Londoner George Diaco snapped the game-winning goal into the Guelph Storm net at 2:05 of overtime to complete a comeback 3-2 victory on Tuesday at Budweiser Gardens.
The game was an example of a fire just needing a spark to ignite.
The London Knights spent 51 minutes and 53 seconds looking for that spark and found it in the unlikeliest of ways.
Rookie defenceman Sam Dickinson saw no lane to the net so he shot the puck off the end board in the Storm zone and it bounced off those boards and hit Guelph goalie Brayden Gillespie in the pad, trickling across the goal line.
That cut the 2-0 lead that the Storm had carried into the third period in half.
Under four minutes later, London bounced a puck to the crease again and despite Gillespie’s attempts to cover it, the puck stayed out in the open long enough for Ruslan Gazizov to tie the game with 4:19 remaining.
The Knights killed off a late Guelph penalty and then Diaco finished a play that was started by Denver Barkey and kept alive by Jackson Edward for London’s seventh win in a row and 19th in the last 21 games.
The victory moved the Knights one point ahead of the Saginaw Spirit for top spot in the Western Conference.
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Cedricson Okitundu scored once and assisted on another for Guelph.
Okitundu’s shot from the left point was tipped past Brett Brochu by Ryan McGuire at the 9:25 mark of the opening period to make it 1-0 for the Storm heading into the second period.
Just 53 seconds after the opening faceoff to begin that period Okitundu blasted a shot from just inside the London blue line on the left side of the ice and this time it went straight through and had Guelph ahead by a pair going to the final 20 minutes.
Brett Brochu made 28 saves in goal for the Knights.
Gillespie stopped 30 pucks in the Storm net.
Ryan Humphrey made his London debut and picked up an assist after being acquired on Monday from Hamilton.
Ryan Winterton also came to the Knights in that deal. He is expected to make his debut in a London uniform on Friday, Jan. 6 against his former team.
Knights add two more OHL champions
In October London made a trade to bring George Diaco home for his final Ontario Hockey League season.
On Monday, Jan. 2, London general manager Mark Hunter acquired two of Diaco’s former teammates from the Hamilton Bulldogs as Ryan Humphrey and Ryan Winterton joined the Knights. London sent forward Luca Testa, defenceman Carson Lloyd and a 2nd round pick in 2026 to Hamilton in the deal.
The draft pick originally belonged to Mississauga. Humphrey is an 18-year old winger who has long been recognized as one of the hardest-working players in the OHL. He attended rookie camp with the Boston Bruins in 2022. Winterton is a 3rd round pick of Seattle in 2021 who is known as a player with a high IQ who does all of the little things that help his teams to win games.
Winterton hasn’t been able to play a game yet in 2022-23 after undergoing shoulder surgery in the off-season but is due to return in the near future.
Gagner tops 1000
Former London Knight Sam Gagner is the latest NHLer to hit 1000 games played in a career. The Winnipeg Jets forward celebrated the milestone in a game against the Vancouver Canucks as Winnipeg doubled up one of Gagner’s former teams 4-2.
Gagner was born in London, Ont., and spent one season dazzling Knights fans alongside Patrick Kane in 2006-07. His end-to-end rush against the Sudbury Wolves will live on OHL highlight reels forever. Gagner has become one of the NHL’s most versatile players. He brings skill, IQ and leadership that have allowed him to play 16 seasons in the National Hockey League where he has amassed 190 goals and 516 points.
Up next
The Knights will play three games in under 48 hours in three different cities as they host the Bulldogs on Friday, jan. 6 and then go to Saginaw, Mich., on Saturday to meet the Spirit in a battle of two of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Following that game London has a date with the Greyhounds in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., on Sunday.
All games can be heard on 980 CFPL, at www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
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