London Knights 3 vs. Mississauga St. Michael 2

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Secondary scorers power Knights to win

By By Morris Dalla Costa The London Free Press

MISSISSAUGA — Thank goodness for the other guys.

The London Knights needed those other guys — their unheralded, secondary scorers — to make Thanksgiving weekend a happy time.

Defenceman Steve Tarasuk scored his fourth goal of the season while Jared Knight and Leigh Salters got their second each, leading the Knights to 3-2 road win over the St. Michael's Majors Sunday in Ontario Hockey League play.

The Knights are suffering a power shortage so far this year, their expected top scorers unable so far to find the net regularly.

But Knight gave his Knights a 2-1 lead in the game and then Salters fired the winner with little more than 10 minutes left to secure the one-goal victory.

"It feels really good to be able to contribute that way," Salters said. "I don't often get a chance to get on the board with a game-winning goal. It's nice to be able to get on the point sheet and help out in other says other than hitting."

But the Knights didn't lack for scoring chances.

They outshot the Majors 35-33 and had about 15 or so shots blocked by St. Mike's defenders. The Knights also blew about 10 great chances by missing the net.

Especially frustrating for the Knights was a span in the second period when they were given four two-on-one rushes in succession. Only Phil Varone made contact with the net, hitting the post.

The Knights have scored five goals in their last three games. They've gotten steady goaltending — Michael Hutchinson was solid again Sunday — so they continue to be successful but they were 0-6 on the power play and that specialty unit ranks No. 13 in the league, an unusual position for this club.

Salters, the kind of player that will give you what he has, says he expects the scorers to come around but the other guys don't feel pressure picking up the slack.

"When guys aren't scoring you try and do what you can," he said. "When guys aren't scoring you try and hit, backcheck, do the little things to get that bounce. When the big guys aren't scoring, you have to know your role . . . and do it to the best of your ability."

The hope for Knight was that he'd have a breakout year. He can skate, has good hands and doesn't mind getting into tight spaces.

"Obviously, the last couple of games I haven't really been doing anything," Knight said. "I thought, get the legs moving, throw your body around and something good would happen to me. The big thing is we got the win."

Knight's goal was a case of him going to the net hard. Nazem Kadri chipped the puck off the boards, Knight used his speed to beat a Majors blueliner and he tracked to the net, flipping the puck over Chris Carrozzi into the St. Mike's net.

"It was (a relief to score) because there was a couple of games when I wasn't getting any chances," Knight said. "I came in tonight and really wanted to shoot the puck. Like (coach Dale Hunter says), shoot the puck and good things happen. That's what I did tonight and it went in. But like I said, we got the win and that's what's important."

There's no panic, says Knight.

"We have great players here. They'll come around. We just have to shoot the puck."

At the other end of the rink, London limited St. Mike's to few good chances in the first two periods. Only in the third period when the Majors pushed did the Knights have some trouble in their own zone.

It's a glass-half-full scenario for Hunter's team: While the Knights have only scored five goals in their last three games, they've only given up that many as well.

SHOTS
London Knights - 35
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors - 33

SCORING
1. LDN Tarasuk, (4) (McRae, Erlich), 14:22
1. MISS Mayer, (7) (Gaunce, Flemming), 19:54 (PP)
2. LDN Knight, (2) (Kadri, Ekelund), 7:27
3. MISS Smith-Pelly, (3) (Parlett), 2:20
3. LDN Salters, (2) (Varone), 9:38

PENALTIES
1 - MISS DeMelo, 2:32 - Holding , 2 min (PP)
1 - LDN Hunter, 10:21 - Cross Checking , 2 min (PP)
1 - LDN Hunter, 10:21 - Fighting , 5 min
1 - MISS Percy, 10:21 - Fighting , 5 min
1 - MISS Cramarossa, 15:50 - Tripping , 2 min (PP)
1 - MISS Lopes, 17:23 - Tripping , 2 min (PP)
1 - LDN Hunter, 19:30 - Holding , 2 min (PP)
2 - MISS Flick, 1:54 - Cross Checking , 2 min (PP)
2 - LDN Salters, 4:26 - Hooking , 2 min (PP)
2 - LDN Hunter, 10:43 - Tripping , 2 min (PP)
2 - MISS Mayer, 11:41 - Tripping , 2 min (PP)
2 - MISS Gaunce, 14:42 - Boarding , 2 min (PP)
2 - LDN Rinaldo, 20:00 - Unsportsmanlike Cnd. , 2 min (PP)
3 - LDN Tarasuk, 10:26 - Hooking , 2 min (PP)
3 - LDN Kadri, 16:58 - Misc-Mouth Guard (9.9), 0 min

LONDON KNIGHTS GOALIES
29 Houser, Michael Goals Against: - Mins: - Shots: - Saves: - PIM: -
41 Hutchinson, Michael Goals Against: 2 Mins: 60:00 Shots: 33 Saves: 31 PIM: 0

MISSISSAUGA ST. MICHAEL'S MAJORS GOALIES
30 Carrozzi, Chris GA: 3 MIN: 58:56 SH: 35 SV: 32 PIM: 0
34 Anderson, JP GA: - MIN: - SH: - SV: - PIM: -

THREE STARS
1. LDN - 55 Leigh Salters
2. MISS - 13 Blake Parlett
3. LDN - 97 Jared Knight

ICE OFFICIALS
Dave Lewis (16), Referee
, Referee
Brian Hoard (40), Linesman
Mike Pryde (76), Linesman

OFF-ICE OFFICIALS
Rich Carman, Score Keeper
Howie Borrow, Online Scorekeeper
Gene Samek, Goal Judge 1
Mike Symonds, Goal Judge 2
Ed Butler, Video Goal Judge

ARENA
Hershey Centre
Attendance: 1478
Start: 2:04 PM
Length: 2:07