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London Knights 2 vs. Barrie Colts 6
Friday, October 16, 2009
Colts show Knights how to hit net
OHL: The London Knights peppered Barrie goalie Peter Di Salvo with 43 shots last night but displayed little knack for finishing in a 6-2 loss.
By MORRIS DALA COSTA, THE LONDON FREE PRESS
Call it a show-me game.
The Barrie Colts wanted to show themselves and the rest of the league how good they could be.
The London Knights wanted to show themselves that they could score goals.
The Colts did their part, showing up the Knights with a 6-2 Ontario Hockey League win at the John Labatt Centre last night.
As for the Knights, they are still looking for a blowout game that might get them back on the offensive track.
The Knights fired 43 shots at netminder Peter Di Salvo and he picked the night when he was facing ex-teammate Michael Hutchinson to have a big night.
Mind you, the Knights aren't exactly burning out the goal judges' light.
They would have trouble hitting water if they fell out of a boat.
The Knights had five power-play chances and didn't score on any of them. That makes them 0-for-27 in their last five games.
"Those kids are just gripping the stick too hard right now, trying too hard to score. When you try to hard to score, you just don't score," Knights assistant coach Jacques Beaulieu said. "We had a lot of good chances. We're be more worried if we weren't getting chances."
The Colts looked like a team that could challenge for a title, especially if they continue to get the kind of goaltending they got last night from Di Salvo. They are one of the top teams in the East but they need to prove themselves against the better teams in the West.
They came off a loss to Sarnia on Friday night and are starting to get back many of their injured player. Luke Pither returned for the Sarnia game and Londoner Stephen Gaskin, who wasn't supposed to play until next weekend, played last night.
Coach Marty Williamson had good reason to smile.
"Whenever you can come into London and pick up two points, that's a good night," he said.
"We're still a work in progress. We're still a little too high risk for my liking . . . especially when we get a lead," Williamson conitnued. "Peter Di Salvo bailed us out a lot tonight. The bounces seem to go our way."
To the Colts' credit, even though they took a 3-0 lead, they had chances to cave but didn't. There was always a key play or a key goal to keep them in control.
"It was nice to gut it our tonight," Williamson said. "There were a couple of good signs for our team. After a goal, we would have a really good shift. The guys just seemed to have their heads on details.
"This is a big weekend for us. It was a big win for us, probably the biggest of the year."
The Knights are going to have to find a way to score more. They missed some easy chances last night.
"It's obviously frustrating. The puck isn't going in for us," said the Knights' Justin Taylor. "We have six or seven guys who are potential 30-goal scorers. What it comes down to is winning those one-on-one battles in the blue paint.
"We are getting harped on in practice and intermissions to put those pucks in the net. Those are the goals that win hockey games."
The Colts scored a couple of those themselves. They went to the net and saw screened shots go in and pucks bounce off sticks into the net.
"You got to be tenacious. You got to want it more than the other guy," Taylor said. "They battled out front and got six goals out of it."
Beaulieu believes the situation will eventually change for the good.
"We'll have a good practice and talk to them about it. They have to relax when they are out there and make the right plays," he said.
Beaulieu used the same words as Taylor did when dicussing the battles in front of the net.
"We've been harping on them all year to win those puck battles and getting those ugly goals and rebound goals," he said.
"You go in front of the net and you are going to get cross-checked and slashed. It takes courage to go there and right now we're not doing it," Beaulieu said.
The Knights get a chance to do it all again tomorrow when they play the Kingston Frontenacs at the John Labatt Centre at 2 p.m.
SHOTS
Barrie Colts - 29
London Knights - 43
SCORING
1. BAR Prout, (1) (Sgarbossa, Carnevale), 16:22
1. BAR Hutchings, (7) (Pither, Burmistrov), 17:34 (PP)
1. BAR Burmistrov, (8) (Carnevale, O'Connor), 19:26 (PP)
1. LDN Salters, (3) (Martin, DeSando), 19:43
2. BAR Pither, (10) (Burmistrov, O'Connor), 0:43 (PP)
2. LDN Taylor, (4) (Salters, Varone), 16:19
3. BAR Mazurek, (1) (Pither), 12:57
3. BAR Della Rovere, (1) (Prout, Hutchings), 15:12
PENALTIES
1 - BAR Mazurek, 7:26 - Roughing , 2 min (PP)
1 - BAR Sgarbossa, 8:50 - Slashing , 2 min (PP)
1 - LDN Erlich, 16:11 - Check from Behind , 2 min (PP)
1 - LDN Rinaldo, 18:02 - Boarding , 2 min (PP)
1 - BAR Della Rovere, 19:50 - Fighting , 5 min
1 - LDN Rinaldo, 19:50 - Fighting , 5 min
1 - LDN Served By Martin, 20:00 - Bench Minor , 2 min (PP)
1 - LDN Varone, 20:00 - Roughing , 2 min (PP)
2 - BAR Prout, 7:14 - Holding , 2 min (PP)
3 - BAR O'Connor, 4:37 - High Sticking , 2 min (PP)
3 - LDN Kadri, 9:22 - Check to the Head , 2 min (PP)
3 - BAR Brittain, 15:56 - Inter. on Goaltender , 2 min
3 - LDN Knight, 15:56 - Inter. on Goaltender , 2 min
3 - BAR Prout, 19:37 - Fighting , 5 min
3 - LDN Schinkelshoek, 19:37 - Fighting , 5 min
BARRIE COLTS GOALIES
31 McGrath, Dalton Goals Against: - Mins: - Shots: - Saves: - PIM: -
35 Di Salvo, Peter Goals Against: 2 Mins: 60:00 Shots: 43 Saves: 41 PIM: 0
LONDON KNIGHTS GOALIES
29 Houser, Michael GA: - MIN: - SH: - SV: - PIM: -
41 Hutchinson, Michael GA: 6 MIN: 60:00 SH: 29 SV: 23 PIM: 0
THREE STARS
1. BAR - 9 Luke Pither
2. LDN - 55 Leigh Salters
3. BAR - 8 Alexander Burmistrov
ICE OFFICIALS
Joe Celestin (4), Referee
Scott Hoberg (13), Referee
Sean McLoughlin (59), Linesman
Chris Thornton (89), Linesman
OFF-ICE OFFICIALS
Dean Johnson, Score Keeper
Josh Sweetland, Online Scorekeeper
John McInerney, Goal Judge 1
Dave Longfield, Goal Judge 2
Dave Whaley, Video Goal Judge
ARENA
John Labatt Centre
Attendance: 9030
Start: 7:35 PM
End: 9:57 PM
Length: 2:22
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