A KNIGHT OF MILESTONES
The London Knights followed that formula on Friday at home to Owen Sound on their way to a 7-3 victory over the Owen Sound Attack.
The Knights came about as close as you can come to silencing an opponent in the first period. If it wasn’t for a long wrist shot into the glove of Jake Patterson, London would have shut out the Attack on the scoreboard and the shot clock.
Goals by Chris Tierney on a steal in the slot and by Bo Horvat on a pretty behind-the-net feed from Matt Rupert did the scoring and London held Owen Sound to a single shot, outshooting them 19-1.
The second period saw more of the same as Tim Bender slapped a puck that went through Attack goalie Jack Flinn 3:19 in, giving the native of Germany his 2nd OHL goal.
Londoner Ethan Szypula got that goal back for the Attack as he stepped in behind Knights’ goalie Jake Patterson and whacked a puck into the net that came off the end boards to make it 3-1.
The Knights were quick to react after giving up that goal as Max Domi followed his rebound and buried it for a 4-1 London lead.
Then Gemel Smith came out of the penalty box and took a feed that sent him in alone. He made no mistake, going high on the backhand for his 30th goal of the year, this one against his former team.
Before the period was over, the Knights’ special teams struck again as a Chris Tierney shot went off an Owen Sound stick and into the net for a 6-1 London lead. The Knights outshot the Attack 18-8 in the middle period.
In the third, former Knight Kyle Platzer was the beneficiary of a broken stick belonging to a teammate. Daniel Milne got to a puck in front of the London net and tried to shoot, only to have his stick fold in half. Platzer picked up the puck and snapped it into the net for his 13th.
Bo Horvat extended the Knights’ lead to five once again as he took a pass from Ryan Rupert and went in alone to make it a 7-2 score.
Platzer’s 2nd of the night late made it 7-3, but couldn’t keep the Knights from becoming the hottest team in the OHL with their 6th consecutive victory.
London outshot Owen Sound 46-19.
The Knights will head for Erie on Saturday and return home to face Plymouth at 4PM on Sunday afternoon at Budweiser Gardens.
Mike Stubbs
NewsTalk 1290 CJBK – Play by Play Voice of the London Knights
