CREDIT: SUN MEDIA
Jake Patterson has been thrust into a starter’s job following Anthony Stolarz’s injury.

It's been an up and down season for the London Knights. At times they're very good. And then at times, they're pretty awful.

Not something you'd expect to hear of a Memorial Cup host team.

This kind of form isn't something that Knights fans have seen in a little over two seasons. On any given night, expect the Knights to walk away with a victory on home ice — they've only lost five games at the Budweiser Gardens all season.

On the road is where their woes lie. For instance, against their biggest division rivals Erie and Guelph, the Knights are 0 for 5 on the road.

“I don't think it's really in our heads,” London forward Michael McCarron was quoted by the London Free Press in a February 9 article entitled, Knights beat the good teams at home but they can't seem to away from the Bud. “When we go back there [to Erie February 26 for one final visit], we're going to be looking for a win. We've got to get a win on the road against one of these top teams.”

It'll be revenge, of sorts, if London can pull off a win at the Erie Insurance Arena. The Otters are one of five teams to win in London this season — Saginaw, Barrie, Niagara and Oshawa the other four.

Excluding Saginaw, all three are Eastern Conference teams, giving us the indication that the Knights are a pretty formidable group, especially against their tougher Western Conference rivals.

“It'll mean a lot knowing we can go in there and win a game against one of these teams in their own barn.”

Credit the Knights, though; they've gone through some real tough spells this season, none tougher than losing Anthony Stolarz to a horrific leg injury during their loss to Saginaw on January 17.

The Philadelphia Flyers second round pick was expected to be out for four weeks. But general manager Mark Hunter expects him to be sidelined for another two weeks or so — after Stolarz was still spotted wearing a protective boot, while his cut heals.

His backup Jake Patterson, who's started every game since then, has been pretty mediocre. Since Stolarz's injury, the Knights have gone 7-2, as of February 11, but they've been lacking in goal. Their robust blueline has kept them in the hunt in the Western Conference, albeit the possibility to jump any higher than fourth is slowly dwindling.

But Hunter was quick to defend his goalie.

“We know we can play better than that as a team as whole,” he said. “Everybody looks at Patty [Patterson]. It's not just Patty. It's the team. Patty can play better. The defence can play better and the forwards can play better.”

Following 53 of the 68 games this season, the Erie Otters top the west with 85 points; Guelph sits third with 84 while London rounds out the teams with first-round playoff home advantage with 77 points.

Favourable results in the playoffs could set up a London-Erie second round series in the playoffs. But that is getting ahead of things. For now, it's about finishing the regular season on a high. With 15 games left, time is running out.

There may be no division title banner raised at the Budweiser Gardens this season, no Western Conference champions banner either. But a Memorial Cup Champions banner raising?

That would be ideal for Knights nation.