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Easton Cowan keeps rolling.
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The London Knights star set up Oliver Bonk’s game-tying tally 5:11 into the first period to run his unprecedented junior hockey point streak to an incredible 62 games in a 4-1 victory Thursday before 2,659 at the North Bay Memorial Gardens.
“It’s pretty amazing,” London assistant coach Rick Steadman said. “It’s something special and we’re proud of how hard he’s been working and grinding away. We hope he can keep it going, keep doing this and keep playing hard.
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“You never know (how far it will go).”
Cowan pushed past Mario Lemieux’s 41-year-old Canadian Hockey League record really early in the opening period. Though the milestone remains unofficial since it has occurred over two seasons, the Maple Leafs first-rounder’s streak still deserves to be highlighted as one of the great achievements in junior hockey history.
He isn’t the only one on his team accomplishing rare feats.
London goaltender Austin Elliott made 30 saves to improve his personal record to an outstanding 19-0 since arriving from the Western league’s Saskatoon Blades. The overager’s historic winning ways sparks memories of Knights grad Gerald Coleman’s string of 20 straight games without a defeat to start the Memorial Cup-winning 2004-05 season.
Coleman had a couple of ties back in that era while Elliott’s record has been boosted by a few shootout wins.
“He’s been great for us,” Steadman said. “He gives us a chance to win. He never gets too frustrated or too low. He keeps chugging away and makes those timely saves when we need it.
“He makes the guys feel comfortable in front of him.”
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The first-place Knights quickly put their 5-2 loss Tuesday in Kitchener behind them by beating a rebuilding club trying to make the playoffs. They trailed early and were a bit careless with the puck in the opening minutes, but took over with two first-period markers.
“You’re going to lose some in this fun game we play,” Steadman said, “but it’s always good to come back hard and battle for pucks, win some of those battles and do well out there.”
A BIG STEP: Bonk had one of his best games since returning from the world junior tournament. He talked about how he had four turnovers in the first 10 minutes against Windsor Jan. 10 and struggled through a rough patch.
“It was really bad and you can only go up from there,” the Flyers first-rounder said. “Now, I got my game back.”
That’s not surprising to the Knights. “He’s a great kid,”Steadman said. “He oozes character. He’s a hockey nerd and wants to know everything going on in the game. It’s a lot of stress when they go to play for Canada or Finland or wherever and the hockey world is watching them. He’s helping us win every game.”
AROUND THE RINK: The Knights’ power play is back in a rut. They went 1-for-7 Thursday with the only goal scored on the rush by Sam Dickinson. “We’re a little tentative moving the puck around,” Steadman said. “We can be a little more direct and win those little battles. There are too many ones-and-dones. We’ve got to keep plugging away, get some zone time and let our skill take over.” . . . London also has to get back to its cycle game. The puck is being turned over too many times while trying to make a play at the blue line. “When we were successful in this game, we were getting the puck low and getting it out from there,” Steadman said. “When we get it out by the blue line, teams know we want to make plays and hold onto the puck. They’re jumping up, poking pucks away and that’s usually when we get into a horse race with rushes.” . . . Senators prospect Blake Montgomery increased his point streak to 14 games on Henry Brzustewicz’s game-winning goal . . . The Knights travelled late Thursday to Sudbury to be able to sleep in before facing the Wolves. Sudbury hasn’t played since an 8-1 drubbing in London last Sunday. ““They’re going to want to play hard and showcase who they are,” Steadman said. “If we let them, they’ll get a big win against us.”
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rpyette@postmedia.com
OHL HOCKEY
Knights 4, Battalion 1
London goals: Oliver Bonk, Henry Brzustewicz, Sam Dickinson, Denver Barkey
North Bay goal: Kent Greer
Next: The Knights are in Sudbury Friday, 7 p.m. at the Sudbury Community Arena.
Thursday at North Bay Memorial Gardens
Knights 4, Battalion 1
First period
1., North Bay, Greer 3 (Procyszyn) 4:35
2. London, Bonk 7 (Cowan, Julien) 5:11
3. London, Brzustewicz 8 (Montgomery, Barkey) 15:52
Penalties – Bonk, Ldn (kneeing) 11:44, Bonk, Ldn (high-sticking) 16:22, Ride, Nb (roughing) 20:00.
Second period
4. London, Dickinson 18 (Bonk) 9:22 (pp)
Penalties – J. LeBlanc, Nb (hooking) 4:37, Vaughan, Nb (slashing) 8:56, Allen, Ldn (cross-checking) 10:07, Vaughan, Nb (tripping) 12:14, Brzustewicz, Ldn, Smith, Nb (fighting) 15:37, Woolley, Ldn, Therrien, Nb (roughing) 16:00, Allen, Ldn (holding) 16:41.
Third period
5. London, Barkey 16 (Van Gorp) 19:11 (en)
Penalties – Smith, Nb (high-sticking double minor) 3:56, Sim, Ldn (goalie interference) 5:18, A. LeBlanc, Nb (slashing) 13:28.
Shots on goal by
Ldn 12 10 14–36
Nb 14 8 10–32
Power plays: Ldn 1-7. Nb 0-4.
Goalies: Elliott, Ldn (W, 19-0). McIvor, Nb (L, 12-13).
Referees – Drew Jackson, Lacey Senuk. Linesmen – David Milne, Carter Tait.
Attendance – 2,659.
Three stars: 1., Oliver Bonk, Knights; 2. Sam Dickinson, Knights; 3. Mike McIvor, Battalion
