KNIGHTS FINISH WEEKEND WITH 7-2 TEAM WIN
A four-point game for Matthew Tkachuk and Max Jones’ first OHL goal highlighted a 7-2 London Knights win over Sault Ste. Marie at Budweiser Gardens on Saturday.
The Knights were also perfect on the penalty kill and got another strong effort from goalie, Tyler Parsons.
Parsons ended up staring down a Sault Ste. Marie penalty shot as his first test as Greyhounds’ forward, Gabe Guertler was taken down on a short-handed breakaway less than two minutes into the game.
Parsons made a stick save and kept the score 0-0.
That didn’t last long as Mitch Marner and Matthew Tkachuk combined to set up J.J. Piccinich and he beat Brandon Halverson of the Soo for a 1-0 London lead at 2:32 of the first period.
Parsons made a second big save on speedy Bruins’ draft pick, Zach Senyshyn as he got in behind the London defence and tried a deke. Parsons didn’t bite and made another big stop.
Mitch Marner gave the Knights a 2-0 lead on the power play as he somehow found room over a body and under the goalie for his fourth goal of the season. Tkachuk and Victor Mete picked up assists on the play.
Jack Kopacka cut London’s lead in half at 16:37 as he put a wrister high into the Knight net.
Early in the second, the Knights ran into penalty trouble after a double shot on the same shift. A tripping penalty to Chris Martenet and a major penalty for kneeing assessed to C.J. Yakimowicz put the London penalty kill to a big test.
The Knights killed off the 5 on 3 and then put a big dent in the rest of the major and then got a helping hand from the Greyhounds’ Guertler, who took a penalty of his own off a faceoff.
At the end of the penalties, the Knights scored their third goal of the game as Brandon Crawley followed up a couple of high-degree-of-difficulty saves with a simple wrist-shot from the point that found its way through, putting London ahead 3-1.
Sault Ste. Marie closed the gap to 3-2 with 14.5 seconds remaining in the second period as Blake Speers converted a pass for his first goal of the season.
The Knights quashed any momentum that goal may have given with three goals in the third period.
Matthew Tkachuk made it 4-2 on a one-timer during an early Knights’ power play. Olli Juolevi slapped home his 2nd of the season for a 5-2 lead and then Mitch Marner wired in his 5th of the year and second of the game on a power play and it was 6-2 with time winding down.
Before the final horn, Max Jones scored his first Ontario Hockey League goal. Jones skated into the Greyhounds’ zone on the forecheck. He poked the puck free and then knocked it into the Sault Ste. Marie net to end the scoring.
Tkachuk ended the game with a goal and three assists. Mitch Marner had three points on the night.
London will play back to back home games on October 23rd and 24th as they welcome the Attack and the Battalion to Budweiser Gardens.
For tickets, call 519-681-0800 X 1, visit the Knights’ Armouries or go online to www.londonknights.com