Friday Highlights: Marner gains 300-point status

The London Knights are a step closer to their first Midwest Division title and Hamilton Spectator Trophy since 2013 as Mitchell Marner picked up two assists for his 300th OHL point in a 4-3 home ice win over the Erie Otters on Friday.

Marner becomes the 14th player in London Knights history to record 300 points with the franchise, joining recent names in Max Domi, Rob Schremp and Dylan Hunter on the list.

The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect is third in OHL scoring with 39 goals, 77 assists and 116 points in 56 games this season.

A capacity crowd watched with excitement as two of the OHL’s best clubs went head-to-head in the first of a home-and-home set to finish the 2015-16 season.

Knights goaltender Tyler Parsons provided key saves to earn first star of the game honours and Max Jones scored twice as London won their ninth straight game to take a two point lead on Erie with 105 points on the season.

The two clubs meet on Saturday in Erie to close out the season.

Here’s Friday night’s nine games around the OHL at a glance.

 

LONDON 4 ERIE 3 – The London Knights stretched their winning streak to nine as Max Jones scored twice in a 4-3 win over the Erie Otters on home ice. Tyler Parsons turned aside 32 shots as the Knights took a two-point lead on Erie headed into Saturday’s season finale between the two clubs at Erie Insurance Arena. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Mitchell Marner contributed with two assists, reaching the 300-point milestone in his OHL career in the process. The Otters had goals from Alex DeBrincat, Brett Neumann and Kyle Pettit in the loss.
GAME CENTRE • HIGHLIGHTS

MISSISSAUGA 5 PETERBOROUGH 3 – The Mississauga Steelheads made a splash in the Eastern Conference standings on Friday, defeating the Peterborough Petes 5-3 to slide into a sixth place tie with the maroon and white. Daniel Muzito-Bagenda had two goals and an assist to pace the fish to a big win on home ice. Blueliner Jared Walsh had a goal and an assist while Michael McLeod registered two helpers in Mississauga’s fourth straight game collecting at least a point in the standings. Hunter Garlent was a bright spot for Peterborough scoring his 40th goal with two goals and an assist. Peterborough and Mississauga both trail fifth place Ottawa by one point with one game remaining in the season. Steelheads captain Josh Burnside played in his 263rd career regular season game, surpassing Darryl Boyce for third in Steelheads all-time franchise history.
GAME CENTRE • HIGHLIGHTS

NORTH BAY 4 SUDBURY 3 OT – Mike Amadio became the first player in North Bay Battalion franchise history to score 50 goals in a season as the Troops edged the Sudbury Wolves 4-3 in overtime. Overage winger Mathew Santos scored the difference maker 1:18 into OT with assists to Brett McKenzie and Kyle Wood on the play. North Bay saw a 3-0 lead go by the wayside as Sudbury goals from Alan Lyszczarczyk, Mikkel Aagaard and Dmitry Sokolov drew them even. Santos’ big goal earned the Troops two points as veteran netminder Jake Smith made 40 saves to backstop his club to victory. Dmitry Sokolov’s 28th goal of the season gives him the most by a Wolves rookie since Jason Jaspers had an identical total in 1999.
GAME CENTRE • HIGHLIGHTS

SARNIA 5 KITCHENER 2 – The Sarnia Sting had a pair of goals from rookie Ryan MacGregor to get past the Kitchener Rangers 5-2 on the road. The buzz also received three assists from New Jersey Devils prospect Pavel Zacha along with a goal and an assist from Nikita Korostelev, stretching their current winning streak to five games. Rookie netminder Aidan Hughes made 29 saves to record the win in his first start since November 4th. 18-year-old forward Brock Perry made his OHL debut for Sarnia in the victory. Darby Llewellyn and David Miller scored goals for the Rangers who have dropped six of their last 10 decisions. The Sting will square off with the Soo Greyhounds in a first round series that begins Friday, March 25th.
GAME CENTRE • HIGHLIGHTS

SAULT STE. MARIE 6 FLINT 1 – The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds ended their lengthy drought at home with a 6-1 win over the Flint Firebirds. Minnesota Wild prospect Gustav Bouramman had a goal and two assists while Morgan Frost, Blake Speers and Bobby MacIntyre recorded a goal and one assist each. Hounds goaltender Joseph Raaymakerse earned first star honours with a 25-save performance. Luke Kirwan provided Flint’s lone goal in the loss while Matthew Menna made 27 saves in his first start since January 30th. With an Owen Sound win, the Hounds are locked into seventh place in the Western Conference and will square off with the Sarnia Sting in the first round of the OHL Playoffs.
GAME CENTRE

WINDSOR 6 SAGINAW 1 – Two goals and an assist from rookie centreman Gabriel Vilardi paced the Windsor Spitfires to a 6-1 win in Saginaw. Logan Brown provided a goal and two assists while Christian Fischer netted his 40th of the season. The chippy, physical affair included a combined 16 powerplays as the Spitfires cruised to their 39th victory, six of which have come against Saginaw this season.
GAME CENTRE • HIGHLIGHTS

OTTAWA 5 HAMILTON 3 – The Ottawa 67’s put an end to the Hamilton Bulldogs’ playoff hopes as they responded to an early Bulldogs lead with four straight markers to put themselves in the driver’s seat. Artur Tyanulin scored twice, collecting his 18th and 19th goals of the season while Jacob Middleton had a goal and an assist and Nathan Todd had two helpers. Goaltender Liam Herbst made 32 saves as the 67’s won their fifth straight game to keep pace in the Eastern Conference, sitting in fifth place with a record of 35-29-2-1. Adam Laishram, Matt Luff and Ondrej Kachyna had goals for Hamilton as the Bulldogs will miss out on the playoffs in their first season in Hamilton.
GAME CENTRE • HIGHLIGHTS

KINGSTON 7 OSHAWA 0 – It wasn’t how they drew it up, but the Oshawa Generals locked down the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference despite suffering one of their worst losses of the season. Their future first round opponent defeated them soundly as Florida Panthers prospect Juho Lammikko had two goals and two assists in a 7-0 win for the Kingston Frontenacs. February’s OHL Goaltender of the Month Jeremy Helvig recorded a 30-save shutout while Jared Steege scored twice and Jason Robertson and Ryan Cranford collected a goal and an assist each. Kingston’s 45th win gives them 95 points on the season. The Oshawa Generals return to the OHL Playoffs after winning the MasterCard Memorial Cup last spring.
GAME CENTRE • HIGHLIGHTS

OWEN SOUND 5 GUELPH 2 – Sean Durzi scored twice as the Owen Sound Attack defeated the Guelph Storm 5-2 to lock up sixth place in the Western Conference. Owen Sound’s defence contributed offensively as Jacob Friend scored and had an assist while Damir Sharipzyanov collected two helpers in the win. Forwards Kevin Hancock and Jaden Lindo each recorded a goal and an assist in the Attack’s 32nd victory. Givani Smith and Luke Burghardt provided goals for the Storm who suffered their 12th straight loss.
GAME CENTRE • HIGHLIGHTS