Francesco Arcuri scored twice as the Kitchener Rangers defeated the London Knights 5-2 at Budweiser Gardens on Sunday afternoon in London, Ont.
The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead courtesy of the two Francescos on their roster.
Francesco Pinelli tipped in a Matt Andonovski point shot to make it 1-0 at the 8:27 mark of the opening period and then less than two minutes later Arcuri finished off a 2-on-1 by directing a Carson Rehkopf pass behind Brett Brochu.
After Max McCue hit a goal post early in the second period, Easton Cowan got London on the scoreboard a second shy of the eight-minute mark. Denver Barkey hounded Kitchener into a turnover and sent a puck back to the blue line to Jackson Edward. The Bruins prospect sent a shot to the net and Cowan was there to flip in the rebound.
Francesco Arcuri restored the Rangers’ two-goal lead with his 30th on a bullet of a one-timer on a Kitchener power play at 11:21.
Again, the Knights pulled to within a goal when Brody Crane sent a pass across the slot to Ruslan Gazizov for his 15th goal of the year.
A diving stop by Brochu late in the period kept Kitchener from pulling ahead by a pair. Brochu lunged to deny Lleyton Moore on a rebound chance to the right of the London net.
Marco Costantini turned aside 17 shots in the final 20 minutes for the Rangers. Reid Valade and Danny Zhilkin added empty net goals as Kitchener won for the second time in three games.
The Knights outshot the Rangers 38-28. Kitchener was 1-for-4 on the power play. London was 0-for-2.
Prospect update
Knights forward Mike Levin had a hat trick on Saturday night for the St. Thomas Stars that included the game-winner in overtime. Levin continues to climb up the points-per-game charts in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League and he has some familiar company. Jacob Julien still ranks second at 1.86. He is now playing with the Knights full-time. Levin has moved up to fifth with 45 points in 25 games. Sam O’Reilly and William Nicholl, who were drafted by London in 2022, are both in the top-15, as is London Nationals forward Lucas Chard.
1 – 1.91 – Blake Yetman – St. Catherines – played for the Erie Otters
2 – 1.86 – Jacob Julien – London Nationals – now playing full-time with the Knights
5 – 1.80 – Mike Levin – St. Thomas Stars – has played four games in the OHL this year with London
9 – 1.60 – Lucas Chard – London Nationals – 2003-born forward in second season with the Nationals
10- 1.58 – Sam O’Reilly – London Nationals – 2nd round pick of the Knights in 2022
13 – 1.50 – Will Nicholl – St. Thomas Stars – 3rd round pick of the Knights in 2022
Where are they now?
Luke Evangelista and Tonio Stranges were 1-2 in London Knights scoring last season and both are playing their first year in the pros. Evangelista leads the Milwaukee Admirals in scoring as a 20-year-old with eight goals and 30 points in 39 games. The former Knights captain recorded his first hat trick in the American Hockey League on Jan. 10 in Tucson, Ariz.
Stranges has appeared in eight games with the Texas Stars of the AHL this year and has a goal and four assists. Stranges was loaned to the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads and put up six points in five games before being recalled.
Up next
The Knights head east beginning on Jan. 26.
They will play the Petes in Peterborough to begin the trip and then move on to Ottawa, Ont., for a game against the 67’s on Jan. 27 and then finish up against the Kingston Frontenacs on Jan. 28.
London defeated the 67’s 1-0 in a shootout in early December and then beat the Petes on home ice the next night.
Both Peterborough and Ottawa loaded up with major moves at the trade deadline.
Coverage for all three games will begin at 6:30 on 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
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