High-flying Knights take show on road

Knight Watch: London streak deja vu from last year; Medvedev sizzling in net; Cowan point run at 60 G; Road stint starts Tuesday in Kitchener. Then, Knights head north (North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie) …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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It was a near perfect weekend for the London Knights, as they outscored their opponents 14-1 in a pair of lopsided wins.

The first-place Knights were in control of both games right from the drop of the puck, but it was standout second periods that helped them really pull away in both victories. London scored four second-period goals in Friday’s win over Guelph, and then added another five second-period goals Sunday against Sudbury.

Easton Cowan had a season-high three points in Sunday’s win, extending his regular season point streak to 60 games. Despite having a point in all 24 games he’s played in this season, that was his first three-point effort of the campaign.

Landon Sim opened the scoring in Friday’s win, which marked the eighth time he’s scored the first goal of a game this season. That’s the most of any OHLer.

It’s been a remarkable run for a franchise that’s no stranger to lengthy winning stretches. After losing four of their first eight games this season, the Knights have since lost just three times in their last 33 contests.

This time last season, London was in the middle of a streak that saw them go 23 games without a regulation loss. Currently, it’s been 11 contests since they fell in regulation.

London’s goaltending duo has continued their strong play, Austin Elliot made 17 saves Sunday for his 18th straight win as a Knight. It was the second straight start where he was only required to make 17 saves.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

Aleksei Medvedev has been a bit busier. He stopped all 32 shots he faced on Friday to record his second shutout of the season. That’s the most shutouts by a Knight rookie since Brett Brochu had two during the 2019-20 season.

The 18 shots the Knights surrendered in Sunday's win marked the fewest they’ve allowed since giving up just 13 shots against the Soo Greyhounds back in November. London will make a return trip to the Soo this weekend as they find themselves in their busiest stretch of the season with five games in eight days.

The Knights head to Kitchener Tuesday hoping to add to their lead in the Midwest Division before heading north for games in North Bay, Sudbury, and Sault Ste. Marie. After this busy stretch of road games, the Knights will play nine of their next 11 on home ice.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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UPCOMING GAMEDAYS

Tuesday (Jan. 21, 7:00pm) @ Kitchener Rangers (30-9-3-1, 3rd in Western Conference)

Kitchener is one of three teams in the OHL with 30 or more wins this season. After a stretch that saw the Rangers win 13 of 15 games, they’ve now lost three of their last five. Jackson Parsons has been busy in net, starting all but three of the team’s last 25 games. He’s second in the OHL with 2,079 minutes played this season. Aylmer’s Cameron Reid has played himself into first-round discussions for this year’s NHL draft. He has 33 points, 10th most among OHL defensemen. It’s been a tremendous overage season for netminder Parsons, who leads the league in wins, shutouts and goals-against average, and is among the leaders in save percentage.

Thursday (Jan. 23, 7:00pm) @ North Bay Battalion (16-22-3-0, 9th in Eastern Conference)

The Battalion are in rebuild mode but the youngsters have been showing promise. The team has just three wins in their last 13 games, but two of those came against Brampton and Barrie, two of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Parker Vaughan, from nearby St. Thomas, was the big acquisition in a trade with Barrie that saw Ilderton’s Owen Van Steensel and Anthony Romano join the Colts. Shamar Moses came over in a trade with Barrie earlier in the season and has 34 points in 34 games since. Anaheim Ducks prospect Ethan Procyszyn leads the team with 41 points. 

Friday (Jan. 24, 7:05pm) @ Sudbury Wolves (22-15-5-0, 6th in Eastern Conference)

The Knights caught Sudbury at the end of a bad road trip last weekend, beating the Wolves 8-1 to cap off a winless three-game road trip that saw them get outscored 20-5. Expect a better effort this time around for a team that is jostling for home ice in the first round of the playoffs in a crowded Eastern Conference. Henry Mews leads all OHL defencemen with 58 points. He assisted on Sudbury’s lone goal in London on Sunday. The Knights held Winnipeg Jets prospect Kieron Walton and San Jose Sharks prospect Quentin Musty in check on Sunday. It was the first time this season that the talented pair had been kept off the scoresheet in the same game.

Sunday (Jan. 26, 2:07pm) @ Sault Ste. Marie (18-24-1-0, 8th in Western Conference)

This could very well be a preview of a first round playoff matchup. The Soo Greyhounds are another team that has shifted its focus to the future. They parted ways with world junior defenseman Andrew Gibson. Nolan Lalonde came over in a trade with Kingston and he has a pair of shutouts since. Marco Mignosa leads the team with 41 points, Owen Allard has five goals in his last five games, and draft-eligible Brady Martin has 32 points in 33 games.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

KNIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS

8 - No player in the OHL has opened the scoring of a game more times than Knights forward Landon Sim. Eight of his 17 goals this season have been the first goal of the game.

60 - Easton Cowan tied a season high with three points on Sunday, bringing his regular season point streak to 60 games.

9 - The Knights scored 14 goals in a pair of wins last weekend, with nine of them coming during the second period.

72 - Aleksei Medvedev has faced 73 shots in his last two starts, turning aside 72 of those to record his 14th and 15th wins of the season.

A LOOK AT THE LOCALS

- The Guelph Storm have named former London Junior Knight Jett Luchanko the 33rd captain in team history.

- Ryan Roobroeck (Niagara IceDogs) scored on Sunday to reach 30 goals on the season. The former London Junior Knight standout has 61 points through 43 games.

- Ilderton’s Owen Van Steensel (Barrie Colts) has announced his commitment to play NCAA hockey at Clarkson University.

- Dorchester’s Marcus Vandenberg got the call for the Sudbury Wolves on Sunday. The overage netminder is enjoying a successful season with the OJHL’s Leamington Flyers after spending last season with the Wolves. The result didn’t go his way, but he did pick up an assist on Sudbury’s lone goal.

AROUND THE OHL

- Zayne Parekh is officially the highest scoring defenseman in Saginaw Spirit history. He has 184 points in 152 games, surpassing Strathroy’s Patrick McNeill for most by a Spirit defenseman.

- Some recognition for a pair of Soo Greyhounds, as Nolan Lalonde recorded a pair of shutouts and was named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Week, while Chase Reid had six points through three games and was named the OHL’s Top Rookie. 

- Kingston Frontenacs forward Tuomas Uronen was the OHL Player of the Week with two goals and six points in a pair of games.