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The London Knights were missing high-scoring Easton Cowan and Kasper Halttunen during their eastern Ontario swing. They still buried 21 goals in three games.
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The defending OHL champs blew out Ottawa 10-3 for their 18th consecutive win before 3,223 Sunday at TD Place. Sam Dickinson (two goals, five points), Denver Barkey (one goal, five points) and Sam O’Reilly (two goals, three points) showed Canadian world junior coach Dave Cameron of the 67’s that he won’t go wrong if he picks more Knights than just Cowan and Oliver Bonk this time around.
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“We just played a great team game out there,” London assistant coach Rick Steadman said. “We scored in a bunch of different ways – even strength, (five) power-play goals (and a penalty shot tally by Senators prospect Blake Montgomery). Everyone was building off it.”
The Knights beat the Barber Poles 2-1 in a shootout last weekend in London. This time, they chased 17-year-old goaltender Jaeden Nelson with a four-goal first period, torched his backup Liam Conway for four more in his OHL debut and forced Cameron to turn back to Nelson to finish the game.
Cowan missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury but is a possibility for Wednesday at home against Owen Sound. His 54-game point streak, one shy of Doug Gilmour’s OHL record, is on hold until he is back in the lineup.
“He’s trending that way now (to getting back soon),” Steadman said. “He’s still day-to-day.”
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Halttunen has served his four-game suspension for a check from behind against Saginaw Nov. 23 and is eligible to return against the Attack.
Dickinson is already putting together one of the great offensive seasons by a defenceman in Knights history. The 18-year-old has 15 goals and 45 points in 24 games and is third in league scoring behind Saginaw’s Michael Misa and Brampton’s Porter Martone, both forwards and possible NHL first-overall picks next June.
“It’s amazing,” Steadman said. “He’s out there playing big minutes and defensively and when he gets his shots, he’s scoring. It proves why he was such a highly touted player going into the (2024) NHL draft and San Jose is lucky to have him.”
Barkey sat out the first meeting with Ottawa and was in a no-contact jersey at practice at mid-week. But the Knights captain and Flyers prospect is back putting up big numbers after a slow start while recovering from mononucleosis.
“He’s a little battler,” Steadman said. “He wanted to play and make the trip. He really cares about the team and wanted to lead by example. He got out there and did it.”
rpyette@postmedia.com
OHL HOCKEY
Knights 10, 67’s 3
London goals: Sam O’Reilly (2), Sam Dickinson (2), Jesse Nurmi, Oliver Bonk, Denver Barkey, Noah Read, Blake Montgomery, Landon Sim
Ottawa goal: Nic Whitehead, Jack Dever, Caden Kelly
Next: The Knights face Owen Sound Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Canada Life Place.
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Sunday at TD Place
Knights 10, 67’s 3
First period
1., London, Nurmi 4 (Montgomery, Jenken) 6:01
2. London, Dickinson 14 (O’Reilly, Hawery) 10:26
3. London, Bonk 7 (Dickinson, Nurmi) 12:14
4. London, O’Reilly 8 (Dickinson, Barkey) 16:16 (pp)
Penalties – Dickinson, Ldn (interference) 8:06, Woolley, Ldn, Mews, Ott (roughing) 9:21, Barkey, Ldn, Mayich, Ott (roughing) 10:26, Nurmi, Ldn (cross-checking) 13:41, Barlas, Ott (slashing) 15:17, Marrelli, Ott (attempt to injure match, game misconduct), Mews, Ott, Van Bommel, Ldn (roughing), Aboflan, Ldn (roughing, 10-minute misconduct) 18:17.
Second period
5. London, O’Reilly 9 (Barkey, Julien) 0:54 (pp)
6. London, Dickinson 15 (Barkey, Bonk) 3:12 (pp)
7. London, Barkey 4 (Julien, Van Gorp) 5:43 (pp)
8. London, Read 4 (Nicholl, Van Gorp) 6:23
Penalties – Kelly, Ott (checking from behind) 3:36, Jenken, Ldn (holding), Stonehouse, Ott (roughing) 14:33, Spencer, Ldn (roughing) 19:26.
Third period
9. London, Montgomery 5 (penalty shot) 1:32
10. Ottawa, Whitehead 3 (Horner) 7:22
11. Ottawa, Dever 3 (Mews) 8:59
12. London, Sim 7 (Montgomery, Dickinson) 14:49 (pp)
13. Ottawa, Kelly 5 (Barlas) 16:48
Penalties – Pinelli, Ott (checking from behind) 1:32, Mayich, Ott (cross-checking) 13:24.
Shots on goal by
Ldn 8 13 5–26
Ott 13 15 12–40
Power plays: Ldn 5-5. Ott 0-3.
Goalies (shots-saves): Medvedev, Ldn (W, 11-2). Nelson, Ott (19-12, returned 6:23 of second period) (L, 5-6), Conway, Ott (7-4, 16:16 of first period).
Referees – Blake Beer, Sean Reid. Linesmen – Jacob Lamothe, Hunter Gaspar.
Attendance – 3,223.
Three stars: 1., Sam O’Reilly, Knights; 2. Sam Dickinson, Knights; 3. Denver Barkey, Knights
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