Knight Watch

Columnist Jake Jeffrey gets you ready for the London Knights’ upcoming weekend games, with news, analysis and numbers.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

It would be difficult to draw up a better start to the Ontario Hockey League season than what the London Knights have been able to put together thus far, winning all eight of their games to kick things off.

You can chalk up a majority of those wins to outstanding goaltending — and also timely scoring.

Captain Luke Evangelista has been a goal-scoring machine with 10 already (six of those coming in his last three games). Brett Brochu has played every minute in net, and he recently took home the OHL Goaltender of the Month honours for October.

Add in a strong start for Sean McGurn (2-8--11) and rookie Colton Smith (6-3--9), not to mention league-best special teams numbers, and that's a recipe for early season success.

New addition Ruslan Gazizov had an assist in his Knights debut last Friday, just days after arriving to the team, and it will be interesting to see how he is utilized this weekend (Nov. 5-7) with a full week of practice under his belt.

He will be another weapon for the OHL's top powerplay (nine goals and a 33.3 percent efficiency rate in the early going).

Like most teams around the league, there hasn’t been a lot of opponent variety through the first month for London, as they’ve faced only three different teams — Owen Sound four times, and Windsor and Sarnia twice each.

The first month may have gone differently if not for the Knights’ ability to come through in tight games. Five games this season have been decided by a single goal, with three of those games going to overtime (two of which required a shootout).

It will be interesting to see how the team fares with some fresh foes ahead.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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UPCOMING GAMEDAYS

Friday (Nov. 5) vs. Owen Sound (3-6-0-1)

Familiar foes visit Budweiser Gardens on Friday (Nov. 5), as the Attack make their third trip to London, seeking their first road win of the season. Owen Sound has played London tight, with three of the four matchups between the teams decided by one goal. Former Knight Andrew Perrott leads Owen Sound in points with 15 (his 14 assists tops in the entire OHL heading into action Friday). Deni Gourde has a team-leading 6 goals for the Attack, 5 of which have come with the man advantage.

Another player to keep an eye on is Ingersoll's Gavin Bryant. In addition to being named October's Midwest Academic Player of the Month, the rookie has 3 goals and 7 points through nine games.

Owen Sound captain Mark Woolley returned to the lineup last weekend after he was injured in a game against London on a play that saw Knights forward Brody Crane suspended by the OHL. Crane will be serving the third and final game of that suspension Friday, and he’ll be able to return to the lineup on Saturday night in Flint.

Saturday (Nov. 6) @ Flint (4-3-0-0) (Flint plays Kitchener Friday)

It’ll be a fresh face for the Knights with Flint, in what will be London's first meeting with the Firebirds this season. The Firebirds are also looking forward to some variety. Prior to this week, their first six games had all been against their fellow American-based clubs, with all four of their wins coming against Erie (they had dropped both games to Saginaw).

Offensively, Flint is led by New York Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann (5-3--8). Meanwhile, they have one of the league’s top goaltenders in overager Luke Cavallin (3-3, 3.33 GAA, .906 SV%). It will make for an elite matchup if both he and Brochu were to get the call Saturday in Flint.

A LOOK AT THE LOCALS

Owen Sound has a handful of London area talent in the lineup, led by captain Mark Woolley (St. Thomas), Sam Sedley (St. Marys) and Gavin Bryant (Ingersoll).

Elsewhere in the OHL, Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs graduate Zander Veccia (Ridgetown) recently scored his first OHL goal with Mississauga. The Steelheads forward found the back of the net in the third period against Hamilton last Saturday, a game Mississauga went on to win in a shootout. Owen Van Steensel (Ilderton) scored his first OHL goal for the North Bay Battalion Thursday night, and it ended up being the game winner in a 6-3 victory over Peterborough.

KNIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS

It has been a strong start to the season for London's special teams as well, as the Knights entered the week with the league's most efficient powerplay — operating at 33.3 percent during the first month of play. And they have relied on their special teams, with roughly a third of their goals coming with the man advantage.

The Knights also boast the league’s best penalty kill at 91.4 percent.

Luke Evangelista is tied for second in the OHL with 10 goals, while Brett Brochu leads the league in most goaltending categories, including wins (8), goals against average (2.07) and save percentage (.935).

Colton Smith’s six goals rank second among rookies, behind Oshawa’s Callum Richie (seven).