After the trade deadline, the level of play in the Ontario Hockey League is known for coming up a notch.
In the spirit of Spinal Tap, the Knights “turned things up to 11” as they scored five times in the first period on their way to a 9-2 victory over the Sting in Sarnia on Jan. 10.
Oliver Bonk, Jacob Julien and Denver Barkey combined for 13 points total as the London Knights won their 10th consecutive game and secured the Battle of the 402 regular season series crown for the second consecutive year.
Philadelphia Flyers prospects, Bonk and Barkey had big nights. Bonk ended with a pair of goals and three assists and Barkey had three helpers to take his point total to a team-leading 60.
Julien, a Londoner and Winnipeg Jets prospect, scored two goals and added an assist in the first 20 minutes alone and now has 50 points on the year.
Julien recorded the Knights’ 17th short-handed goal of the season on a pretty pass from Easton Cowan on a two-on-one and then nabbed goal number two with 49 seconds to go in the first period on a very similar play made by Denver Barkey.
Bonk scored eight seconds into a power play and Sam O’Reilly and Kaeden Johnston each scored first period goals for London.
Bonk got his second of the game by picking a top corner on Sarnia goalie Nick Surzycia at 10:10 of the middle period to make it 6-0.
Knights defenceman Isaiah George was givena five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for cross-checking and Sarnia found the back of the London net behind Owen Willmore on the ensuing power play as Tyson Doucette scored.
Julien and Bonk combined to set up Barkey to help him his 60 points on the season early in the third period and then 30 seconds later Evan Van Gorp scored his third goal of the season and the Knights led 8-1.
A puck that bounced off the post and then off a defender before crossing the London goal line made it 8-2 with 5:37 remaining
The goal was credited to Daylen Moses of the Sting.
Johnston closed out the scoring with his second goal of the game for the Knights with 13.4 seconds left after a turnover by Sarnia goaltender Karsen Chartier who came in to play the final 20 minutes.
The Knights were a perfect 1-for-1 on the power play.
The Sting 1-for-7.
Sarnia outshot London 40-33.
Knights forward Landon Sim blocked a shot early in the second period and left the game.
London was missing forward Ruslan Gazizov and goaltender Michael Simpson. Both are listed as day-to-day with lower body injuries.
Kasper Halttunen is expected to return this week from the World Junior Hockey Championship.
London acquires Kaleb Lawrence before deadline
The Knights added Kaleb Lawrence in a trade deadline deal with the Ottawa 67’s that instantley makes the L.A. Kings draft pick the biggest player on London’s roster. Lawrence measures six-feet-six-inches and 225 pounds and will be the first player on the Knights to wear number 25 since Jarred Tinordi, who was also a huge player on and off the ice at six-feet-seven-inches and 218 pounds.
Lawrence makes his mark off along the walls and off the cycle and in the faceoff circle. The Orleans, Ont., native started his career with the Owen Sound Attack.
Van Gorp and Woolley to stay with Knights
The Knights have announced that forward Evan Van Gorp and defenceman Jarred Woolley will be joining the team for the remainder of this season. Woolley has played in 15 games for London and has three goals and an assist. He has also spent time this year with the St. Thomas Stars of the GOJHL. Van Gorp began this season with the GOJHL’s Strathroy Rockets before beginning to play more regularly in London. The Watford, Ont., native has two goals and three assists in 18 games with the Knights.
Up next
London will get an up-close look at the 2024 Memorial Cup host Saginaw Spirit following the trade deadline.
The teams will play on Jan. 12 at 7 p.m., at Budweiser Gardens.
Saginaw added Owen Beck, Aidan Castle and Jorian Donovan in deadline deals. They also brought back former captain Josh Bloom who had started this year in the AHL and ECHL in the Vancouver Canucks organization.
Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.