Knights Beat Colts, Even OHL Finals

One shift was all the London Knights really needed.

They were gone in (almost) sixty seconds, as Seth Griffith and Bo Horvat scored 57 seconds apart to begin the second period. The Knights dictated tempo from then on, en route to a 4-1 victory in front of 8,985 at the Budweiser Gardens.

Dale Hunter put the Griffith, Horvat and Tyler Ferry line to start the middle frame. 18 seconds later, the deadlock was broken, Horvat finding Griffith who went high on Barrie netminder Mathias Niederberger's stick side.

"Back to back goals like that quick give our bench a lot of momentum," said Griffith. "We carried it throughout the whole game. In the third we let up a bit, we just got to keep it up for the whole game."

Griffith has gradually gotten back to top form, sitting at a point a game in these playoffs (7G, 9A) after missing the end of the regular season with a broken bone in his hand. The Boston Bruins prospect ensured the victory when he buried the empty net goal late in the game. He came close to bagging another empty netter, and a hattrick, when he sent the puck down the length of the ice, but was just wide.

"I saw the puck in the air and just batted it down. I felt pressure behind me," added Horvat, describing his unassisted goal, which turned out to be the game winner. "He [Barrie's Zach Hall] took me down but I'd seen the puck lying in front of me as I went down and tried to throw it on net. Fortunately, it went in."

It was Horvat's second multi point game in these playoffs. The Rodney, ON native has 14 points (10G, 4A) heading into his NHL Draft year.

The Knights spent a lot of time in the second period on the powerplay, as the Colts had trouble staying out of the box. Nine minor penalties were dished out to Barrie, which sent London on the 5 on 3 advantage twice in the second period.

“The period just turned terrible for us,” Colts head coach Dale Hawerchuk said. “It was surprising, especially after we played so well in the first. We scrambled after that, trying to make things happen
in certain situations, giving up odd man situations against."

To Barrie’s credit, their penalty kill held the Knights to just one powerplay goal, scored by Brett Welychka, his first playoff goal in nearly 14 months, off a goalie interference call on ex-Knight Andreas Athanasiou.

Anthony Stolarz bounced back from a poor Game 1 performance, stopping 22 of 23 Sunday night. His bid for a shut out was ended when Athanasiou scored shorthanded in the third period while his team was killing a major penalty to Anthony Camara.

Camara was given a five-minute major for charging and game misconduct for a late hit on Max Domi and could be facing further discipline from the OHL.

“It was a hit that he wishes he could take back,” said Knights coach Dale Hunter. “I watched the replay on it, and he left his feet and he hit the head. It was one of those hits that after you do it, you realize you shouldn't have done it."

Hawerchuck didn't make any comment on the hit, saying he didn't see it.

Mathias Niederberger stopped 41 of 44 shots, 24 of which came in that second period alone. Barrie meanwhile managed a meagre four shots on net in the second.

The Knights haven’t lost twice yet in this year's playoffs. Last year, they dropped games 2 and 3 of their second-round series against the Saginaw Spirit.

The best-of-seven series now shifts to Barrie with a quick turnaround Monday night from the Molson Centre in Barrie.
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SUMMARY

Knights 4, Colts 1
OHL FInals tied 1-1
London goals: Seth Griffith (2), Bo Horvat, Brett Welychka
Barrie goal: Andreas Athanasiou

Barrie Colts Strike First in OHL Finals

Puck drop between the London Knights and the Barrie Colts

Call it deja vu. Almost.

The Barrie Colts struck first blood in the Ontario Hockey League finals, beating the London Knights 4-2 in game one Friday evening.

Unlike the Niagara IceDogs from last season, they didn’t need double overtime.

The Colts grabbed the second-period lead and held off a late Knights rally in front of 9,046 at Budweiser Gardens.

"That's the plan," said Colts head coach Dale Hawerchuk. "You come in here and try to win the hockey game, and the boys were able to do that. Mathias [Niederberger] had a great game for us."

Niederberger, a German native and overager for Barrie was a rock in net, stopping 40 of 42 shots, not counting the numerous blocked shots as London turned up the pressure late in the third period searching for a tying goal.

His counterpart, Knights' Anthony Stolarz stopped 24 of 27 shots, making this the fifth straight start where he's let in three or more goals.

Ryan Rupert opened the scoring for the defending champions early in the second period, after a terrific pass from captain Scott Harrington. Ex Knight Andreas Athanasiou wasted no time to make a mark on his return to London and tied things up two minutes later, leading to a barrage of boos from the London faithful.

“We had our chances and didn’t bury on them,” lamented a sombre looking Knights head coach Dale
Hunter, “and that was the difference.”

Needing two goals for most of the third period, London’s Alex Broadhurst beat Niederberger glove high on the power play off a Claude Lemieux penalty, bringing the Knights to within one, which changed momentum drastically. From then on it was all London, all the way, Barrie escaping after two massive glove saves and a shot off the framework late on.

"The guys had confidence in front of him [Niederberger]," added Hawerchuk. "There's good unity between the players and the goaltender, and he's the backbone for us."

“I think we did a great job keeping the shots to the outside,” Niederberger, who was also named first star said . “It was our plan and we did that really well. We tried to give up shots from the outside and the boys did a really good job with that making it easier for me."

Lemieux, son of ex NHL-er Claude ended up with the game winner on the powerplay barely two minutes into the final period. Future Winnipeg Jet Mark Schiefele added the insurance late on via the empty net goal.

“It’s a bit of a wake-up call for us,” said Knights' Seth Griffith said. “I think (losing Game 1 is) going to make us play that much harder over the next couple of games.”

Game two of the OHL's Western Conference final did just that for London. They rallied back with two six goal outings in Plymouth to beat the Whalers in five straight.

Expect the Knights to come out in game two with a lot more shots on net. They went into the Kitchener and Saginaw series knowing that constantly peppering Saginaw's Jake Paterson and Kitchener's John GIbson would eventually lead to mistakes from the netminder.

And it did.

"On the powerplay we passed the puck too much," added Broadhurst. "We were getting too cute. Against Plymouth we shot every puck, going hard to the net. Now we had defenceman shooting the puck but no one at the net [for the rebound], that's got to change."

"We got to block a few more shots too, just like they did at key moments of the game," he added.

The Knights were without winger Josh Anderson and Matt Rupert, both still nursing lower body injuries.

Game two goes Sunday evening at 7:05 from the Bud Gardens.
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SUMMARY:
Colts 4, Knights 2
Barrie leads OHL championship series 1-0
Barrie goals: Andreas Athanasiou, Anthony Camara, Brendan Lemieux, Mark Scheifele (EN)
London goals: Ryan Rupert, Alex Broadhurst

London Knights move on to the OHL Finals

London Knights goalie Anthony Stolarz (R) and Paxton Leroux (51) join the celebrations at the Budweiser Gardens

Max Domi scored 20 seconds into overtime as the London Knights beat the Plymouth Whalers 5-4, in a thrilling yet nervous encounter. Domi had also opened the scoring at 9:24 in the first period, and finished with five points and a plus 2 rating.

Alex Broadhurst had two goals while Bo Horvat rounded out the scoring for London. who led 4-1 after two periods of play. The Whalers would come back midway in the third with goals from Garrett Meurs, Rickard Rakell and Gianluca Curcuruto, forcing the extra period of play in front of 9,046 at the Budweiser Gardens.

Ryan Hartman had the Whalers other goal.

Plymouth outshot London 41-34, the Whalers pelting Anthony Stolarz with 40 plus shots for the fourth successive game in the series.

“The last two games, their (London’s) power play was clicking,” Plymouth GM and coach Mike Vellucci said. “They got the timely goals. They scored some big goals. They (the Knights) play a good brand. They rope-de-dope you, put you to sleep and boom, they get a two-on-one or a breakaway."

The Knights now return to the OHL Championship series for the second straight year, where they will face either the Barrie Colts or the Belleville Bulls.  The Bulls beat the Colts 3-1 on Friday night, and now trail the series 3 games to 2. Game Six of that series goes down on Saturday in Barrie.
The Knights found a way without Josh Anderson, who missed Game 5 with a lower-body injury. They were also without Matt Rupert, who was great all season against the Whalers.

Knights assistant coach Dylan Hunter took a puck in the eye in the first period, sat out the second and returned to the bench with four stitches for the third period.

“He thought he was done with stitches,” his dad Dale joked.

“He looks good,” Domi added.

Just like the Knights cup chances.

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

'Snow' Nice to Meet You

Snow, Snow, Snow till I be...

If you look outside your window right about now, you'll probably see snow. In fact, I really don't think it's all that bad, considering that I grew up with mild (though I thought them cold when I was experiencing them) winters in India. Given that this is just my second winter with snow outside my door, I expect it'll take a few more years and a ton of snow before I publicly moan about my hatred towards large amounts of snow.

In fact, I distinctly recall a tweet I sent out during the Christmas break on the morning of December 27, 2012. With winter boots on my feet and quite possibly all the clothes I took with me to Toronto on me, I began my first adventures of shovelling snow and scraping cars.

'Oh, what it's like to pretend I'm 10 again.'

As the pile of snow beside the driveway grew bigger, big enough to perhaps make a snowman, my mind raced, perhaps to the point of imagining how most of you reading this grew up. Shovelling driveways to make that extra buck before heading on home to warm up and grab some sticks for a game of hockey. How I wish I had that while growing up.

Needless to say, I had to stop myself from going down the block asking people if I could shovel their driveway for a small fee. While I may feel like a 10-year-old inside, I didn't imagine people would believe that a 10-year-old could be six feet tall. Reality sucks at times, I tell you. But frankly, that wasn't the worst thing that happened. Living in a house with my cousins – all girls – who showed next to no interest in hockey made me want to cry. All I'd wanted was to play a game of pond hockey. Is that too much to ask for?

Anyway, while I wait to play my first pond hockey game, I move on. A white ending to 2012 – perhaps that's all I could ask for whilst wrapping up an entire calendar year in Canada. In fact, my dad looks at me with disdain when I refer to 'nine-degree weather' as mild. It's funny when I think about it, though; just over a year back, nine degrees was all I could manage, and now it's next to nothing when outside it's a nice, chilly -28 on the Celsius scale.

Old Man Winter's been a fun one this time, especially since I can now poke fun at some people I know who moved to North America for school last fall. With one year of winter experience under my belt, and being able to understand why some Canadians hate the amount of snow they get, I feel just a little more welcome to Canada.

Originally Written for the Interrobang: http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.php?storyID=9239&sectionID=3&issueID=221
Image Credit: http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article676029.ece/ALTERNATES/s1023/Snow+around+Billericahttp://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article676029.ece/ALTERNATES/s1023/Snow+around+Billericayy

What A Year for Sports in London

:London Knights sniper Seth Griffith in action at the 2012 Memorial Cup in Shawinigan

With a new year comes new opportunities for London's sports teams to shine and dominate the sporting world in Ontario, Canada and the world. Last year, London's athletes put on some outstanding performances, and their achievements were recognized and praised by Londoners and sports fans across the country.

Let's start with everyone's favourite team, the London Knights. They won the OHL championship for the second time, beating the Niagara IceDogs on home ice in game five, driving the city into a frenzy. Austin Watson was a marvelled acquisition; he showed his worth in the playoffs as the Knights headed to Shawinigan for the Memorial Cup. Sadly, they lost in the finals to the Shawinigan Cataractes 2-1 in overtime.

This season, the Knights have taken the OHL by storm. Although the team started off slow, their loss to Windsor on November 1 would be their last for almost two months. The boys won 24 consecutive games, beating their own franchise record and falling just one win short of tying the Canadian Hockey League record. The Knights are sure to be tough competitors as their exciting season continues and the run for the Memorial Cup begins once again.

The London Nationals also had a great season, claiming the Western Conference championship in the 2012 Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. While they went on to finish third in the Sutherland Cup, Kelly Thomson's team helped put London sports on the map.

London's new basketball team made a name for themselves across Canada. In their inaugural season, the London Lightning came out on top, as over 5,000 fans witnessed them defeat Halifax in game five to win the league title. London finished with a 33-10 record on the season, including 5-2 in the playoffs. Budweiser Gardens could be home to two defending champions for the 2012/13 season.

The Lightning made numerous changes to their roster in the off season, coming back even stronger than last season. The Lightning won their opener, beating Halifax once again. The team continued to be successful throughout 2012. No team came close as the Lightning opened the season with 11 consecutive wins, breaking the league record.

Soccer might not be the prime choice for London sports fans, but that doesn't mean the sport doesn't do well in the city. FC London was crowned winners of the 2012 Premier Development League season, beating the Carolina Dynamo 2-1 in the championship finals in North Carolina. While the victory might not have sent every sports fan in the city into a frenzy, London's soccer fans were ecstatic that from a league of 73 teams, spread across the U.S.A., Canada and Bermuda, their local team came out on top.

One of London's women's soccer teams also made headlines. North London Galaxy was crowned as the best women's team in the country when they beat Surrey United to lift the 2012 Jubilee Cup. This victory is their first national title after four Ontario titles in six years.

The 2012 Olympic Games gave Londoners a chance to show their talents to the world. London native Damian Warner catapulted to Canadian fame after his mesmerising performance in the decathlon, where he finished fifth. He didn't win a medal, but instead he set six personal bests in 10 events. The 22-year-old also put up the second best point total (8,442) in Canadian history. Heptathlete Jessica Zelinka and swimmer Joe Bartoch had memorable performances in the Olympics as well. Zelinka placed seventh in the heptathlon while Bartoch and his teammates finished eighth at the 4x100-metre medley relay.

London and Londoners can be proud; they live in a city that is home to champions. From individual accolades to team championships and success at the provincial and national levels, and even at the Olympics, 2012 had it all.

Originally Written for the Interrobang: http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.php?storyID=9173&sectionID=4&issueID=219
Image Credit: http://chl.uploads.mrx.ca/memorial/images/en/gallery/2012/05/MMC12_0519_DSC_77192909.JPG