Max McCue scored twice and Brett Brochu made 30 saves as the London Knights defeated the Attack 4-1 in Owen Sound, Ont., on Saturday night.
The victory improved London’s record to 10-3 against the Attack over the past two seasons.
Sean McGurn and George Diaco stretched their point streaks to six games apiece. Both had a pair of assists in the game.
Oliver Bonk picked up his fourth point of the weekend with an assist of his own after Bonk scored once and added two helpers in a 6-3 Knights loss to Erie to open the weekend.
Jackson Edward tied the game 1-1 after Madden Steen had put the Attack ahead short-handed just over three minutes after the opening faceoff thanks to a classic “Bayshore Bounce” at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. A puck went wide of the London net and bounced off the end boards right to Steen and he scored.
Edward took advantage of some dogged determination by McGurn who carried a puck deep into the Owen Sound end and absorbed a couple of solid hits behind the net before setting up Edward for his third goal of the season at 7:30 of the opening period.
McCue was able to tuck a loose puck past Corbin Votary at the 16:54 mark and McCue banged in a smart play by McGurn on a short-handed 2-on-1. McGurn banked a shot off the pads of Votary and it went right to McCue. The San Jose Sharks prospect then slipped in his fourth goal of the season. McGurn has nine points in his past six games.
The score stayed 3-1 in favour of London deep into the final period before Easton Cowan scored on a Logan Mailloux rebound to finish the scoring and improve the Knights’ record to 6-6-1.
Corbin Votary stopped 21 of 25 London shots in the Attack net.
Both power plays were held off the scoreboard.
The versatile tradition
During Sam O’Reilly’s Knights debut on Nov. 4 against the Erie Otters, he played his third period shifts on defence. O’Reilly was actually a defenceman growing up and only switched to forward the season before he was drafted by London.
The 2022 2nd round pick joins a long Knights tradition of players like Colin Martin, Tyler Ferry and current Knights assistant coach Rick Steadman as players who had the versatility to play up and back in the lineup. O’Reilly has had an incredible offensive start this year with the London Nationals of the GOJHL, where he has 13 goals and 29 points in just 16 games.
Under-17 update
Team USA is off to the hottest start at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge in Langley and Delta, B.C. Wins over Finland and Czechia have the United States at the top of the seven-team standings.
James Hagens and Shane Vansaghi are London draft picks and are playing for Team USA. Canada Black, which features Knights defenceman Sam Dickinson as team captain and London assistant coach Rick Steadman, is sitting with one win and one loss after two games. Luca Testa of the Knights is playing for Canada White and Londoner Jett Luchanko of the Guelph Storm is on Team White. Both of those clubs are looking for their first wins in the tournament.
Up next
The Knights will play three games over a span of two and a half days beginning on Remembrance Day against the Barrie Colts at Budweiser Gardens. London will host their annual Remembrance Day ceremony prior to that game.
The next day, the Knights will travel to Windsor and then come home against the Soo Greyhounds on Nov. 13.
Coverage of all three games can be heard on 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
Comments