London Knights 2023 - 24 Season Thread (Part 4)
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nelli27
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Game 1: tie (lost in a SO), early season, no Cowan
Game 2: the Jr. B team with players gone to World Juniors. And, the blown review on the "offside call".
Game 3: Soo domination.
If there's any team that can be forgiven a stinker, it's the Knights.
Now, 21-1-0-2.
Take a look at the standings. Would you prefer to be in 3rd place in the Conference? I'll take first place.
Schenkel outplays Simpson...and that second goal was a kick in the nuts...you have to stop that.
Lots of missed chances.
The last time we won the Memorial Cup 2016, we lost a regular season game to the league's worst team, Guelph.
Knights need to shake it off, start fresh tomorrow.
Fastpace
The Devil's Advocate in Person
As stated in my above post
Can not quit skating against fast skating teams, they won't have that problem against Saginaw and Kitchener, I fear London - Owen Sound series, this team is ripe to surprise some teams as there are skaters on that team that can out skates our defenders
To beat teams like the Greyhounds, they need speeds, lots of it, and most importantly from the backend too, needs to be first at retrieving pucks and have puck control, right now, despite their success of late, they are having problems against teams like the Soo, Erie, Sudbury, and I worry about Owen Sound if they ever find their game in these coming play-offs, lookout.
nelli27
Moderator
Not me. I want to go head to head with any team...and may the best team win. If a team can beat us in a 7 games series, I'll be the first to congratulate them.
nelli27
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Knightsfan90
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- Sep 17, 2014
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Yikes what.... was.... that....?
Careless passes up the middle will never end with good results
Put this one behind them and move on needs to play a full 60 mins
Careless passes up the middle will never end with good results
Put this one behind them and move on needs to play a full 60 mins
Knights2729
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they needed a wake up call, they got it tonight!! Move on and start a new streak!
HockeyPops
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I actually thought Simpson played great. A really fluky goal, a deflection off his own defensemans skate, and a tip with lots of traffic. But I thought he saw the puck really well and controlled rebounds really well. The way the Soo coughed up a 3 goal lead to Sudbury earlier this week, I felt a lot better once they pulled Simpson.
Fastpace
The Devil's Advocate in Person
Got to see their overall problem and whom or what kind of team will give them most problems. You said in your post above the Knights lost to the worst team before going on to win the Memorial Cup. London were much more mobile at the backend then to what we have this year, look who they had Mete Juelevi Jamieson and Crawley all fast skaters to be teamed up with Bouchard Graves Martenet and Mattinen. They hardly had any problem with fast skating. I know we have a great bunch of defenders this year, but we are not as mobile, our offence is our only speed to play against fast teams, and to keep up with that pace for the full 60mi. 200 foot game is too demanding, unless they find a way to get help from the backend, like being first to take puck control in our end or find a way to take shortcuts on their way back. What I am speaking of is we're lagging going back, and that's a problem for them, and if you are an opposing coach is something that can easily be adjusted for them in a series of games
Knights got outplayed....plain and simple. Eventually, the streak had to end, and this was the night for that too occur. Everyone from the coaching staff, and the players has to own this one and regroup to get back to winning. The one positive to be taken from a game like this,, is that the team just became more coachable, if everyone is honest about this loss.
There are nights when Simpson just isn't "sharp", and although those first 3 goals weren't entirely his responsibility, he did appear to be having one of those nights. The goaltending switch was probably one goal too late. Had the change been made 1 goal earlier, the defence may have tightened up as a response, but the hole became too deep, and the Hounds smelled blood, and poured it on. Halttnen was noticably absent on several power play situations, early on, and the power play was negated.
Best to chalk this one up as a lesson to be learned, and get back to eliminating some bad habits that have crept in during the streak.
There are nights when Simpson just isn't "sharp", and although those first 3 goals weren't entirely his responsibility, he did appear to be having one of those nights. The goaltending switch was probably one goal too late. Had the change been made 1 goal earlier, the defence may have tightened up as a response, but the hole became too deep, and the Hounds smelled blood, and poured it on. Halttnen was noticably absent on several power play situations, early on, and the power play was negated.
Best to chalk this one up as a lesson to be learned, and get back to eliminating some bad habits that have crept in during the streak.
The key to beating the Soo is the same Canada used in the early days of International Hockey. Take the body, take the body and take the body hard. London has the size and a bit of nastiness to get it done. Maybe not politically correct in today's game to say it but the Soo to me looked soft?
TheOrangePylon
Registered User
I would mostly agree with this, he looked decent early on. 3 of the 4 goals he let in you can’t blame him for, I don’t think him getting the hook was a result of his play, rather a result of the teams play and Dale trying to wake his team up.
ohloutsider
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Will George be suspended for throwing the stick? To be fair they didn't show him throwing it on tv, just saw the stick flying across the ice. Anyone there see what actually happened?
HockeyPops
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Yes if you rewind the video you can see the whole thing.
It wasn't George's stick. A Greyhound player had their stick caught in George's equipment. George was clinging to the stick trying to sell a hooking call. Greyhound dropped the stick and it fell on the ice as Gibson was breaking towards the net past a frustrated George who didn't get the call. He flipped the stick that was lying on the ice towards Gibson as he was away on his breakaway.
I think because he instigated a fight in the laast 5 minutes it is an automatic suspension
Fastpace
The Devil's Advocate in Person
Unfortunately today's game is no longer what the early days of International Hockey used to be, the players are much faster, the equipments are lighter and the refs are strictier as well. Taking the body does help but if your team is not well balanced with speed to counter your opponant's speed, you will not gain much of an advantage, we seen it last night against the Greyhounds. London's defence as good as they are still has to show more speed back there or it's going to be very difficult for them
ohloutsider
Registered User
He was not in a fight that they showed. It was the stick being tossed at a Soo player. Announcers thought it would be a match penalty but online it just shows 2 minutes for unsportsmanlike.
Definitely.
The Knights should fear no one, but respect everyone. (same as every team)
Otto
Lynch Syndrome. Know your families cancer history
ohloutsider
Registered User
Yes Boulton was in the fight but George tossed the stick at the Soo player. Just me confused on what the call was for tossing the stick? I always thought it was a match penalty but shows as a minor on the stat sheet. I guess watching the OHL means confusing officiating is the norm?
HockeyPops
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George was not happy at all that he couldn't sell the call and basically gave up a breakaway goal as a result. I suspect tossong the stick was 2, and the verbal assault that ensued was the misconduct.
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