Knight Watch: Win streak at four, London looks for more

Knights are winning on special teams; Brody Crane catches fire, named Player of the Week. Zach Bowen shines in rare opportunity. Columnist Jake Jeffrey has all the Knights news — and notes from around the OHL …

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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Four straight wins now have the Knights in the thick of things in the Western Conference, as they sit in second place in the Midwest Division entering action this weekend.

Most impressive? Two of those four wins came against division leaders in Owen Sound (Midwest) and Windsor (West). Since losing their first four games to start the season, London (9-6-1-0) has won nine of its last 12 games.

Brody Crane broke out in a big way last weekend, scoring four goals and adding three assists in the Knights’ three-game weekend sweep. As a result, he was named the OHL Player of the Week, becoming the first Knight this season to receive the distinction. Crane also currently leads the team with a plus-6 rating.

Easton Cowan, Logan Mailloux and Oliver Bonk, meanwhile, all have points in London’s current four-game win streak, while George Diaco and Sean McGurn continue to lead the way offensively. Diaco, the team’s leading scorer, had his eight-game point streak come to an end Sunday, while McGurn extended his to nine games.

Goaltender Zach Bowen had the most impressive performance of his young career last Saturday, making 38 saves against a strong Windsor team to record his second OHL win. The coaching staff showed tremendous confidence in Bowen by giving him the start against the highest-scoring team in the Western Conference, and Bowen passed the test with flying colours. Look for the Knights backup to get more minutes as the season goes on. So far, he’s started just three of London’s 16 games this year.

London’s special teams unit is really starting to come along, which was expected with players like Mailloux and Isaiah George returning from injury. The Knights’ powerplay is fourth-best in the league, while they also boast the third-best penalty kill.

Jackson Edward is starting to find his offensive touch. Already established as a physical and reliable defensemen, he’s been expanding his game over the last three weeks. After recording just two points through his first nine games, he has three goals and seven points in his last seven contests.

Sam Dickinson and Luca Testa will be back in the lineup this weekend after returning from the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in British Columbia. Dickinson captained Canada Black to a fourth-place finish, losing to Finland in the Bronze Medal game. He had a goal and an assist and was named to the tournament All-Star team.

Brody Crane went on a heater last weekend, scoring four goals and adding three assists en route to being named OHL Player of the Week. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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UPCOMING GAMEDAYS

Friday (Nov. 18, 7:00pm at home) & Saturday (Nov. 19, 7:00pm on road) vs. Flint Firebirds (9-7-1-1)

Despite a recent shakeup in Flint, as they parted ways with top scorer Brennan Othmann, the Firebirds are still a tough team to face. They have strong goaltending in Will Cranley and a still-potent offence even without Othmann. Amadeus Lombardi and overager Riley Piercey lead the team with 21 points apiece. Import pick Dmitry Kuzmin is a small but solid defencemen, and the addition of hard-hitting Artem Guryev adds some physicality on the back end for Flint — although he has crossed the line on a couple of occasions.

Sunday (Nov. 20, 2:07pm) @ Soo Greyhounds (5-7-4-2, 5th in West)

With just three wins in their last 14 games, the Soo is starting to slide in the Western Conference standings. They currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot (through action Wednesday). The Greyhounds’ captain, Bryce McConnell-Barker, who scored against London last weekend, leads the team in scoring and is riding a six-game point streak. Sunday will mark London’s first trip across the Mackinac Bridge to Sault Ste. Marie. The teams have split their two matchups at Budweiser Gardens this year.

A LOOK AT THE LOCALS

Among eligible netminders, the Peterborough Petes’ Michael Simpson leads the league with a .922 save percentage.

Jett Luchanko won a silver medal with Canada Black at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He has a pair of goals in 13 games with the Guelph Storm this season.

Bryce McConnell-Barker and Jordan D’Intino both had solid weekends, capped off by scoring in front of family and friends when the Soo Greyhounds visited Budweiser Gardens on Sunday. D’Intino's shorthanded marker was his second goal of the weekend, while McConnell-Barker had three goals and an assist. Meanwhile, Bryce’s younger brother, Brodie McConnell-Barker, made his OHL debut during the Greyhounds’ southwestern Ontario road trip, playing in all three weekend games. He has three goals and 14 points in 12 games with the NOJHL’s Soo Thunderbirds.

Jacob Julien made his OHL debut for the Knights on Sunday. A third round pick in the 2021 U18 draft, Julien has 37 points in 19 games with the GOJHL’s London Nationals this season.

KNIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS

11 - Oliver Bonk leads all rookie defensemen with 11 points in 16 games this season. He’s currently riding a six-game point streak during which he has one goal and seven assists.

28.5 - London scored four powerplay goals in their three victories last weekend, good for a 28.5 per cent success rate.

10 - During their four-game winning streak, London has successfully killed off all 10 of their shorthanded opportunities.

38 - Zach Bowen made 38 saves in a 6-1 win over first-place Windsor Saturday, the most single game saves by a London netminder this season. The high-scoring Spits had only been held to a single goal one other time this season, a 2-1 overtime loss to Sarnia in their season opener.

AROUND THE OHL

The Peterborough Petes made a major addition this week, acquiring Brennan Othmann from the Flint Firebirds. The New York Rangers first-round pick is top ten in both goals (11) and points (24), and he’ll provide a major boost to the Petes’ offence. Parting ways with their top scorer may suggest a rebuild for the Firebirds, but they did receive 19-year-old defenseman (and San Jose prospect) Artem Guryev in the deal — and they still have a handful of older players that will keep the Firebirds fierce. The Petes and Firebirds actually played each other Saturday, the same day of the trade, though neither Othmann or Guryev were in the lineup.

Pavel Mintyukov has not slowed down after his incredible start. The Saginaw Spirit defensemen (and Anaheim Ducks prospect) is second in the OHL in points with 28. Only Sarnia’s Ty Voit has more.

The Niagara IceDogs parted ways with head coach Daniel Fitzgerald.

OHL leading scorer Nolan Burke signed an entry level contract with the Nashville Predators. The Sarnia Sting overage forward had previously been a free agent.

The Ottawa 67’s remain hot with an OHL-best 16-1 record. They also boast the league’s top powerplay and penalty kill.

North Bay is loading up, as they added Saginaw captain and Buffalo Sabres prospect Josh Bloom — and defensemen Brayden Hislop. Going to Saginaw in the deal is 17-year-old forward Nicholas Sima, 19-year-old defensemen Cam Gauvrea, and five draft picks (all second or third rounders).

The Sarnia Sting added more offence to their roster, as the Guelph Storm have started to look towards the future. They sent Sasha Pastujov to the Sting for former first-round pick Max Namestnikov and four draft picks. Pastujov, an Anaheim Ducks prospect, was leading the last-place Storm in scoring, while Namestnikov has had a tough time finding consistent offence with the Sting. A new start could be just the ticket for the third overall pick in the 2020 OHL draft.