A pair of Londoners help the Soo Greyhounds to hand the London Knights their first road loss since October 19.
Bryce McConnell-Barker had a goal and two assists and Jordan D’Intino scored twice in a 6-3 Sault Ste. Marie victory.
That stopped the London winning streak at nine games.
Max McCue scored his seventh goal of the season on a nifty give-and-go as he and Sean McGurn raced down the ice on a short-handed two-on-one. McCue fed McGurn and then got a return pass to the left of the net and put the puck in at the 5:52 mark of the first period.
Oliver Bonk ended the game with a shootout winner the last time the Knights visited the Soo. Bonk scored a whole lot earlier in the Knights’ second time into the GFL Memorial Gardens. The Ottawa, Ont., native slipped into the slot, took a pass from Gazizov and ripped a shot high over the glove of Samuel Ivanov for his eighth of the year.
Just 17 seconds later, the Greyhounds got one back as Landon Hookey poked a puck over the goal line in tight and London led heading to the second period.
Sault. Ste Marie turned the tables in the middle frame and outscored London 2-1. Londoner Jordan D’Intino got both Greyhound goals. One came short-handed and both came after Mathieu Paris had converted in the slot after some hard work from Jacob Julien nabbed a puck in the Sault zone.
A power play goal 6:25 into the third period by Mark Duarte held up as the winner.
Kalvyn Watson added to the Sault Ste. Marie lead as he chased down a puck that was lifted into the Knights zone, avoided Brett Brochu who came charging out of his net and put home his 17th of the season.
McConnell-Barker finished the scoring in an empty net.
The Greyhounds outshot London 34-24.
London still holds the OHL’s best road record at 13-3.
London’s NHL All-Stars
The first 32 National Hockey League All-Stars feature four London, Ont., connections. One player from each NHL team has been unveiled. Londoner and former Knight Nazem Kadri was selected from the Calgary Flames. The other three come from the Atlantic Division.
Mitch Marner is the Toronto Maple Leafs representative and Marner’s Memorial Cup winning linemate Matthew Tkachuk was chosen from the Florida Panthers. Londoner and Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki also made the top-32. Twelve more players will be added on Jan. 19 using online voting.
Team Canada opens women’s U-18 Worlds
Canada opened the 2023 Women’s U-18 World Hockey Championship with an 8-0 victory over Finland. Jocelyn Amos of Ailsa Craig, Ont., and Emma Pais of London, Ont., Keira Hurry of London, Ont., Shelby Laidlaw of St. Thomas, Ont., and Abby Stonehouse of Blenheim, Ont., are all members of Team Canada.
Hurry and Stonehouse each scored goals against Finland. Stonehouse also had an assist. Pais picked up her first point of the tournament with an assist on Canada’s first goal. Canada will play Sweden at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 9.
Marner hits 500
Former Knight Mitch Marner became the second-fastest Maple Leaf to reach 500 career points when he scored on a power play early in the second period on Saturday, Jan. 7, against the Detroit Red Wings. It took the 2016 Memorial Cup MVP just 467 games to do it.
The only Toronto player who was faster to 500 was Marner’s own teammate, Auston Matthews, who did it in 445 games. The only other Maple Leafs to reach the mark and average better than a point per game doing it were Mats Sundin and Rick Vaive. It took both Vaive and Sundin 495 career games. Former Knight Darryl Sittler reached 500 points in 517 games.
Up next
The Knights return home from their road trip to face the Guelph Storm on Friday, Jan. 13, at Budweiser Gardens at 7 p.m.
London is 2-0 against the Storm this season after a 6-2 win on Nov. 29 and a 3-2 overtime victory on Jan 3.
The Knights will play a second home game on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m. against the Windsor Spitfires.
Coverage will begin at 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
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