If London Knights Assistant Coach Dylan Hunter was to use one word to describe the team as prepares for a do-or-die Game 7 against Windsor, it would be "confident."
The Knights tied up the Western Conference quarterfinals against the Windsor Spitfires at three games apiece on Sunday, with a 5-3 win. The victory forced a Game 7 at Budwiser Gardens on Tuesday.
For the Knights, who have not had much success in the WFCU Centre in Windsor this season, having home-ice advantage could be a big boost.
"With the regular season [we're] split, basically. Every game at home we won and every game there they won," said Hunter. "So having our fans behind us, in our barn is obviously a huge advantage."
A win in Game 7 would cap off an incredible comeback for the Knights and would surely give the team confidence heading into the second round of the playoffs. Hunter says the team showed its character as it battled back from being down three-games-to-one.
"Battling back like that from a 3-1 deficit, the guys are excited. Game 7 is kinda what you live for and if you can't get up for that, then you shouldn't be playing," he said.
Hunter says the players know what they need to do to win Tuesday night. And while some of them may be a little banged up after the first six games of the series, the coaches and staff are making sure they are fresh for Game 7.
"We've been giving them some down time, it's kind of up to our training staff," Hunter said. "If you get bumps and bruises you stay off or you just stretch. By this time of the year everyone kind of knows their bodies pretty well so we leave it on them and the training staff to decide what will be the best course of action for them to make sure that they are 100% by tomorrow."
Game 7 at Budweiser Gardens gets underway at 7pm Tuesday.
