Six different goal scorers found the back of the Saginaw Spirit net as the London Knights defeated the 2024 Memorial Cup hosts 6-1 to stretch their winning streak to 11 games.
Easton Cowan scored once and added two assists and the newest Knight, Kaleb Lawrence scored his first goal in a London uniform and also had an assist.
The Knights and Spirit represent two of the best in the Ontario Hockey League on special teams and London won the special teams battle with two goals on the man advantage and a clean sheet on the penalty kill.
The Knights got themselves out front right away in a wild opening period that featured a whole lot of physical play.
Easton Cowan carried a puck into the Saginaw zone and zoomed behind the net and then around to the left side before dragging the puck into the slot where Cowan ripped home his 15th goal of the year to give London a 1-0 lead at 8:56.
Just over three minutes later, Jacob Julien spun a pass to Oliver Bonk on a power play and Bonk scored for the third time in two games and the Knights went to the second period leading 2-0.
Kaleb Lawrence scored his first goal in a London uniform just 1:09 into that period as he found a loose puck and fired it behind Spirit goaltender Andrew Oke.
Sam O’Reilly took a puck hard to the Saginaw net and roofed it for his fourth goal in four games to push the London lead to 4-0.
Calem Mangone got the Spirit on the scoreboard at 16:15 of the second period but in the final minute Max McCue fed William Nicholl on a two-on-one and Nicholl finished the play with a sneaky deke through the legs of Oke for a 5-1 advantage for the Knights through 40 minutes.
Lawrence stole a puck early in the final period and took a shot that was stopped. Denver Barkey eventually found the rebound and scored his 22nd goal of the year.
London was a perfect 8-for-8 on the penalty kill against the third-best power play in the OHL.
Meanwhile the Knights league-best power play scored twice on five opportunities.
London limited the Spirit to 11 shots through the first half of the game and outshot Saginaw 35-31 overall.
Michael Simpson returned to the Knights crease after missing two games due to injury and made 30 stops for his league-leading 21st win of the year.
Sam, Sam and Jett set for Top Prospects
The teams have been selected for the 2024 Top Prospects game which will take place in Moncton, N.B., on Jan. 24.
Sam Dicksonson of the Knights will play for Team Red and will go head-to-head with teammate Sam O’Reilly and Londoner Jett Luchanko who plays for the Guelph Storm. O’Reilly and Luchanko were named to the Team White roster.
The game brings together the 40 top draft eligible prospects playing in the Canadian Hockey League.
Stonehouse and Canada into semis
Abby Stonehouse of Blenheim, Ont., and her Team Canada teammates will take on Czechia in a semi-final game at the Under-18 Women’s World Hockey Championship in Switzerland on Jan. 13.
Stonehouse has two goals and nine points in just four games at this year’s tournament.
Canada will play at 9 a.m. Team USA will face Finland in the other semi-final at 1 p.m.
Up next
London will host the Owen Sound Attack at 2 p.m., on Sunday, Jan. 14 at Budweiser Gardens.
The Attack added London forward Max McCue’s younger brother, Sam at the trade deadline along with veteran defenceman Konnor Smith. Both players came over from the Peterborough Petes.
The game will mark the fourth game between the Knights and Owen Sound.
London won the first meeting 3-2 and the second 5-4 in overtime thanks to a game winning goal from Denver Barkey.
The Knights beat the Attack 8-2 in their second-to-last game before the holiday break.
Coverage will start at 1:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
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