Matthew Tkachuk and the London Knights are completely lodged under Niagara's skin.

So are the officials, if IceDogs defenceman Vince Dunn's bizarre third-period freak-out is an indication of the club's collective current state of mind after London's 6-1 victory to go up two games in the OHL final before 9,046 Saturday at Budweiser Gardens.

And even the arena's ice staff, working late to convert the rink for a Stars on Ice show Sunday, got an earful from Niagara team owner Bill Burke for hanging around the visiting dressing room area after the final buzzer.

That prompted a heated confrontation between Burke and Knights governor Trevor Whiffen, which later included IceDogs assistant coach David Bell helping to diffuse the situation.

"It's the OHL final, so the teams want it bad and emotions are pretty high," said Tkachuk, who needed to be helped off the ice after scoring late in the first period, then hobbled back to complete a hat trick in considerable pain. "It's a 1-1 game. I'm not going to go out that easy. You can't give up on your teammates like that. They're working hard for you, so you have to try to do the same for them."

His dramatic return inspired his teammates. The Knights poured in three more second-period goals and have now outscored the IceDogs a combined 6-1 in the two middle frames so far.

"I don't think anything will stop him," linemate Christian Dvorak said of Tkachuk. "He was the best player on the ice."

Tkachuk went into full vintage Corey Perry mode by filling the net and getting in the face of every IceDog. His third goal -- and league-leading 19th of the playoffs -- chased Niagara starter Alex Nedeljkovic from the net.

'"We were more disciplined and the better team," Tkachuk said. "We're doing the same thing (chirping and hacking) they are. I just think we're playing better hockey than they are right now."

The IceDogs are certainly happy to be going home to friendly Meridan Center, but they shouldn't get too comfortable.

The Knights, on an 11-game winning streak, are a perfect 7-0 on the road this post-season. They haven't allowed more than a single goal in five straight games.

Niagara gets power forward Brendan Perlini back from suspension, but London will add counterpart Max Jones, fresh from a 12-game ban, to its lineup.

"We haven't played well enough yet," Niagara GM/coach Marty Williamson said. "Hopefully, we will at home."

They lost their composure after falling behind in the second.

"Sure, you can say that," Williamson said. "We disagreed over some of the feelings of calls on different things and didn't handle it as well as we could."

After Dvorak scored early in the third to essentially put the game away, Dunn skated all around the faceoff circle at centre ice, obviously agitated, then interrupted the draw and earned his weird unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

After another IceDogs infraction, Tkachuk scored again on the two-man advantage. At the final buzzer, fellow Niagara d-man Aaron Haydon scooped up the game puck (which is usually collected by the winning team), showed it to the Knights and then put it in his pants.

The IceDogs certainly turned up the volume on the physical play in Game 2, but it ended up a futile parade to the penalty box.

"You can't run around like chickens with their heads cut off," Williamson said. "You have to play the game a proper way. If you're winning races and getting there, then there's contact to the game. If there's not, you have to understand what your next job is.

"I don't think the physical play is a factor in the emotion of the series."

The Knights didn't come out completely unscathed. Brandon Crawley, who has become an important cog in the London defence, suffered a knee-on-knee hit early, left the game and never returned.

His coach Dale Hunter described it as day-to-day lower-body injury.

"We can't say much about what happened on the ice (to lead to it)," Hunter said. "The ref called it the way he called it and that's the way it is."

The Knights were whistled for two diving penalties, although it was pretty clear CJ Yakimowicz was nailed in the face by a Graham Knott high stick on one of them.

"That's not my call," Hunter said.

With the way things are rolling, why bother making a fuss?

rpyette@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/RyanatLFPress

OHL PLAYOFFS

Knights 6, IceDogs 1

(London leads best-of-seven OHL final 2-0)

London goals: Matthew Tkachuk (3), Owen MacDonald, Victor Mete, Christian Dvorak

Niagara goal: Stephen Harper

Game 3: Monday, 7 p.m. at Meridian Centre.

Saturday at Budweiser Gardens

3 Stars

1. Matthew Tkachuk, Knights. Hat trick after injury.

2. Victor Mete, Knights. Good at both ends.

3. Christian Dvorak, Knights. Racked up points.

First period

1. Niagara, Harper 5 (Paquette, Ho-Sang) 6:04 (pp)

Blast from the point.

2. London, Tkachuk 17 (Marner, Dvorak) 19:09 (pp)

Limped to dressing room after goal.

Penalties– Tkachuk, Ldn (roughing double minor), Jenys, Nia (slashing) 4:56, Thomas, Ldn (diving), Wesley, Nia (interference) 9:41, Mikulovich, Nia (tripping) 10:50, Tkachuk, Ldn (tripping) 11:35, Mantha, Nia (slashing) 17:43, Yakimowicz, Ldn (diving), Knott, Nia (high-sticking) 19:09.

Second period

3. London, Tkachuk 18 (Juolevi, Dvorak) 6:54

Beauty tip-in on one leg.

4. London, MacDonald 4 (Piccinich, Mete) 10:42

Really short side.

5. London, Mete 3 (Tkachuk, Dvorak) 19:31

Ripped it high in tight.

Penalties– Niagara, bench, (too many men, served by Ho-Sang) 0:54, Knott, Nia (roughing) 8:02, Jones, Nia (holding) 12:37.

Third period

6. London, Dvorak 12 (Bernhardt) 1:10

Zipped it upstairs.

7. London, Tkachuk 19 (Marner, Dvorak) 2:25 (pp)

Hat trick special.

Penalties -- Dunn, Nia (unsportsmanlike conduct) 1:10, Berisha, Ldn (hooking) 9:30, Heffernan, Ldn (roughing double minor), DiFruscia, Nia (roughing) 16:53.

Shots on goal by

Niagara 8 8 12—28

London 7 12 6—25

Goal(shots-saves): Niagara: Nedeljkovic (23-17) (L, 12-3), Dhillon (2-2, 4:05 of third). London: Parsons (24-23) (W, 14-2), (Burke, 4-4, 16:39 of third).

Power plays (goals-chances): Nia 1-4. Ldn 2-7.

Referees– Jason Faist, Sean Reid. Linesmen– Drew Jackson, Jordan Browne.

Attendance: 9,046 (9,046).