London Knights rookie goalie Zach Bowen made 26 saves for his first career Ontario Hockey League shutout as the Knights blanked the Saginaw Spirit 3-0 on the road on Saturday night.
Bowen outright robbed Hunter Haight of the Spirit late in the second period. Haight got the puck and cut to the net and deked to his forehand, but Bowen shot out his left leg and held it strong to make the save. Bowen wound up being shoved into the net on the play but the puck stayed out.
The Kanata, Ont., native made another massive stop on Haight in the third period. With just over five minutes to go in the game, Bowen was there again as Zayne Parekh batted a puck right out of the air on goal.
Clean looks at the net were tough to come by all night, but Logan Mailloux got one right off a faceoff on London’s second man advantage of the night. He ripped a wrist shot past New York Islanders prospect Tristan Lennox for Mailloux’s twelfth goal of the season and sixth point in his past four games.
Ryan Winterton earned his first point as a Knight on the play. Oliver Bonk picked up the other assist. Bonk moved into a tie for third overall in OHL rookie scoring with Joey WIllis of the Spirit.
Winterton and fellow former Hamilton Bulldog Ryan Humphrey each recorded their first goals for London late in the game as both scored empty-netters to seal the Knights’ ninth win in a row and 21st victory in their past 23 games.
London is now three points ahead of the Spirit for first overall in the Western Conference.
The Knights outshot Saginaw 29-26.
Brett Brochu closing in on Michael Houser
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When London defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 5-1 on Jan. 6, Brett Brochu racked up his 78th career victory. That leaves him 15 wins away from the Knights’ all-time mark set by Michael Houser. Houser won 17, 42 and then 46 games in successive seasons from 2009 to 2012 and capped off his major junior career with an OHL championship, the OHL Goaltender of the Year award and the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player.
Brochu has already been named Goaltender of the Year and his play in a London uniform can be described as outstanding, going back to day one when he wrestled the crease away from every other goalie on the Knights roster as a 17-year-old.
London Knights all-time wins by a goalie:
- 93 – Michael Houser
- 84 – Gene Chiarello
- 78 – Brett Brochu
- 75 – Tyler Parsons
- 74 – Jeff Reese
Amos and Pais named to Team Canada leadership group
The Women’s World Under-18 Hockey Championship begins on Sunday in Östersund, Sweden. Team Canada will be led by Jocelyn Amos of Ailsa Craig, Ont., and Emma Pais of London, Ont. Amos was named captain and Pais was named as an alternate captain.
They join Keira Hurry of London, Ont., Shelby Laidlaw of St. Thomas, Ont., and Abby Stonehouse of Blenheim, Ont. All five played for the London Devilettes and make up more than one fifth of the Canadian roster. Team Canada will face Finland in their first game at 2 p.m. on Sunday. They will take on Sweden at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 9, and then finish a tough round robin schedule against the United States on Wednesday, Jan. 11, also at 2 p.m.
Up next
The Knights will have a quick turn-around as they head to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., for a game against the Greyhounds on Sunday at 2 p.m.
London is 2-1 against the ‘Hounds in 2022-23.
The Knights won the last meeting 4-3 in a shootout when Oliver Bonk backhanded a puck past Charlie Schenkel.
Coverage starts at 1:30 p.m. on 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
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