Knights Primed for Playoff Run

London Knights Captain Scott Harrington leads his team into the OHL post season

The London Knights are playoff bound again. And this is where they’ve been every season since the 1999-2000 season where they finished out of a playoff spot. And while they’re well on course to beating last season’s tally of 99 points in the regular season the London Knights are some ways off beating their franchise record of 120 points in a regular season.

It's been a season where we’ve seen two very different teams. First up, was a team that won 24 straight games from November through December, almost tying the CHL record. And secondly, a team that looked so vulnerable that anyone could beat them, on any given night.

But that is the beauty of junior hockey. While people look up to these athletes, some of them future NHL players, it’s often hard to forget that most of these players are in fact in their teens. And yet, the pressure of a hockey crazy city like London rests on the shoulders of these young men.

“You have ups and downs during the season,” added Knights assistant General Manager Rob Simpson. “It is tough on the players. We’re just focused now on peaking at the right time heading out of the regular season and onto the playoffs.”

This season’s capturing of the Hamilton Spectator trophy as regular season champions sees the Knights take home the top seed in the Western Conference for the sixth time since 2003. And while last season’s team captured so many hearts across the country, coming to within one goal of the Memorial Cup, this season’s team has much more potential to go one better.

But they’re inconsistent on occasion.

In London’s defence though, the OHL’s Western Conference can be an unforgiving place for the underprepared. The NHL’s top draft picks usually come from this side of the league and the Memorial Cup representative, more often than not, comes from this half of the province as well.

“After you won 24 games in a row, sure losing a few straight will seem like a let-down,” added Simpson. “Now, we’re feeling the playoffs and playing solid. The boys know if they play this certain way and everyone plays the way they’re supposed to, they can win hockey games.”

The Knights crop of 1994 and 1995 born players form the core of this season team, and the scary part for most teams in the league is that all of these players will be back next season, unless they make the NHL. What has impressed me the most with the London Knights this season is the ability for a player to fill in when others might be going through a minor mid-season slump.

Take Bo Horvat for instance. There’s a great chance he’ll be London’s top pick at the 2013 NHL Draft, higher than the more popular Max Domi. Why? Because Horvat is showing what he can do on a regular basis when top players like Domi or Seth Griffith are missing from the line-up. At the time of writing, Horvat has 57 points in 62 games, fourth in the line-up behind Domi, Griffith and Alex Broadhurst.

Then the Seth Griffith injury came along. Up until he broke a bone on his right hand on Feb. 10, Griffith went about four years without missing a game. When you do the math, that goes back to 256 regular season games, split between the Knights and St. Mary’s Lincolns (Jr. B), as well as 40 playoff games and four in the Memorial Cup. With the injury Griffith’s hopes of challenging for the OHL scoring title are pretty much over but his teammates stepped up in his absence. In the weeks following Griffith’s injury, you wouldn’t notice that the leading point getter wasn’t playing because the team was offensively strong.

And if you thought booting the Knights (and indeed the London Lightning) out of the Budweiser Gardens so that the World Figure Skating Championships can be held in the city would change anything; think again. “Many of the guys on our team have the experience of playing and winning the OHL last season,” said Simpson. “Playing on the road will give us some team bonding right before the playoffs, and when we do comeback, I know the city of London will be happy to have us back.”

“They will have missed their London Knights hockey.”

This season’s playoffs will be interesting. A quick glance at the OHL Western Conference standings sees a London-Saginaw matchup. As champions the Knights will have home ice advantage throughout the series. “Home ice advantage is key heading into the playoffs whether it is in the Western Division or in the league as a whole,” said Simpson. “It’s more of an accomplishment where we’ve guaranteed ourselves four out of seven games in every series.”

Last season it was a late addition Austin Watson that made all the difference in the playoffs and in the Memorial Cup. This season, General Manager Mark Hunter made the decision to stay put with the current crop of players and instead signed a bunch of blue chip prospects.

Whether that will mean a different result that last season? Only time will tell.

Image Credit: Metro News London

Ronny Returns

Ronaldo reacts after netting the game winner at Old Trafford

It had to be him. Of all the people on the football pitch in Manchester, it had to be Cristiano Ronaldo who scored the game winner. A dagger in the hearts of the United faithful, especially watching their hero put his current team into the last eight of the Champions League. There's no doubt in my mind that he 'Ronny' will return to Madrid with a case of mixed emotions after this result.

In easily the most hyped up of games I’ve watched in quite some time, the atmosphere did not disappoint. The crowd was right into the game from the very get go. And Sir Alex Ferguson is still showing us that at the age of 71 he still knows how to handle a team of superstars and get the best out of them.

But sadly, not this time around.

Such is Ferguson’s charisma that he started Wayne Rooney on the bench instead opting for local lad Danny Welbeck. And by no means did Welbeck disappoint. He used his running and ability to get in behind the Real Madrid defence and make a nuisance of himself. His link up play with Robin Van Persie was superb, especially with Welbeck running in behind the central defenders, causing Real big problems. Finishing is Welbeck’s weakness at this moment and if he can work on that, he’s got a bright future in the white of England ahead of him.

But Welbeck or even Rooney was not why Old Trafford was packed to the brim on a Tuesday night in England. No, definitely not. 75,000 fans were in their seats to watch their old hero play on the hallowed Old Trafford surface for the first time since he left the club in 2009. And play, he did.

When Sergio Ramos bundled the ball into his own net, it made the tie ever so interesting. But then it all back fired for United. Cuynet Cakir sent Nani off for a tackle, which pundits (except a certain Roy Keane) call a controversial decision.

But I won’t dig into that. Not here. 

Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic

The match did however turn in Madrid’s favour, as expected. And Luka Modric with North London connections, having played for Tottenham showed by he was picked up Madrid. Ever since his move, he’s been relegated to the bench and playing part time roles. He did just that at Old Trafford, but this time, with a vengeance. It was Modric of all people, on his return to England, who got Real clicking again.

He would score off a blinding shot putting it just beyond David DeGea’s reach, tying the game at two goals apiece, putting extra time back on the cards.

Before kick-off, Ronaldo was given a rapturous reception by supporters at the club where he had played a starring role en route to winning the Champions League in 2008, as well as three Premier League titles. And he responded with a wave tap of the hand on his heart in return.

But for his current team he went one better.

Gonzalo Higuain teed up a nice low cross to the far post and who else but ‘the boy from Madeira’ rushing towards the far post and slotting the ball home past a helpless DeGea. Just like in the first leg, Ronaldo didn’t celebrate after he found the back of the net, he just stood there, with a million thoughts rushing though his head, while his teammates were rejoicing in a frenzy. 

Old Trafford was silent.

I was silent.

But inside I was exuberant. The Golden Boy has returned.

Fond memories: Ronaldo trudges on the Old Trafford pitch

Image Credits: Manchester United facebook page