London Knights 2 vs. Plymouth Whalers 7

Saturday, September 26, 2009

No third win for Knights; Whalers 7, Knights 2

By MORRIS DALLA COSTA, LONDON FREE PRESS

PLYMOUTH — There seems to be something about that third win to start a season.

The London Knights can’t seem to get it.

The Knights went into Plymouth Saturday to play the Whalers with a 2-0 record in Ontario Hockey League play.

As difficult as it is to believe, a third win would have given them their best start to a season since 2005, the year they went 29-0-2 to start a season that ended with a Memorial Cup win.

No need to worry about that record. The Whalers put a stop to the short win streak with a 7-2 win.

It was not a particularly good effort by the Knights.

“We didn’t have the puck all night,” said Knights’ assistant coach Jacques Beaulieu. “We didn’t have it five-on-five, we didn’t have it on the power play. We didn’t have it at all. When you don’t have the puck, you’re chasing all the time and it’s tough to get anything going.

The Knights went into the game still awaiting word on underagers Michael Del Zotto in the New York Rangers camp, and Nazem Kadri with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I probably won’t talk to (the teams) until Monday,” said Knights general manager Mark Hunter. “I haven’t heard anything new.”

They could have used them Saturday, especially on a power play that had 10 chances and connected only twice and didn’t generate many other chances.

Normally the Compuware Sports Arena is not a very hospitable place but the Knights have had a successful run against the Whalers of late. The Knights won all four games against the Whalers last season.

The Compuware Arena returned to its nasty roots Saturday.

“We didn’t play a structured game and we didn’t compete,” Beaulieu said. “That’s what happens when you don’t follow systems and don’t play the way you are told to play. We didn’t win any puck battles. They are a pressing team and we didn’t handle it.”

Michael Hutchinson started for the Knights after his 3-0 shutout of the Mississauga on Friday. He’s had good success in Plymouth when he was with the Barrie Colts. Even though he was only 2-2 with the Colts, he has a 2.78 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage when he played in Plymouth.

It was a tough night for Hutchinson as well.

The Knights took the lead early on a power play when Justin Taylor scored on a rebound of a Phil McRae shot.

It didn’t take long for the Whalers to tie it. Tyler Seguin took advantage of a giveaway in the Knights zone to walk in front of the net and beat Hutchinson with a partially screened shot.

The Knights took the lead on a Jared Knight goal.

But the Knights couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities the Whalers gave them on the power play and again coughed up the puck in their own zone. AJ Jenks beat Hutchinson with a low shot for a shorthanded goal.

Then the Seguin show began in earnest.

The 17-year-old took control of the game, using his strength and quickness to score two goals. His third goal was a beauty, fighting his way in front of the net, holding of a defenceman and tipping the puck past Hutchinson.

Seguin is going into his draft year and is projected a high pick in the National Hockey League draft next year.

“One mistake led to another and a bunch of little things in our own end and taking unnecessary penalties led to goals,” said Knights defenceman Steve Tarasuk. “Next thing we know, we were down too much to come back.”

The Knights looked flat.

“I’d definitely say that their team had to be more prepared than ours in that we weren’t very successful in the outcome of the game,” Tarasuk said. “The fortunate thing is we play them quite a few more times and we’ll be ready for them the next time we play them.”

The Knights continue to give up good chances. In their first two games Hutchinson and goaltending partner Michael Houser were able to keep the puck out of the net.

The Knights weren’t as lucky in Plymouth.

Game Glance

Whalers 7, Knights 2

Goals: Knights—Justin Taylor, Jared Knight. Whalers-Tyler Seguin 3, AJ Jenks, Joe Gaynor, Myles McCauley, Garrett Meurs.

Next game: The Knights play the Sting in Sarnia, Thursday.

SHOTS
London Knights - 25
Plymouth Whalers - 29

SCORING
1. LDN Taylor, (1) (McRae, Tarasuk), 6:09 (PP)
1. PLY Seguin, (4) (Brown, Bemis), 8:15
1. LDN Knight, (1) (Tarasuk, Taylor), 14:10 (PP)
1. PLY Jenks, (2) , 19:16 (SH)
2. PLY Seguin, (5) (Jenks, Schmitz), 0:39 (PP)
2. PLY Seguin, (6) (Schmitz, McCauley), 15:17 (PP)
2. PLY Gaynor, (2) (Mahalak, Meurs), 15:58
3. PLY McCauley, (2) (Seguin, Brown), 10:50 (PP)
3. PLY Meurs, (1) , 19:37 (PP)

PENALTIES
1 - LDN D'Orazio, 2:44 - Holding , 2 min (PP)
1 - PLY Meurs, 4:35 - Holding Opp. Stick , 2 min (PP)
1 - LDN Salters, 8:18 - Fighting , 5 min
1 - PLY Jenner, 8:18 - Fighting , 5 min
1 - PLY Levi, 8:43 - Boarding , 2 min (PP)
1 - PLY Seguin, 12:14 - Interference , 2 min (PP)
1 - PLY Mahalak, 18:44 - Boarding , 2 min (PP)
1 - LDN Knight, 19:39 - Diving , 2 min
2 - LDN Varone, 0:25 - Hooking , 2 min (PP)
2 - LDN DeSando, 4:20 - Hooking , 2 min (PP)
2 - LDN Worrad, 7:28 - Elbowing , 2 min (PP)
2 - PLY Brown, 7:53 - Cross Checking , 2 min (PP)
2 - PLY Heard, 12:11 - Slashing , 2 min (PP)
2 - LDN Rinaldo, 14:54 - Slashing , 2 min (PP)
2 - LDN Rinaldo, 18:08 - Fighting , 5 min
2 - LDN Rinaldo, 18:08 - Game-Aggressor (47.2), 0 min
2 - PLY Brown, 18:08 - Fighting , 5 min
2 - LDN Knight, 19:59 - Tripping , 2 min
2 - PLY Mahalak, 19:59 - Interference , 2 min
3 - PLY Jenner, 2:12 - Interference , 2 min (PP)
3 - LDN Martin, 5:08 - Tripping , 2 min (PP)
3 - PLY Gaynor, 7:44 - Hooking , 2 min (PP)
3 - LDN Worrad, 10:22 - Holding , 2 min (PP)
3 - LDN Martin, 11:19 - Tripping , 2 min (PP)
3 - LDN Tarasuk, 14:26 - Delay of Game , 2 min (PP)
3 - PLY Donati, 17:37 - Interference , 2 min (PP)
3 - LDN Salters, 18:53 - Roughing , 2 min

LONDON KNIGHTS GOALIES
29 Houser, Michael Goals Against: - Mins: - Shots: - Saves: - PIM: -
41 Hutchinson, Michael Goals Against: 7 Mins: 60:00 Shots: 29 Saves: 22 PIM: 0

PLYMOUTH WHALERS GOALIES
29 Wedgewood, Scott GA: - MIN: - SH: - SV: - PIM: -
31 Hackett, Matt GA: 2 MIN: 60:00 SH: 25 SV: 23 PIM: 0

THREE STARS
1. PLY - 9 Tyler Seguin
2. PLY - 17 Beau Schmitz
3. PLY - 22 AJ Jenks

ICE OFFICIALS
Joe Celestin (4), Referee
Ryan Hutchison (20), Referee
Geoff Rutherford (62), Linesman
Joe Monette (64), Linesman

OFF-ICE OFFICIALS
Bill MacKay, Score Keeper
Colleen Frizzell, Online Scorekeeper
Dan Debol, Goal Judge 1
Todd Friend, Goal Judge 2
Greg Hames, Video Goal Judge

ARENA
Compuware Arena
Attendance: 1819
Start: 7:09 PM
End: 9:37 PM
Length: 2:28
Todd Friend, Goal Judge 2