Londoner Nick Suzuki had himself a very happy homecoming as he helped his Owen Sound Attack to a 6-1 win over the London Knights at Budweiser Gardens on Friday night.
Suzuki put up a career-high six points, with a goal and five assists, rocketing into the top ten in Ontario Hockey League scoring. He now has 71 points on the season.
The former Jr. Knight opened the scoring with the only goal of the first period as he batted a pass out of the air and past Tyler Johnson on a 2-on-1. The goal was Suzuki’s 30th of the season.
The Knights tied the game on a power play as Cliff Pu matched Suzuki by scoring his 30th on a wrist shot from the right side that beat Canadiens’ prospect Michael McNiven up high.
An Owen Sound man advantage allowed the Attack to go back in front at the 6:46 mark of the second period, as Suzuki fed a pass in front to Kevin Hancock and he scored goal number 25 on the year to make it 2-1.
Before the end of the period, a wrist shot from a sharp angle by veteran Owen Sound forward Jonah Gadjovich looked like it had been stopped by Johnson, but somehow trickled its way in to give the Attack a two-goal lead.
Another power play goal increased the Owen Sound lead early in the third period. Petrus Palmu’s shot was tipped in by Gadjovich for a 4-1 advantage after Suzuki had won the faceoff.
The Attack went up 5-1 as Gadjovich completed the hat trick at 12:05, batting in his own rebound after Suzuki had put the puck to the net. That assist was Suzuki’s 40th of the year.
He would add one more assist on a final goal from former London Knight Santino Centorame to close the scoring and give the Attack their sixth consecutive victory.
Owen Sound has now won 22 of 24 games, dating back to December 4. The only team to beat them has been the Knights and they did it twice, once in a shootout and once by way of a 4-0 shutout.
London played the game without Tyler Parsons and Victor Mete. Both are out with upper body injures. Mete has not played since January 13, when he took a puck to the head against the Saginaw Spirit.
The Knights will spend the Family Day long weekend entertaining families from Eastern Ontario as they head east for a game against the Kingston Frontenacs on Sunday afternoon, followed by a game in Ottawa against the 67s on Family Day. Both games can be heard live on AM 980. The pregame show will begin at 1:30 both days.
Before the players leave, they will be at all four locations of the Finch Auto Group in London on Saturday from 11-1 as part of Hockey Day in Canada.
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