London Knights still perfect to begin the year at 6-0 – London

The London Knights killed off 19 minutes in penalties and acquired the sport winner, short-handed from captain Luke Evangelista as they edged the Owen Sound Assault 2-1 on Friday night time at Budweiser Gardens.

The victory gave the Knights their sixth victory in a row to start out the yr, which now sits as their finest begin to a season because the 29-0-2 Canadian Hockey League record-setting starting in 2004-2005. London began the yr 5-0 in 2011-12.

The reigning Ontario Hockey League goaltender of the week, Brett Brochu, got here up huge once more, making 9 saves within the first 10 minutes of the sport in opposition to an Assault workforce that got here out hungry and indignant after a loss in Windsor the night time earlier than, which noticed Owen Sound quit 5 objectives within the third interval.

Brochu made 36 saves whole and was named the sport’s first star.

If particular groups are key to a workforce’s success, then they assist to elucidate a few of what London has been doing up to now. The Knights personal the league’s finest energy play and sit third general in penalty kill and it was the gamers who killed penalties in opposition to the Assault, who contributed in a big method.

London killed off three Owen Sound energy performs within the opening interval after which a 5-on-3 and a double minor for high-sticking to Evangelista within the second interval after which a five-minute main to Brodie Crane within the third interval to maintain the Assault off the scoreboard with the additional man.

The facility play discovered the again of the online for the Knights when Cody Morgan scored his very first aim as a member of the Knights. The puck acquired to the Owen Sound web the place Sean McGurn took a whack, Colton Smith acquired in a stab after which Morgan hit paydirt as he flipped it throughout the aim line previous huge, six-foot-four-inch Mack Guzda to interrupt a scoreless tie simply 49 seconds into interval two.

Rookie Assault ahead Colby Barlow evened the rating standing to the proper of the London web later in the identical interval. The puck discovered Barlow and he fired residence his fourth aim of the yr to make it 1-1 on the 8:32 mark.

The Assault scored inside the primary two minutes of the third interval however the aim was reviewed and disallowed as a result of it was dominated that Brochu had been interfered with attempting to get again to his crease after leaving it to play the puck and had no probability to reset himself earlier than Denis Goure fired the puck into the online from the proper aspect.

Simply seconds after that, with London nonetheless down a person, Sean McGurn acquired to a puck in his personal zone and flipped it forward to Evangelista, who went in alone and deposited the puck beneath Guzda for the eventual sport winner.

Total the Knights have been 6-for-6 on the penalty kill and 1-for-4 on the person benefit.

Owen Sound outshot London 37-30 on the night time.

The groups will meet for the fourth time within the first seven Knights video games on October 27 in Owen Sound.

London and Kitchener are the final remaining groups within the OHL. The Rangers edged the Spitfires 3-2 in a shootout on Friday.

Brochu picks up first award of 21-22

If he maintains the tempo he’s on already London goaltender Brett Brochu may need a much bigger trophy case this yr.

Brochu was named OHL goaltender of the week. He was in web for a shootout win, a regulation win and a victory in additional time to assist push the Knights document to 5-0-0. The Tilbury, Ont. native even picked up an help. His goaltender numbers have been glorious as he stopped 88 of 96 pictures for a objectives in opposition to common of two.55 and a save share of .923.

Brochu attended rookie camp with the Pittsburgh Penguins this fall and continues to get consideration from scouts for the way in which that he competes each night time within the London crease.

Up a spot within the rankings

The Knights jumped as much as fifth within the weekly Canadian Hockey League rankings. They have been sixth within the first listing to return out after the OHL season kicked off. Patrick Roy’s Quebec Remparts sit within the prime spot. They’re 6-1 and have allowed simply 11 objectives in 7 video games.

The high-scoring Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League are ranked 2nd. Winnipeg has outscored their opponents 53-13 up to now in 21-22 and they’re averaging 6.6 objectives for per sport. The 6-1 Acadie-Bathurst Titan spherical out the top-3. They’re 6-1 and led offensively by Montreal Canadiens draft choose Riley Kidney who has 14 factors already in 8 video games.

Huge begins

Londoner Drew Doughty and former London Jr. Knight and Elgin-Middlesex Chief Jared McCann are racking up factors to start out the 21-22 Nationwide Hockey League season.

Doughty has seven factors in simply three video games for the Los Angeles Kings and McCann is holding down the number-one centre spot for the growth Seattle Kraken and is averaging a degree per sport by means of his first 5 instances on the ice.

Doughty is in his 14th NHL season and has gained two Stanley Cups with the Kings. McCann performed six seasons in Vancouver, Florida and Pittsburgh earlier than being chosen by Seattle within the 2021 NHL Enlargement draft. He was the Alliance Participant of the Yr in 2012.

Up subsequent

Check out the Ontario Hockey League schedule for the remainder of the weekend and also you gained’t discover the London Knights on it. The Knights can be off till Wednesday when, for the fourth time in seven video games, they’ll face the Owen Sound Assault, this time again in Owen Sound.

London defeated the Assault 4-3 on the Harry Lumley Bayshore Group Centre Oct. 9 on a aim by Abakar Kazbekov that got here with simply 4:18 remaining in regulation time.

Broadcast time is 6:30 on 980 CFPL, at www.980cfpl.ca or on the Radioplayer Canada app.

The Knights subsequent residence sport can be October 29 at 7:30 pm in opposition to the Sarnia Sting. Tickets may be bought at 519-681-0800, in individual on the Knights Armouries or the field workplace or on-line anytime at www.londonknights.com