The London Knights stretched their winning streak to four games and took the lead in the 402 Rivalry Series with a 6-2 win over the Sting in Sarnia on Dec. 28.
Max McCue recorded a hat trick for London to extend his goal streak to eight games and Denver Barkey scored once and set up four more to bring his point total to 49 on the season.
All of the Knights scoring came courtesy of special teams as they scored three times on the power play and three more times short-handed. London now leads the OHL in short-handed goals with 12.
The teams scored goals that came exactly 30 seconds apart that were mirror images of each other to begin the scoring.
Barkey sent a shot from the right point that was tipped in by McCue at 9:50 to make it 1-0 London.
Then at 10:20 of the opening period, Sting defenceman James Barr wristed a puck from the right point that was deflected into the London net by rookie Ryan Brown to tie the game.
Before the end of the first period, McCue struck again on the man advantage as Barkey found him at the side of the net and McCue pivoted to the crease and shot from between his legs and the Knights took a 2-1 lead to the dressing room through 20 minutes.
McCue completed his hat trick 6:31 into the second as Isaiah George sent McCue in alone on a short-handed breakaway and he banged his own rebound behind Nick Surzycia in the Sting net for his 15th goal of the season and 11th in the month of December.
Barkey broke in alone from the left side of the Sting zone one minute and two seconds later. Barkey was tripped on the play but the puck went off Barr and across the Sarnia goal line and London led 4-1.
The Sting managed to get a goal before Edward left the penalty box as Kai Schwindt knocked in his third of the year.
Sam O’Reilly connected on the Knights third power play goal of the game at 11:32 of the second period when he one-timed home a Ruslan Gazizov feed. Gazizov’s point streak is now six games long.
London held Sarnia without a shot on goal for the first 12 minutes and 50 seconds of the third period, but a slew-footing major penalty to Knights defenceman Alec Leonard gave the Sting a five-minute power play.
Thirteen seconds into the penalty, Gazizov took a feed from Barkey and went in alone, scoring London’s third short-handed goal on the night to finish the scoring 6-2.
The Knights outshot Sarnia 34-18.
Future Knights and Londoners come up big in GOJHL Top Prospects games
Londoners and future London Knights took part in the GOJHL’s 2023 Top Prospects games on Dec. 27 at the North Dumfries Community Complex in Ayr, Ont. Londoner Ethan Weir is a draft pick of the Kingston Frontenacs and plays for the St. Marys Lincolns and had the biggest night offensively as he netted a hat trick that included the overtime winner in a Team Passero victory over Team Prang. Knights 2023 third-round pick P.J. Fagan had an outstanding night with three assists. Fagan set up Weir on the game winner.
London’s sixth-round pick in 2023, Brendan Gerber, recorded an assist as did Quinn McNamara of Arva, Ont., who plays for the London Nationals. Blake Arrowsmith, the Knights’ second third-rounder in 2023 also played in that game as did Nationals forward Talan Palmer. Palmer scored a goal for Team Prang.
In the other prospects, London’s 2023 second-round draft pick Alexei Medvedev stopped 14 of 15 shots for Team Williams in a 4-3 victory over Team Shepley. Knights fourth-round pick Noah Jenken had two assists for Team Williams.
Doug Stacey back to Spengler Cup
Former Knights athletic trainer Doug Stacey, who is now the head sports trainer with the Western Mustangs, is currently in Davos, Switzerland with Team Canada at the Spengler Cup tournament. Canada has finished group play at 1-1 after a 4-0 victory over Frolunda and a 4-3 loss to host Davos.
Joe Thornton of St. Thomas, Ont., is Canada’s general manager and bruce Boudreau is serving as head coach. This is the second time Stacey has been to the Spengler Cup. He has been a part of Team Canada for two Olympic Games, two Women’s World Championships, four World Junior tournaments and three Under-18 World Championships. Nathan Beaulieu from Strathroy, Ont., is a member of Team Canada. He is playing for EHC Kloten in the Swiss National League.
Up next
The Knights and Sting will meet again on Friday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. at Budweiser Gardens.
The game will mark the fourth instalment of the Battle of the 402.
Coverage will start at 6:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.