Landon Sim scored twice and Max McCue had three assists as the London Knights defeated the Peterborough Petes 5-2 on Saturday night at Budweiser Gardens.
The seven goals gave the game a much different feeling than the London-Ottawa matchup on Friday night which saw the teams stymied offensively through 65 minutes of hockey and a shootout. Goals were just not at a premium.
A night later, the Knights found a way through the Petes. It wasn’t an easy task as they went up against Londoner Michael Simpson who has had a sensational season so far for the Petes. Simpson led the entire OHL in save percentage coming into Saturday.
Sim broke a 2-2 tie with the eventual game-winner in the second period when he took a nifty one-touch pass from Diaco and ripped a shot glove side on Londoner Michael Simpson in the Peterborough net.
Both Knights’ goals in the first period were scored on similar plays as Easton Cowan found George Diaco from behind the goal line to open the scoring at the 6:37 mark and Sim buried a centreing feed from Max McCue after McCue stole a puck behind the Peterborough net.
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Petes forward Chase Stillman followed each of those goals with one of his own. The first was a tip-in on a power play and the second deflected past Knights goalie Zach Bowen after hitting a leg in front of the Knight net. Stillman’s second goal came with only 1.8 seconds remaining in the first period.
Wth London ahead by a goal going into the final 20 minutes George Diaco appeared to give the Knights some added breathing room but his goal was reviewed and ruled offside.
Minutes later Oliver Bonk made a big defensive play in his own zone and carried into the Peterborough zone. Bonk fed Brody Crane, who got the puck back to Bonk in the slot and he scored to make it 4-2.
Easton Cowan added an empty-netter for London after a pass from McCue.
Zach Bowen made 35 saves in goal for the Knights. Simpson stopped 26 shots for the Petes.
Bowen has now won his last four starts.
One game, one goal
London’s 1-0 shootout victory over the Ottawa 67’s was already the second 1-0 game the Knights have played in this season. The first was a loss to Sault. Ste. Marie in London’s second game of the season when they ran into a wall named Charlie Schenkel who made 31 saves.
The game was Brett Brochu’s third game with only a single goal. He has won two of them. The first came on Dec. 20, 2019 in Brochu’s rookie season when he blanked the Wolves 1-0 in regulation in Sudbury, Ont.
London Knights and Knights Alumni make donation
The London Knights and the London Knights Alumni Foundation announced a commitment of $100 000 on Saturday to the Children’s Health Foundation.
“The London Knights Alumni Foundation is about giving back to the community and the Children’s Health Foundation is certainly an organization that we know uses the donations very well to help support young children and their families as they go through the most difficult time of their lives, said London Knights Alumni Foundation President Rick Doyle.
“It’s our pleasure to stand alongside them with a new one hundred-thousand-dollar commitment.” In the past five years the Knights Alumni Foundation has donated $500 000 to charity.
Up next
The Knights have two games remaining before their holiday break.
They will host the Owen Sound Attack at Budweiser Gardens on Friday, Dec. 16.
The game will be the fourth meeting of the year between the clubs. The Attack won the first two. The Knights defeated Owen Sound on the road 4-1 on Nov. 5 when Max McCue scored twice.
London will be home to the Flint Firebirds on Dec. 17 at 4 p.m.
Both games can be heard on 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
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