teams that made it, they have that ability. But I always believe. I believe in every single one of our players," Neth said.
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Neth and his family go to a lot of Knights games, and this season they watched what he describes as a well-rounded team. A team that can adapt to any style.
"Selfless hockey. It's not individual, it's a team. You want to score, we can score. You want to play defence, we can shut it down," he said.
Win or lose, Neth said he will follow every play closely with his fellow hardcore fans.
"It's incredible. You feel it. The community we have, you become friends. You become family."
Andrew Brown