Photo from @GamedayLondonON Twitter
It was a long and stressful weekend for the London Knights. The Knights played 3 games in 4 days and were unable to get a win. They faced tough competition and suffered the consequences of having no rest. With only 6 games left in the season, and the race for playoff seeding heating up, this low point could not have come at a worse time.
The first game of the four days was against Flint. The offensive firepower was loaded in this game with the Knights scoring 4 goals. Kirill Steklov and Camaryn Baber both had two points on the Knight leading the offensive charge. Sadly, this offensive charge was not enough to withstand Flint’s offense. Flint managed to score 5 goals squeaking out the 5-4 win. Knights Goalie Owen Flores was left out to dry in this one, as he had to handle 47 shots against him. A better defensive performance would have easily secured this win but on this night the Knights let it slip.
The second game then was a rematch against the Flint Firebirds at home. Remember the offensive firepower from the previous game? That was non-existent in this one. The Knights failed time and time again to finish on opportunities to put the puck in the net. It was aggravating to witness how many times the Knights either missed an open net or fanned completely on a shot opportunity. Flint managed to pot 3 goals in a 3-1 victory, but this is a game the Knights should have won.
The final game of the four days was a meeting with the Barrie Colts. The Colts are currently a ‘middle of the pack’ team in the Eastern Conference that is fighting for playoff positioning. The Knights are also hoping to secure a high seed for playoffs but this game did not do them any favors. The Knights offense did get back on track once again scoring 4 goals. But, unfortunately, it was not enough to pull out the win as the Colts won 5-4. The defensive performance was not as poor as the Flint game, but the Knights did let Barrie get 35 shots on the net. Goalie Owen Flores allowed 13 goals in 3 games.
For the Knights to improve there has to be some consistency on the offensive side. A consistent amount of goals will constantly keep them in games. The defensive side will also need to tighten up as the Goalies cannot do it all on their own. Knights Goalie Owen Flores will also need to improve in his future performances, at least until Goalie Brett Brochu recovers from his injury.
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