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London Knights Secure Dominant Victory Over Guelph Storm

Landon Sim delivered an impressive performance with two goals, while Alexei Medvedev made 32 crucial saves, leading the London Knights to a decisive 6-0 win against the Guelph Storm on January 17 at Canada Life Place.

This win propelled the Knights ahead of the Windsor Spitfires, reclaiming their position at the top of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) standings. Since October 20, the Knights have been on a remarkable run, compiling an outstanding record of 29 wins, 2 losses, and 1 overtime loss.

Medvedev’s early game heroics, including several key saves on breakaway attempts, stifled Guelph’s offensive momentum and laid the foundation for London’s scoring. The Knights recorded their first goal following a rebound from one of Medvedev’s saves. Jacob Julien quickly moved the puck to Kasper Halttunen, the San Jose Sharks’ second-round pick, who scored with a precise wrist shot, putting London on the scoreboard with a 1-0 lead by the end of the first period.

This initial goal occurred during a 4-on-4 situation, a scenario that would also facilitate the Knights’ next two goals.

In the second period, London struck twice within a mere 42 seconds. Jared Woolley scored by flicking a backhand shot that deflected off the post and into the net, putting the Knights ahead 2-0. Shortly afterward, Easton Cowan assisted Sam Dickinson for a goal, extending the lead to three.

With this achievement, Dickinson not only scored but also reached 50 points for the season with an earlier assist on Woolley’s goal, while Cowan’s assist marked a remarkable 59-game scoring streak in the regular season.

The Knights further increased their advantage to 4-0 when Will Nicholl set up Landon Sim in close to Storm’s net at 17:42 of the second period. Sim’s remarkable form continued as he scored again to mark goals in back-to-back games. Before the period concluded, London captain Denver Barkey made a breakaway play to score, pushing the lead to 5-0. Barkey has now amassed 19 points in his last six outings.

The final goal of the night came in the third period when Andoni Fimis provided an exceptional pass that enabled Sim to get behind the Guelph defense, netting his second goal of the game and finalizing the score at 6-0.

Additionally, Blake Montgomery extended his point streak to 11 games with an assist during the match.

Mitch Marner Reaches 700 NHL Points

Meanwhile, in the NHL, Mitch Marner achieved a notable milestone on January 18 by assisting Auston Matthews, marking his 700th point in his career. Following this, he assisted William Nylander on an overtime winner, bringing his total to 701 points. Marner joins an elite group of only six players in Toronto Maple Leafs history to surpass the 700-point mark, with notable names including George Armstrong, Borje Salming, Dave Keon, Darryl Sittler, and Mats Sundin.

Looking Ahead

The Knights are set to face off against the Sudbury Wolves for the first time this year on Sunday, January 19, at 2 p.m. at Canada Life Place. The Wolves, having bolstered their roster with defensemen Noah Roberts and Henry Mews prior to the OHL trade deadline, will bring a formidable lineup, featuring offensive players like Quentin Musty, Kieron Walton, and Kocha Delic, who have been having impressive seasons.

Sudbury currently ranks second in penalty minutes in the OHL, just behind the Saginaw Spirit. Coverage of the game will begin at 1:30 p.m. on 980 CFPL and will also be available through the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps.

Source
globalnews.ca