London Knights 2022-23 Season Thread (Part 6)

[Fastpace]

How about a big Thank You message from the fans !!!

If there was ever a time for 9000 strong souls needing to be loud, Friday night game is that time. This rink needs it's roof blown off by fan noises, this team need your encouragement. "Go Knights Go"

 

[Newbie Observer]

This is junior hockey, hardest game to win is 4th. London wins tonight, pressure goes on Petes for game 6. They need to win that. If this goes to 7....its all London (at with 9000 fans)

 

[dmead]

This is one of my favourite Knights teams EVER!!!

Putting on my fanboy coat here to say I think they pull it off tonight.

In Free Press article today...

"The league also addressed concerns that the Knights had to duck beers coming off the ice and used the same exit as patrons while loading their bus."

Anyone else hear about this?

 

[Otto]

Plus +++ Cowan, Barkey, Dickinson, Julian, Crane, and Bowen.
This season was just a dress rehearsal. Any deficiencies have been duly noted, and corrective measures will be taken to address those. Will it get any better ???

This is what I have been saying all along. It was never a "go for it year" in London. Moves were made to bring in experience to get an extra round of revenue and greater experience for next year's new crop of leaders. There is not one person who thought the Knights would make it this far at the beginning of the playoffs and certainly not at the beginning of the season or the trade deadline.

Anyone who wants to bash this team for their overall season performance is nothing but a spoiled brat. Junior hockey is cyclical and given the two cancelled seasons it made things more difficult. The Knights did something that 18 other teams failed to do. And... it's not over yet.

As for next year, yes Saginaw will be tough. But Mark & Dale will not roll over and die. Two teams from Ontario will Make the Memorial Cup. The Knights want to be in that mix.

Unfortunately chemo week has hit me hard... I'll be watching at home tonight and hopefully Sunday, but I hope to be in my seat come Monday.

 

[dmead]

This is what I have been saying all along. It was never a "go for it year" in London. Moves were made to bring in experience to get an extra round of revenue and greater experience for next year's new crop of leaders. There is not one person who thought the Knights would make it this far at the beginning of the playoffs and certainly not at the beginning of the season or the trade deadline.

Anyone who wants to bash this team for their overall season performance is nothing but a spoiled brat. Junior hockey is cyclical and given the two cancelled seasons it made things more difficult. The Knights did something that 18 other teams failed to do. And... it's not over yet.

As for next year, yes Saginaw will be tough. But Mark & Dale will not roll over and die. Two teams from Ontario will Make the Memorial Cup. The Knights want to be in that mix.

Unfortunately chemo week has hit me hard... I'll be watching at home tonight and hopefully Sunday, but I hope to be in my seat come Monday.

I will cheer a little louder tonight for you. Be well my friend.

 

[Purple Phart]

I will be there cheering my butt off you can count on it. @ 71 years old I don’t know if I’ll be around for next championship run. Oldest ever living male in my family was 73. Odds are not good and I really think the boys have a decent chance to pull this out. Whatever happens happens and it has been a truly awesome season. This group of kids have really given us old timers something to cheer about. I refuse to complain about the kids as I know they are doing the best they can under the circumstances they were given.

I went to a police K-9 demonstration where police dogs from the OPP, London, St.Thomas, & Chatham-Kent were putting the various dogs through their paces. Some ran obstacle courses, while others demonstrated their prowess in finding drugs, guns, explosive materials etc. This one dog approached, sniffed me, and began wagging his tail. Since I hadn't noticed this dog in any performance, I asked his handler what his specialty was. He replied that this was a cadaver dog. His talent was finding human remains ( dead people ). Not a sort of dog you want greeting you enthusiastically, especially at my age.

 

[LDN]

Hunters to the Leafs?

 

[ArielNederland]

Hunters to the Leafs?

Maybe Mark, but I always though Dale was always a juniors kind of guy, although he did have a stint with washington

 

[dino200022]

Maybe Mark, but I always though Dale was always a juniors kind of guy, although he did have a stint with washington

I think he just did that as a favour, do not think he enjoyed his time there.

 

[LDN]

Do you think the leafs give mark another shot?

 

[TheOrangePylon]

Do you think the leafs give mark another shot?

I think the better question, if the Leafs called. Does Mark give them another shot after they decided Dubas was the better choice 5 years ago?

 

[dmead]

Hunters to the Leafs?

No. Theyve tried that and did not enjoy hearding cats. They have autonomy and control where they are.

 

[Section5Petes]

I think the better question, if the Leafs called. Does Mark give them another shot after they decided Dubas was the better choice 5 years ago?

That's what I think it comes down to at this point as well. Yes it is an NHL team calling but it feels like one of those situations where they're coming crawling back when they instead could have had him in the first place...

 

[dino200022]

Hear me out on this and let me know your thoughts.

I actually think that the whole prime time TV is hurting this team. London has won every series by rolling four lines and wearing teams down as the game goes on.

We do not have the top end talent these other teams have I think that is a fairy obvious statement. I honestly can't recall all three members of the Petes 4th line every stepping on the ice together? These TV breaks are giving the Petes top two lines loaded with talent time to rest up and continue to run 2.5 to three lines. Our strength is then essentially taken away, we don't get to matchup our third and 4th lines vs theirs.

Just thinking out loud.

 

[Otto]

Hear me out on this and let me know your thoughts.

I actually think that the whole prime time TV is hurting this team. London has won every series by rolling four lines and wearing teams down as the game goes on.

We do not have the top end talent these other teams have I think that is a fairy obvious statement. I honestly can't recall all three members of the Petes 4th line every stepping on the ice together? These TV breaks are giving the Petes top two lines loaded with talent time to rest up and continue to run 2.5 to three lines. Our strength is then essentially taken away, we don't get to matchup our third and 4th lines vs theirs.

Just thinking out loud.

Is what it is... but TSN wasn't there for game 2

 

[dmead]

Hear me out on this and let me know your thoughts.

I actually think that the whole prime time TV is hurting this team. London has won every series by rolling four lines and wearing teams down as the game goes on.

We do not have the top end talent these other teams have I think that is a fairy obvious statement. I honestly can't recall all three members of the Petes 4th line every stepping on the ice together? These TV breaks are giving the Petes top two lines loaded with talent time to rest up and continue to run 2.5 to three lines. Our strength is then essentially taken away, we don't get to matchup our third and 4th lines vs theirs.

Just thinking out loud.

Interesting theory. Might have some validity. Game 2 wasnt TSN debacle just to throw some water on it.

In any event, the extra tv timeouts certainly break the flow of the game.

Im more concerned with taking unnecessary penalties, bury some of 50+ shots and for God Sakes start winning some faceoffs.

Go Knights Go!!!

 

[dino200022]

Interesting theory. Might have some validity. Game 2 wasnt TSN debacle just to throw some water on it.

In any event, the extra tv timeouts certainly break the flow of the game.

Im more concerned with taking unnecessary penalties, bury some of 50+ shots and for God Sakes start winning some faceoffs.

Go Knights Go!!!

I agree with game two, but usually by games 3, 4 and 5 we start seeing our opponents slow down a little bit because we keep coming at them hard with all 4 lines.

100 percent on penalties, if Humphrey plays more than Sim tonight I think I might just go crazy he has yet to be effective in this series.

Faceoffs are huge as well, very good point. We have not started with the puck almost 70 percent of the time, not good!

 

[zman77]

 

[dmead]

 

[Slowpace]

I think the better question, if the Leafs called. Does Mark give them another shot after they decided Dubas was the better choice 5 years ago?

I just calculated what I've paid to attend all home playoff games so far, and prorated it for 9036 attendance,.totals $3.2 million. And that number is very low, as I have seniors seasons tickets. Plus add revenue from advertising, merchandise sales, piece of concession sales, etc, etc. That's just playoffs. Ticket sales alone from the regular season well over $10 mil.

Don't think Mark or Dale want or need the NHL pressure and BS.

 

[DCruickshank]

I think the better question, if the Leafs called. Does Mark give them another shot after they decided Dubas was the better choice 5 years ago?

Dubas was the better choice...what happened today should no where reflect badly on him...not the Leaf issue

 

[ohloutsider]

Is what it is... but TSN wasn't there for game 2

Yes and Londons top D get extra rest as well. Works both ways.

 

[dmead]

I just calculated what I've paid to attend all home playoff games so far, and prorated it for 9036 attendance,.totals $3.2 million. And that number is very low, as I have seniors seasons tickets. Plus add revenue from advertising, merchandise sales, piece of concession sales, etc, etc. That's just playoffs. Ticket sales alone from the regular season well over $10 mil.

Don't think Mark or Dale want or need the NHL pressure and BS.

Im sure they have quite the payroll and expenses, but yeah, a tidy earnings.

 

[I Loveallsports]

Mark hunter next gm of the leafs?

 

[Knights77]

This is what I have been saying all along. It was never a "go for it year" in London. Moves were made to bring in experience to get an extra round of revenue and greater experience for next year's new crop of leaders. There is not one person who thought the Knights would make it this far at the beginning of the playoffs and certainly not at the beginning of the season or the trade deadline.

Anyone who wants to bash this team for their overall season performance is nothing but a spoiled brat. Junior hockey is cyclical and given the two cancelled seasons it made things more difficult. The Knights did something that 18 other teams failed to do. And... it's not over yet.

As for next year, yes Saginaw will be tough. But Mark & Dale will not roll over and die. Two teams from Ontario will Make the Memorial Cup. The Knights want to be in that mix.

Unfortunately chemo week has hit me hard... I'll be watching at home tonight and hopefully Sunday, but I hope to be in my seat come Monday.

I disagree with the spoiled brat statement. I believe that expectations can change through the year. Kitchener thought they were a contender at the start of the year. Windsor too, look what happened. Pete’s are up 3-1 in the OHL final after finishing 4th, if they were to lose would it be fair to say “oh Pete’s fans should be happy as they weren’t expected to be a top team”. I think they’d be gutted.
With the Knights much like the team that went to
Shawinigan, that team peaked a year early.
Yes it’s great the Knights are in the final - it’s still a disappointment if they lose. Both can be true.