London Knights 7 vs. Oshawa Generals 4

Friday, October 30, 2009

Scoring mojo back

Kadri's Gordie Howe hat trick spurs Knights to victory

By RYAN PYETTE

The criticism of Nazem Kadri has always been that he tries too much to do it all.

Last night, he did.

Goals?

The Toronto Maple Leafs first-rounder scored twice.

Assist?

He set up rookie Michael MacDonald's second tally in two games.

Sticking up for a fallen mate?

He did that too, rushing in and punching it up with Oshawa's Jeff Brown after the General plastered Jared Knight with a hit from behind.

That third-period tussle basically ended his game -- though he spent the rest of it sitting in the box like a caged animal -- but completed the old Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight) as the Knights awoke from an offensive slumber with a 7-4 win over the Oshawa Generals before 9,000 at the John Labatt Centre.

"It was that point in the game and I thought it was a dirty hit, so I felt I had to do something there," the 19-year-old Londoner said. "We'd like to tighten up a little more defensively, but we did a good job of getting pucks to the net.

"We have a lot of guys who can put the puck in the net and there's more to come."

More fisticuffs from Kadri?

He proved his point, which wasn't lost on his teammates.

"Nazem's our star player and when you see him go in like that to protect Jared, it lifts the whole team," said MacDonald, who got in on some Gordie Howe glory with a goal, assist and scrap. "It would've been any one of us to do that. We're a close team.

"We have each other's backs."

San Jose prospect Phil Varone hadn't scored since the season opener. He ended the drought with the Knights' lucky No. 7 goal, then lifted his fists in the air to signal a full-body sigh of relief.

"It's nice to score, but I know there's a lot of different things I have to work on in my game," he said.

Shooting the puck isn't one of them right now.

Nine days ago, the Knights went into Windsor and recorded 15 shots. It was embarrassing.

Last night, they fired 58 shots at former Knights goalie Michael Zador. It was head-spinning.

The Generals are full of former London players. Last January, the Knights acquired the best offensive player in junior hockey -- John Tavares -- and top blue-line gun Michael Del Zotto for a lot of younger players and draft picks.

Who knew the Gennies' visit would spark these Knights' best outburst of this season?

"We knew coming in what they were capable of," said Oshawa defenceman Scott Valentine, who was part of that blockbuster trade.

Valentine scored. Christian Thomas had an assist and so did Tony DeHart.

So all the ex-Knights ended up on the scoresheet. But for once, the Knights dominated it.

Leigh Salters had two fights but he also scored a skate-to-stick goal that would've made former 62-goal man Pat Kane proud. They even imported a goal when Swedish defender Kalle Ekelund got his first.

The three-goal bulge tied London's biggest margin of victory.

It wasn't quite a laugher but they finally enjoyed some breathing room.

They had some luck, too. On Kadri's opening goal, the Generals thought the puck hit a Knight on the bench and should've been whistled down. Instead, it got London off and running to their third straight win.

The Gens, though, are in a struggle, having lost four straight. Valentine said the former Knights are still tight in Gens-land.

"Christian Thomas and I live across the street from each other so we drive everywhere together," he said. "Well, last year, I drove us everywhere but he finally stepped up this year and got a car so we share the gas."

But for one unfortunate homecoming, they ran into the Knights on a full tank.

SHOTS
Oshawa Generals - 30
London Knights - 58

SCORING
2. LDN Kadri, (6) (Knight, D'Orazio), 1:39
2. LDN Knight, (7) (MacDonald, Harrington), 4:58
2. LDN Salters, (5) , 5:37
2. OSH Valentine, (1) (Esposto), 9:57
2. LDN Kadri, (7) (McRae), 14:07 (PP)
3. LDN Ekelund, (1) (Erlich, Hunter), 2:15
3. OSH McDowell, (1) (Thomas), 5:45 (PP)
3. LDN MacDonald, (2) (Kadri), 7:10
3. OSH Andreoff, (6) (DeHart, Hope), 9:21
3. OSH McDowell, (2) (Stokes), 14:50
3. LDN Varone, (2) , 15:33

PENALTIES
1 - LDN Taylor, 13:16 - High Sticking , 2 min (PP)
1 - OSH Terreri, 18:01 - Fighting , 5 min
1 - LDN Taylor, 18:01 - Fighting , 5 min
1 - OSH Dzielski, 18:21 - Interference , 2 min (PP)
2 - OSH Brown, 5:00 - Fighting , 5 min
2 - LDN MacDonald, 5:00 - Fighting , 5 min
2 - LDN Rinaldo, 7:20 - Cross Checking , 2 min (PP)
2 - OSH Valentine, 13:06 - Hooking , 2 min (PP)
2 - OSH Dzielski, 18:17 - Fighting , 5 min
2 - LDN Salters, 18:17 - Fighting , 5 min
2 - OSH DeHart, 19:08 - Tripping , 2 min (PP)
2 - LDN Taylor, 19:14 - High Sticking , 2 min (PP)
3 - LDN Rinaldo, 4:51 - Check to the Head , 2 min (PP)
3 - OSH Brown, 11:38 - Check from Behind , 2 min
3 - OSH Brown, 11:38 - Check from Behind , 2 min (PP)
3 - OSH Brown, 11:38 - Fighting , 5 min
3 - LDN Kadri, 11:38 - Instigator , 2 min
3 - LDN Kadri, 11:38 - Fighting , 5 min
3 - LDN Kadri, 11:38 - 10-Min. Misc. , 0 min
3 - OSH Wilson, 12:05 - Cross Checking , 2 min (PP)

OSHAWA GENERALS GOALIES
33 Zador, Michael Goals Against: 7 Mins: 60:00 Shots: 58 Saves: 51 PIM: 0

LONDON KNIGHTS GOALIES
41 Hutchinson, Michael GA: 4 MIN: 60:00 SH: 30 SV: 26 PIM: 0

THREE STARS
1. LDN - 91 Nazem Kadri
2. OSH - 6 Jimmy McDowell
3. LDN - 97 Jared Knight

ICE OFFICIALS
Craig Spada (10), Referee
, Referee
Mike Harrington (90), Linesman
Chris Thornton (89), Linesman

OFF-ICE OFFICIALS
Dean Johnson, Score Keeper
Josh Sweetland, Online Scorekeeper
Dave Longfield, Goal Judge 1
John McInerney, Goal Judge 2
Dave Whaley, Video Goal Judge

ARENA
John Labatt Centre
Attendance: 9000
Start: 7:35 PM
End: 9:50 PM
Length: 2:15