Knights Draw First Blood
The London Jr. Knights came away with a 2-1 victory in the opening game of the Constellation Playoff Championship series against the PeeWee Stars on Saturday night at the Nichols Arena, but they would be hard-pressed to convince anyone who witnessed the contest that their win was either convincing or well-earned.
Playing their best and most consistent hockey of the season, which unfortunately is about two months late, the Stars dominated AA OHF hosts the entire first period. Improved play along the boards by the Star's wingers, as well as some good first-pass decision making by the "fab four" defensive crew has led to quicker, easier breakouts and fewer turn-overs by the Stars. That has led to fewer scoring opportunities against and much more time spent in the offensive zone.
The first period was a prime example of the Stars improved team play, as they once again denied the opposition a shot on goal, while creating several excellent scoring opportunities of their own. The next step in the Stars' progression, clearly, is to find a coach that can teach them to score goals. If anyone is aware of such an individual, please have that person send their resume into the St. Thomas Minor Hockey Association office.
The Stars took a 1-0 lead midway through the game as Josh Mallory picked up his own rebound from beside the net and somehow snuck one behind the mammoth Knights' goaltender. The Mallory goal was the product of some excellent forechecking by Andrew Baxter to strip the Knights defender of the puck and dish the puck to a waiting Josh Mallory.
The Knights tied the game at 1-1 when they pounced on a rebound during one of their four power play opportunities. By that time, there were a few non-calls by the officials that left at least one Stars' coach scratching his head.
The Knights took a 2-1 lead midway through the third period. Taking advantage of an unfortunate collision by two Stars' defenders in their own zone, the Knights forward picked up a loose puck and fed linemate Brennan Glover in the slot for a one-timer that found its way inside the far post.
Despite a questionable penalty which put the Stars a man short for the final two minutes of the game, the Stars had a couple of great scoring chances to tie the game, including a shot from the slot from Dane Jacoletti with seven seconds remaining, but were unable to capitalize and the buzzer sounded to make the final score 2-1 Knights.
Brennan Agius turned in a Marty Brodeur-like performance for the Stars. While he wasn't called upon to stop a lot of shots from the Knights' marksmen, the ones he did face were of the dramatic variety. Brennan made two brilliant saves on clear-cut breakaways in the second and third period. He also made a point-blank pad save on a shot from the slot with only seconds remaining in the second period to preserve the Stars' 1-0 lead heading into the third period.
Much like the final game of the Sting series, every Stars player played with determination, intelligence and composure. While it may be too early to confirm, it may just be that our Stars are finally maturing as hockey players right before our very eyes. Whether it's true, or simply a passing trend, they sure are a lot of fun to watch right now.
Until Tuesday...keep your stick down, cover the short side and don't get deked.