Knights and Storm Divide Weekend Home and Home – London | The Canadian News

The Guelph Storm beat the London Knights 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ont., To end a packed weekend for both clubs.

Cooper Walker’s third period goal was the difference when he slipped in behind the Knights net and stole a shot that London goalkeeper Brett Brochu came out to play. Walker turned it around for the eventual match winner to move the Storm to within two points of London for the top spot in the OHL’s Midwest division.

Brochu of the Knights and fellow net keeper Owen Bennett of the Storm prevented the game from being about 4-4 after the first period. Both were asked to make huge savings and each did so. Brochu robbed Braeden Bowman of a chance to take the lead, but his header was tipped over the bar by the visitors’ keeper. Bennett made London forwards Ruslan Gazizov and Tonio Stranges wonder where empty nets went when he saved on the opposite sides of his net.

Danny Zhilkin found a way late in the first period when he moved to the left side of the London zone and unleashed a wrist shot that found the back of the London net with 2:19 left in the opening period around Guelph a 1 – to give. 0 advantage by 20 minutes.

Guelph took a 2-0 lead, one second shy of the five-minute notch in the second period, when Sasha Pastujov drafted Ben McFarlane for a one-time power play.

London came on the scoreboard during a showdown of their own when former Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs forward Easton Cowan caught a puck going off the endboards and buried it for his first Ontario Hockey League goal.

A late icing in the second period prompted the Knights’ head coach, Dale Hunter, to give a time-out to let the players he had on the ice rest, and the move paid off.

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London prevented Guelph from recording a discount in the Knights’ zone. Not long after, Brody Crane of Union, Ont., Closed out a smooth three-way passing game from Cody Morgan for his fifth goal of the year, sending the teams tied 2-2 after the third period.

An early power play for the Knights led to the goal by Walker. Bennett held on to Guelph the rest of the way.

Bennett has delivered some of his best performances overall. He has a .876 savings percentage this season. His save percentage against London is .932 in six games.

Brochu has stopped 41 of 44 shots for the Knights and will try to score the 20-point victory as the Knights play three more games over two-and-a-half days next weekend.

The positivity of George

London rookie defender Isaiah George has had a terrific first year in the Ontario Hockey League and it’s not even half over. George played great minutes and from day one showed his athleticism, skill and self-control.

His play has scouts who take notice. He is listed as the 42nd best North American prospect for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Even if he plays big minutes for the Knights, George stays with the top plus-minus players in the league.

He is currently second among defenders behind just Ethan Del Mastro of the Mississauga Steelheads. London drafted George in the sixth round of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Marlboros Organization.

Former Knight part of history

Hunter Skinner was part of a Teddy Bear toss in London, Ont., In 2019 that featured Alec Regula against Owen Sound and rained 8,624 stuffed toys at Budweiser Gardens.

On Saturday, January 22, Skinner was part of history as he and his Hartford Wolf Pack teammates watched 52,341 bears and other stuffed animals being thrown by Hershey Bears fans into what was a world record that was Teddy Bear Toss .

Hershey set the previous world record in 2019 with 45,650 stuffed toys. Washington Capitals prospect Axel Jonsson Fjallby scored the Teddy Bear throwing goal in a 5-0 Hershey victory over Skinner and the Wolf Pack.

Following

The Knights will play rugby matches against the Saginaw Spirit on Friday 28 January and Saturday 29 January and then end the month in Flint on 30 January.

A change in provincial regulations will enable London to have 500 fans at Budweiser Gardens on Friday 4 February when they host Windsor.

All games can be heard on 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada application.