Easton Cowan’s empty-net goal with 30.4 seconds remaining extended his regular-season scoring streak to 52 games and sealed a 3-1 London Knights victory over the Kitchener Rangers at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
The Rangers had managed to keep Cowan off the scoresheet and he needed a second effort after a first attempt deflected wide by the Maple Leafs prospect got the puck back and buried it.
Cowan is now tied with former Ottawa 67’s forward Jim Fox and is three games back of Doug Gilmour’s 55-game stretch.
London has now won 12 consecutive games and 15 of 16 and trails Kitchener by just a single point for first place overall with two games in hand.
Chicago Blackhawks prospect Jack Pridham opened the scoring for Kitchener on a power play at the 11:45 mark of the first period as he snapped a wrist shot into the London net from the top of the right circle. Pridham’s father is Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager, Brandon Pridham.
Late in the period, Knights forward Jesse Nurmi won a puck battle in behind the Rangers net and found Oliver Bonk in front for his second goal in as many games and fourth goal of the year. That tied the game 1-1.
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London forward Blake Montgomery also picked up an assist on the play for his first point in the Ontario Hockey League.
The Knights took the lead in the second period on a power play goal by Sam Dickinson as he zoomed out of his own zone, got through centre ice and pulled off a give-and-go with Denver Barkey for Dickinson’s 12th goal of the year and a 2-1 London advantage.
Knights goalie Alexei Medvedev recorded his first OHL assist on Dickinson’s goal.
London outshot Kitchener 19-4 in the middle 20 minutes.
The Rangers gave a good push over the last five minutes and forced Medvedev to make several good stops including one that deflected off the leg of his own defenceman, but the rookie goaltender made all the saves he had to and Cowen’s goal completed the scoring.
The Knights outshot Kitchener 38-21 in the game.
Both teams were 1-for-5.
Connor McMichael putting up points in Washington
In his final year with the London Knights Connor McMichael had six hat-tricks in a season that was shortened due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
McMichael put up 47 goals and needed three over the final six games that were never played to make it to 50. Now in his second full season with the Washington Capitals of the NHL, McMichael is showing off that same ability to score goals.
The former first-round pick of the Capitals has 12 goals in his first 18 games and is currently on pace for 55 through the National Hockey League’s 82-game schedule.
Up next
The Knights will play three games in three days starting on Nov. 22 at home against the Owen Sound Attack at 7 p.m. at Canada Life Place.
Following that matchup, London will head west for their third of four meetings this season with the Saginaw Spirit.
Both clubs have won in the other’s building. That game happens on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m., at the Dow Event Center in mid-Michigan.
On Nov. 24 the Knights return home to meet the Ottawa 67’s at 4 p.m. at Canada Life Place.
All games can be heard on 980 CFPL, at www.980cfpl.ca and on the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps.
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