Friday Knight

By RYAN PYETTE, SUN MEDIA
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rLONDON KNIGHTS (16-9-0-1) vs. SARNIA STING (15-12).
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WHEN: Tonight, 7:30 p.m. at the John Labatt Centre.
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THE MATCHUP: London had been the hottest team in the OHL before crashing to earth with a 7-1 loss to the front-running Kitchener Rangers on Tuesday. Sarnia was slated for top four in the Western Conference this season — not many thought the Sting would be trailing the Knights at this point in the season.
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LAST MEETING: The Sting opened the season by beating the Knights 3-2 at the JLC on Sept. 21. Matt Martin had a pair of goals, including the power-play winner, in the third period. London didn’t have star G Steve Mason back from the NHL at that point and the Sting may not see his best tonight. He fell ill after a hectic week of bouncing back and forth between the Knights and the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge.
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FOR PETE’S SAKE, STEVE: The Peterborough Petes are probably glad they don’t have to face the early favourite to be the first overall pick in next summer’s NHL draft anytime soon. Sarnia leading scorer Steve Stamkos torched the Petes for a pair of hat tricks and eight points in two meetings this month.
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ERLICH DEBUT: The arrival of Daniel Erlich is just one more sign the London Knights plan to skirt the rebuilding trend of junior hockey once again. When other teams think London’s cupboard of prospects finally looks bare, the Knights manage to lure another high-end offensive jewel into their possession. The Knights took the tiny, talented scorer from Thornhill in the seventh round of this year’s draft, then convinced him to give up the promise of a lucrative financial aid package to Northeastern University.
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DEFENSIVE WOES: Above all else, London needs to add some blue-line depth. The team went with five defencemen in its last two games at Guelph and Kitchener and that’s tempting the fates. “We’re working on some things right now,” Knights GM Mark Hunter said.
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NO EXTRA WORK: Sarnia is the only team in the OHL that hasn’t required an overtime game. London went through a recent stretch where it had four straight games need OT, including three shootouts.
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TEDDY TOSS: The Sunlife Financial teddy bear toss is scheduled for next Friday’s game against the Soo Greyhounds. The Knights are asking fans to bring an unwrapped stuffed bear to throw on the ice when the team scores its first goal. The Salvation Army will give the toys to children in the community who would otherwise go without this Christmas.
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ALUMNI UPDATE: The Columbus Blue Jackets, who already boast ex-Knights Rick Nash and Dan Fritsche, have called up another one in defenceman Marc Methot. He had two goals and an assist in 20 games with the Syracuse Crunch this season.
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AFTER THE BUZZER: London heads to Owen Sound tomorrow to face the suddenly successful Attack at 7:30 p.m. before a quick turnaround for a Sunday afternoon home tilt with Saginaw. Sarnia returns home to play the Plymouth Whalers on Sunday at 6:05 p.m.
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