WEEKEND SWEEP MAKES IT 5 STRAIGHT
The London Knights picked up their 20th win of the season on Sunday, knocking off the Peterborough Petes 5-2 at Budweiser Gardens.
The Petes came out playing the Knights tough. They weren’t giving London’s skilled players much room to do anything early in the game and even managed to pop the first goal as London native, Josh MacDonald banged home a shot that had gone wide and bounced off the end boards.
Then, the Knights’ power play got a chance to go to work and the extra room on the ice seemed to alter the game’s complexion.
Christian Dvorak, who came into the game with nine points in his past two games, picked up a puck in his own zone and skated through all four Peterborough penalty killers, got right to the net, pivoted and put a puck right onto the stick of Michael McCarron and he rifled a shot high past Petes’ goalie, Scott Smith, to tie the game.
From there, the Knights seemed to control the play. Mitch Marner fed Dvorak on an odd-man rush and he backhanded the puck through the legs of Smith for a 2-1 London lead.
Owen MacDonald bagged two goals early in period two to stretch London’s lead to three goals.
The first came on a breakaway thanks to a fantastic pass from Aaron Berisha. MacDonald deked and put the puck between the legs of Smith to put the Knights ahead 3-1.
Drake Rymsha then began a gorgeous three-way passing play as he won a race to a puck in the left corner of the Petes’ end, dished to Zach Grezelewski, and he rifled a pass right onto the stick of MacDonald at the side of the net. MacDonald knocked it home for his seventh of the season and the Knights were ahead 4-1.
Peterborough got a goal of their own as the ninth overall pick in the 2014 OHL Priority selection converted a pass for his second goal of the year.
London restored their three-goal lead before the end of the second. Marner grabbed the rebound after a Victor Mete shot, moved to his right and buried his 26th .
The third period went by without a goal and the Knights captured their 5th straight win.
Christian Dvorak ended the day with a goal and two assists. He ended the week with 12 points in three games and is certainly in the running, if not leading the way for Player of the Week honours. Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist in the game. He has eight points in his last three games.
The Knights go on the road to Kitchener on Tuesday before returning to host Guelph on Friday at 7:30 in their final game before the holiday break.
Mike Stubbs
NewsTalk 1290 CJBK
Play by Play Voice of the London Knights
