KNIGHTS GROUND THE GREYHOUNDS
Magicians can’t just learn how to make a coin disappear and then reappear behind somebody’s ear. They can’t just master pulling coloured scarves from their sleeves or rabbits from hats.
They also must learn words and phrases. Two in particular.
The classic, “Abracadabra” and also, “now for my next trick.”
The Knights followed the Abracadabra of their win over Erie on Thursday with a big next trick, beating the Soo Greyhounds 6-4 at home on Friday.
Three goals in a span of 1:12 by the Knights in the second period led the way in London’s bag of illusions and broke a 2-2 tie, giving London room to breathe the rest of the way.
The Greyhounds actually got the jump on the Knights by scoring the first goal of the game on a two-man advantage as Blake Speers rammed home a shot from the top of the left circle for his 20th goal of the season and a 1-0 Sault Ste. Marie lead.
The Knights got that back on a power play of their own as Matthew Tkachuk found Aaron Berisha, who pulled a disappearing act for the second game in a row, reappearing at the top of the opposition crease to rip a shot into the net. Berisha tied the game with his 37th goal of the year as Tkachuk extended his scoring streak to 12 games.
London made use of another power play to take their first lead of the game. Greyhounds’ goalie Brandon Halverson made a save on a shot from the slot, but the puck bounced to the side of the net and as Tyler Hore attempted to play it away from danger, he accidently put it over his own goal line.
That 2-1 Knights’ lead stood until Gabe Guertler deked his way deep into the London end and got a shot on Brendan Burke. The Paradise Valley native made the save, but Makar Tokarev was there to lift in the rebound and quiet the crowd at 2-2.
That’s when the Knights walked back to centre stage, bringing their fans back to life with those three goals in 72 seconds.
Berisha walked off the left side and lasered a shot past Halverson for a 3-2 lead. Then Olli Juolevi wristed a puck through a pile and it went off Halverson’s glove and into the net to make if 4-2. The following faceoff, Kole Sherwood put a puck off Halverson that Daniel Bernhardt tapped in at the side of the Sault Ste. Marie goal and the Knights led 5-2.
London held off the ‘Hounds for almost 15 minutes of the third, but Zachary Senyshyn and Jack Kopacka found a couple of rabbits, getting goals in tight to the Knights net in a 60 second span to tighten the score to 5-4.
The Greyhounds pulled the goalie with under two minutes left, but the Knights kept them away from their net and eventually put a last lock on the magic trunk thanks to great work by Matthew Tkachuk that got a puck to Dvorak for his 49th goal of the season into an empty net.
Dvorak was named the game’s first star thanks to two goals and two assists.
Tkachuk ended the game with a pair of assists.
London will play their third home game in four days when they welcome the Kitchener Rangers to Budweiser Gardens on Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm. Make sure to visit http://londonknights.com/page/tickets-i, the Aluminum Associates London Knights Armoury, OMAC Mortgages London Knights Box Office, or call 519-681-0800 ext. 1 for more information.
Broadcast time on NewsTalk 1290 will be 1:30pm.
