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Nikita Zadorov is taking on added responsibilities as the Knights are short on the blue line.

The London Knights were facing adversity. Their blue line was depleted and how? Zach Bell would play no further part in the post season after breaking a leg. His fellow overager Brady Austin was listed as a day-to-day with mono.

Not what you would want to hear before the toughest playoff series in over two seasons of hockey.

London vs. Guelph; and the Knights knew their backs were against the walls.

They didn't appear baffled by whatever the Guelph Storm threw at them. They weathered the strom. Without Bell and Austin, the Knights turned to Dakota Mermis, Alex Basso and Nikita Zadorov.

Their job was simple — become playoff ironmen.

There is no room for error. It's a tight series, with the Storm holding a 2-1 advantage at the time of writing. That could all change

Zadorov doesn't appear to mind having to play around 25-30 minutes a game. It's what's expected of him given the circumstances. But between the time of writing and the time you read this, the Knights and Storm could have played four games in six days.

The series could be done by then.

“Win or lose, that's what [Zadorov's] going to play, unless it goes to triple overtime,” London GM Mark Hunter told the London Free Press. “We need everybody. They're (the Storm) a good team over there. We've got a series ahead of us.”

He's right. It's a series alright.

Game three, the Guelph Storm showed why they're no pushovers. They worked on shutting down the Knights' fluid offense that lit them up for seven goals in game two. That didn't happen. Robby Fabbri and Phil Baltisberger played spoilsport at the Budweiser Gardens with two goals each. Kerby Rychel helped himself to three assists.

The Storm meant business. It's not easy to play at the Budweiser Gardens during the playoffs. The 2012 Niagara IceDogs, 2013 Barrie Colts and 2013 Plymouth Whalers know that feeling all too well. Over 9,000 screaming hockey fans, the House of Green can be unfriendly at times.

On the positive note for London, Zadorov is having a scorching hot run of form. He's tallied nine points in seven playoff games. But Knights captain Chris Tierney is having a season to remember. It's 17 points in seven games for the San Jose Sharks prospect.

“I didn't know [Tierney] was going to be as big a goal scorer coming into this year,” forward Josh Anderson said. “He's improved his shot a lot. He's been working on it in practice. We need a lot more goals from him.”

At this point every point is vital. Sure as I've brought it up before, London has a backdoor entrance to the Memorial Cup. But they'd rather barge in as league champions. There's too many variables to factor in between now and Monday. It's a unpredictable game hockey, that's for sure.

What was predictable was how exciting this series would pan out. It's a shame one 100-point team won't make it to the third round of playoffs.

But that's the way it goes.