Alex Formenton scored the game-winner with 58.5 seconds left in overtime as the London Knights defeated the visiting Niagara Ice Dogs 3-2 on Friday night at Budweiser Gardens.
The goal gave the Knights their third victory in a row and marked the second time in less than a week that London had won a game against a team that added veteran players at the Ontario Hockey League’s trade deadline.
The key player the Ice Dogs picked up was over-ager Sam Miletic, and he came from London.
The Knights once again stayed very disciplined defensively and got excellent goaltending from Joseph Raaymakers, who made 31 saves. Eight of those came off shots by Miletic, who led all players in that category.
Niagara was late arriving after running into a major traffic snafu on the westbound Highway 401, just west of Woodstock. The start of the game had to be moved to 7:45 p.m.
The Knights now get three days off before another game with Kitchener on Tuesday night at home.
How the goals were scored
The Knights’ Liam Foudy opened the scoring in the first period with his second goal in two games. Foudy tipped a Josh Nelson shot from the point. Nelson’s assist was his third point in back-to-back nights.
Elijah Roberts tied the game off the rush in the second period as he wired a wrist shot into the London net with 2:57 remaining.
The Knights jumped back in front on Harrison Cottam’s third goal of the season, just over four minutes into the third. Riley Coome’s shot was stopped, but the puck went right to Cottam and he wristed it through the pads of Niagara goalie Stephen Dhillon, and it was 2-1.
Again the Ice Dogs battled back. Matthew Philip fought his way to a loose puck in the London crease and knocked it behind Joseph Raaymakers to make it 2-2 just past the midway mark of the third. From there the goalies kept every shot out of their net and the teams went to overtime.
With just over a minute remaining before a shootout, Evan Bouchard carried the puck out of the Knights’ zone on a 3-on-2, got it to Tyler Rollo who golfed a shot at the net. It was stopped by Dhillon, but the rebound stayed at the edge of the crease and Alex Formenton crashed in and banged it home for the game-winner.
Greyhounds’ streak ends in Sarnia
For the rest of OHL history, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of 2017-18 will own an unbeaten streak of 29 games in length, which consists of no losses in regulation or overtime. Until January 19, only the Mississauga Steelheads had been able to beat the ‘Hounds and that happened in a shootout after Sault Ste. Marie had won 23 consecutive games.
The Sarnia Sting built a 2-0 lead early that had the Greyhounds fighting uphill most of the way. Sault Ste. Marie was able to tie the game at 3-3 with two third-period goals at 7:29 and 10:30, but Adam Ruzicka put the game-winner behind Matthew Villalta with just under six minutes remaining in the game. Jordan Kyrou added an empty-netter and the Sting stopped the Greyhounds’ run with a 5-3 win. That means that the 2004-05 London Knights still own the longest unbeaten streak in Canadian Hockey League history at 20-0-2.
Foudy to the Top Prospects
Knights’ forward, Liam Foudy has been added to the Team Orr roster for the Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects game that will be played in Guelph on Thursday, January 25. Team Orr will be coached by Eric Lindros, whose number 88 was raised into the rafters in Philadelphia on January 18. The game brings together the 40 top draft eligible prospects in the CHL in front of scouts and fans just months before the NHL Entry Draft.
Up next
The London Knights have a rare Saturday and Sunday off. They will host the Kitchener Rangers on Tuesday for the fifth of six meetings between the teams in the regular season. The teams have split two games since the trade deadline, each winning on the road. There are tickets available for the game at 519-681-0800 x 1, at the London Knights’ Armoury or online at www.londonknights.com