CREDIT: CLAUS ANDERSON/LONDON KNIGHTS & GETTY IMAGES
Goalie Tyler Parsons will be playing his best when the team faces off against the Kitchener Rangers on March 12.

With just five games left in the regular season, the London Knights will begin its first round OHL playoff matchup at the end of March. Before we look ahead to what is to come for the Knights, let’s look back at this eventful past season.

The 2014-15 season can be considered a successful transitional year for the London Knights. The season began with London losing four of its first five games and looking overmatched.

In mid-October, general manager Mark Hunter took a position as director of player personnel for the Toronto Maple Leafs and left incumbent Basil McRae to run the Knights for the remainder of the year. As the season wore on, stars like Max Domi and Mitchell Marner started to find their groove. A seven-game win streak in the middle of December put London back on the right track.

McRae made his mark on the team with a couple of deals sending veterans Michael McCarron and Dakota Mermis to the Oshawa Generals for youngsters Josh Sterk and Cliff Pu.

Under McRae’s leadership, the Knights have gone 33-17-0 as of the beginning of March. Since Max Domi’s return from the World Junior Classic, he has produced 37 points in his past 23 games. Mitchell Marner has carried the Knights on his shoulders all season, posting an OHL leading 119 points in 56 games.

Needless to say, the Knights are not starving for offense.

Goaltending, on the other hand, has been a big question mark all season long. Veteran Michael Giugovaz has the third worst goalsagainst average among qualifying goalies – 3.62 GAA – while rookie Tyler Parsons has only been marginally better with a 3.29 GAA.

If the season ended today, the London Knights would finish third overall in its conference and face a tough first round matchup versus the Kitchener Rangers.

Led by second-year forward Ryan MacInnis and Red Wings goaltending prospect Jake Paterson, the Kitchener Rangers will look forward to being the underdog and the Knights will need to take the team seriously.

In the season series, the Knights have the advantage over Kitchener having won three of the five games these two teams have played so far this season. However, the team’s record against the Rangers is deceiving when you consider that all three of its victories have been decided by just one goal.

On March 12, London will face Kitchener in the last matchup of the regular season. In this game, we will get a preview of the Knights potential first round foe and the team’s eventual playoff chances.

All interested Knights fans should check out The Biz Booth to pick up their tickets.