Tyler Parsons has enjoyed a full junior hockey experience.

He won a Memorial Cup in overtime. He earned a world junior gold by beating Canada in a shootout at Montreal, for crying out loud.

He got to celebrate big triumphs with teammates like Mitch Marner and Max Domi and knows what it's like to try to stop Connor McDavid.

But a do-or-die Game 7 in the playoffs?

Nope, this will be brand new terrain Tuesday at Budweiser Gardens.

"Pretty cool," the Knights goaltender said after London's 5-3, Game 6 victory before 4,696 Sunday at WFU Centre, the latest in a series full of heart-stopping endings. "We still hold that title as (defending) champions. I don't want it to end like this. We definitely don't want to end (here). We've got to make it out of the first round and go from there."

They thrashed their way out of the Spitfires' spider web twice now. They saved their season again, something last year's Knights didn't have to do once until the Memorial Cup final in Red Deer.

"We got down," captain JJ Piccinich said, "and just kept fighting."

They did it by winning in Windsor for the first time in six visits this season.

They did it with another perfect penalty kill, so incredibly rare on the road this year.

And they capped it, amazingly enough, by scoring three times in the third period in the Spitfires rink.

Do you know how many third-period goals London had in its previous five Rose City trips?

Zero.

This was a major mountain to climb for this team.

"Through the years, it's been tough to win here," London coach Dale Hunter said. "(Windsor) is a good team, but they (the Knights) dug deep for a big win.

"They battle and that's what playoffs is all about. They played hard to come back."

As usual, it wasn't decided until the final minute. This has been a week of frayed nerves.

The Knights were up by three and almost free. Then, Jeremiah Addison remembered how much difficulty London is having trying to contain him.

The Habs prospect scored all three Spitfires goals, including a pair over a three-minute span in the second half of the third period to give the home side hope.

He has a series-best five tallies -- and he has only played in four games because of a suspension.

But with 90 seconds left, Parsons stoned big Logan Brown on the doorstep to deny Windsor the equalizer.

Usually, timely goals are considered knife-to-heart material.

But highlight-reel robbery can do the same.

"I just read the play coming from behind the net," Parsons said. "I saw they scored the third (Addison) goal there. Being up one, that would destroy their whole momentum moving forward (with a stop). So I knew I had to make that save and stuck my pad out there and hoped for the best."

He said he ended up getting the edge of his toe on it first.

That fraction of a foot is what decides wins and losses in this set.

London has fell twice in overtime. On Friday, the Knights hung on because Parsons' presence forced Mikhail Sergachev to fire wide on a last-gasp howitzer.

"It's hard to talk about the saves he makes," Knights forward Max Jones said. "It's so normal for him. He makes those desperation saves like it's his job every single day. Every time you see it, it's wide-eyed. He's an athlete, right?

"It's good to have him behind us."

And now, it's the Spitfires who stare at their playoff mortality for the first time.

They have so much on the line with the Memorial Cup being held in their building in May. Good luck selling more tickets and hype for that party if the Knights drown them out at the Bud.

"Sometimes, and it's natural, you don't play for your life until your life is on the line," Windsor coach Rocky Thompson said. "We saw that from London. I think our guys felt like they kind of were, but clearly, we weren't.

"Now, we're playing for our lives and that will be the difference maker moving into that game."

Problem is, the Knights are used to it now.

They're still the champs and they finally won a game on the ice where the next Memorial Cup will be held.

Win Tuesday, and for the first time all year, it will start to feel like the Knights have a shot at getting back to that big stage.

rpyette@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/RyanatLFPress

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OHL PLAYOFFS

Knights 5, Spitfires 3

(Best-of-seven Western quarterfinal tied 3-3)

London goals: Robert Thomas (2), Mitchell Stephens, Janne Kuokkanen, JJ Piccinich

Windsor goals: Jeremiah Addison (3)

Next:Game 7 is Tuesday, 7 p.m. at Budweiser Gardens.

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Knights 5, Spitfires 3



3 Stars

1. Janne Kuokkanen, Knights. Got it started.

2. Robert Thomas, Knights. Finished it off.

3. Jeremiah Addison, Spitfires. All Spits' offence.

First period

1. Windsor, Addison 3 (Day, Bracco) 4:59

Right on the doorstep.

Penalties – Piccinich, Ldn (slashing) 0:53, Jones, Ldn (tripping) 6:41, Chatfield, Wsr (holding) 8:21, Mattinen, Ldn (high-sticking) 12:57, Addison, Wsr (interference) 14:49.

Second period

2. London, Stephens 4 (Kuokkanen, Thomas) 5:54 (pp)

Poked it home.

3. London, Kuokkanen 3 (Bouchard, Juolevi) 10:12

Ripped it high.

Penalties – Windsor, bench (too many men, served by Purboo) 4:10, Jones, Ldn, Sergachev, Wsr (roughing) 5:13, Chatfield, Wsr (holding) 13:10, Salituro, Ldn (slashing) 17:53.

Third period

4. London, Piccinich 1 (Miletic, Pu) 4:23

DiPietro lost high shot.

5. London, Thomas 2 (Mete) 5:50

Pretty pass by Mete.

6. Windsor, Addison 4 (Vilardi, Nattinen) 11:38

Slipped under Parsons.

7. Windsor, Addison 5 (Nattinen, Vilardi) 14:38

Slapped home hattie.

8. London, Thomas 3 (Jones, MacDonald) 19:00 (en)

Forced Game 7.

Penalties -- None.

Shots on goal by

London 14 19 11—44

Windsor 8 7 13—28

Goal: London: Parsons (W, 3-3). Windsor: DiPietro (L, 3-3).

Power plays (goals-chances): Ldn 1-4. Wsr 0-4.

Referees– Mike Cairns, Brent Coulombe. Linesmen– Dustin McCrank, JF Menard.

Attendance: 4,694.