London at Sarnia Game Preview – January 16

The Battle of the 402 continues tonight as the Sarnia Sting host the London Knights for the last time this season. Puck drop for the final at home, face off against the Knights, is set for 7:05 PM at Progressive Auto Sales Arena.

 

Last night, Tyler Challenger scored his first goal as a member of the Sarnia Sting on the power play late in the third period. Challenger now has a point and assist each since joining the team in late November. Despite a laboured game against the Soo Greyhounds, the Sting lost 5-2.

 

Jacob Reese, who assisted on the first goal of the night and was the third star of the game, talked about the team’s mentality to regroup after last night’s loss. After this morning’s practice, he said, “After every game, win or lose, you have to mentally reset, and get ready to go again”. The matchup is the second half of a back-to-back for the Sting, whereas the Knights have not played since January 10.

 

Each time these two teams face off, it’s a guaranteed high-intensity and gritty game, where each team wants to come out on top, maybe more than usual. Reese said that the team’s focus for the matchup is, “to have a good start. It’s a big game against London, it’s always physical and fast paced”. The Knights currently sit at fifth in the Western Conference, with 49 points. The Western has proven to be a stacked conference with deep talent and teams that consistently put up a hard fight.

 

Despite his recent production, the 19-year-old blueliner isn’t solely focused on the points; he said, “I’m mostly concerned about the d-zone and playing well defensively”. The Boston native has been a player to watch in recent weeks, playing with physicality and helping generate plays.

 

The final at-home Battle of the 402 takes place tonight at 7:05 PM at Progressive Auto Sales Arena.