London Knights defeat Greyhounds in a battle of top two teams in the OHL standings – London

It took seven targets however the London Knights held onto first place general within the Ontario Hockey League standings.

London defeated a relentless Soo Greyhounds squad 7-4 at Budweiser Gardens on Friday night time in a sport that noticed the Knights construct a 5-1 lead, solely to have Sault Ste. Marie come again to inside a purpose in a span of simply over three minutes unfold between two durations.

The groups got here into the sport with the highest two level totals within the OHL.

Max McCue led the way in which for London with two targets and an help and Ruslan Gazizov had a trio of assists to present him seven factors in his first 4 video games with the Knights.

The sport flew forwards and backwards, featured two video evaluations, hit posts and pucks pinging off crossbars in entrance of a crowd of a near-sold out crowd of 8,949 at Budweiser Gardens.

Brody Crane’s first purpose within the Ontario Hockey League began the scoring at 6:28 of the opening interval. London’s Denver Barkey flipped a backhand move to Crane on the left publish of the Greyhounds web and Crane banged by his personal rebound to hitch John and Ryan Held as father-son duos to attain for the Knights. Brody’s father Derrick performed in London from 1991-93.

It appeared that the Knights had gone forward 2-0 on a Colton Smith energy play purpose later within the opening body however after a assessment the purpose was disallowed. The introduced ruling mentioned the puck was deflected in by a excessive stick.

Utilizing the previous line, “if at first you don’t succeed…,” Smith made good on an influence play purpose early within the second for his eighth purpose general this 12 months and that did reach placing London forward 2-0 on the 45 second mark.

Max McCue arrange veteran Cody Morgan to place the Knights in entrance by three as McCue skated into the Sault Ste. Marie zone on a partial breakaway. As he was minimize off by a defender, he managed to move the puck to a hard-charging Cody Morgan going to the online and the London overage ahead scored his fourth purpose of the 12 months.

As a 5-on-3 London man benefit got here to an finish simply over 4 minutes later, Greyhounds captain Ryan O’Rourke nabbed a puck, went in on a breakaway and scored Sault Ste. Marie’s first purpose of the sport to chop into the Knights lead.

It didn’t take London lengthy to reply as Landon Sim banged in a puck to revive a three-goal benefit for the Knights at 14:07 of the second interval after which London’s Max McCue picked a high nook coming in on right-wing to make it 5-1 for the Knights.

Holding Sault Ste. Marie off the scoreboard is about as simple as holding grime out of your eyes in a sandstorm. The Greyhounds managed to get a purpose earlier than the second interval ended. Kirill Kudryavtsev snapped in his first OHL purpose with 33 seconds remaining on the clock and the groups went to the second intermission with London main 5-2.

It took Sault Ste. Marie simply over two and a half minutes to chop the Knights benefit to a single purpose.

Tye Kartye transformed on an influence play likelihood after which St. Louis Blues draft choose Tanner Dickinson scored one minute and 53 seconds later and all of a sudden the groups had been gazing a 5-4 scoreboard.

The velocity of the sport carried the groups shortly by the center a part of the third interval as they raced forwards and backwards however couldn’t beat Brochu, Ivanov or the posts or crossbars.

With 3:50 to go in regulation the Knights obtained the puck to the Greyhounds web and Liam Gilmartin batted it in. Sault Ste. Marie challenged the play for goaltender interference however the purpose stood and gave London some late respiration room that Max McCue made use of to place his second of the night time into an empty web to finish the scoring.

Brochu earned his tenth win of the season and stopped 29 photographs within the course of.

London was 2-for-7 on the facility play. The Greyhounds went 1-for 2.

The Knights had been with out Stu Rolofs (higher physique damage), Abakar Kazbekov (higher physique damage), Jackson Edward (decrease physique damage) and backup goaltender Matt Onuska who has been identified with mono. Owen Flores backed up Brochu.

Quantity 61 is primary

The Columbus Blue Jackets have introduced that former London Knight ahead Rick Nash would be the first Columbus participant to have his quantity retired.

Nash wore the identical quantity 61 with the Blue Jackets that he did with the Knights. Nash was the first-ever draft choose of the Mark and Dale Hunter period and when he joined the Knights he wished to put on quantity 13.

His favorite participant rising up in Brampton, Ont., had been Mats Sundin of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Sundin wore 13. At the moment, Knights coach Don Brankley didn’t permit any participant to put on 13. “Branks” was superstitious. Nash requested for quantity 16 however Matt Albiani was already carrying 16 for the Knights. When Nash arrived on the London Ice Home the following day, Don Brankley had a quantity 61 Knights sweater hanging in Nash’s stall.

Nash could be quantity 61 from that second ahead. Columbus will maintain a ceremony on Saturday, March 5 to honour Nash. His quantity 61 already hangs within the rafters at Budweiser Gardens.

Paul Cotter has NHL purpose primary

In simply his second sport within the Nationwide Hockey League, former Knight Paul Cotter scored his first NHL purpose. It started the scoring for the Vegas Golden Knights in what would finally be a 3-2 extra time victory over the Minnesota Wild.

Cotter spent a lot of the 2018-19 season in London after deciding to depart Western Michigan College to pursue skilled hockey. He had 26 factors in 48 video games for the Knights. Cotter went from London to the Chicago Wolves after which the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL and now could be making an attempt to safe a spot on the Golden Knights after they chose him within the 4th spherical of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

Up subsequent

London is headed to Erie on Nov. 13 to face the Otters for the primary time this season. Erie made a training change this week electing to fireplace Chris Hartsburg after a 3-7-1 begin. Erie has named longtime affiliate coach B.J. Adams as their new head coach. Adams was part of the Otters crew that gained an Ontario Hockey League championship in 2017.

Protection will start at 7 pm with the pre-game present on 980 CFPL, at www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.