Knights Improve To 2-0

Mitch Marner has moxie

Stories and pictures from the London Knights 6-3 win over the Saginaw Spirit.

Mitch Marner will find you.

Somehow the young first round draft pick gets the puck on the stick of teammates in good shooting position.  Marner helped create Santino Centorame's first OHL goal in the first period with a quick pass that sprung Kyle Platzer loose for a scoring chance.  Centorame followed up and banged home the rebound.
Marner also set up Platzer for his third goal of the season in the second period. Again, skating at high speed he somehow slid a puck underneath a sprawling defender to wide-open Platzer who made a backhand forehand deke on Jake Paterson.

Marner has three points in his first two OHL games.

Anthony Stolarz 

Goalie Anthony Stolarz has yet to give up an even strength goal in two games.  The 19 year-old 2nd round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers has more economy in his game this season.
"He's more in control," says London Knights goalie coach Bill Dark.   "He's staying a bit deeper in his net to use his size and athletic ability.  He's still challenging but more at the right time."

Stolarz has a .957 save percentage and a 1.5 GAA through two games.

Josh Anderson played one of his best games as a Knight against the Spirit.  Anderson scored two goals. He was physical along the boards and a constant presence in front of the net.  Anderson and Chris Tierney teamed with Mike McCarron on a line that had a great game in a 6-3 London win.

John Anderson watches Alex Basso play 'pop up the water bottle' vs. Saginaw Spirit

Raonic Is Not Young

Milos Raonic is leading a tennis revival in Canada.

He gets praise from around the sport as a potential top-five talent.

He has a chance to win a major tennis title.

All true.

But he is not young - in the cruel world of mens singles tennis.  Raonic seems like a raw, developing talent.  But the results show he is behind most top-20 players.

Raonic has a 12-8 record in the four major tennis tournaments.  He has yet to reach the quarterfinals of any of the big four events.  Before the next major (Australian Open) he will be 23 years old and his 20 matches of major experience are well behind many other players of his era. 

Here are the major records of some similar players past and present at age 22:

 - Tomas Berdych - 30-17 including one quarter final.

 -  Juan Martin del Potro - 31-6 including one win, one semi final and two quarter finals.

 -   Richard Gasquet - 28-20 including one quarter final appearance

 -   Jo Wilfrid Tsonga - reached Australian Open final at age 22. 

 Top players like Novak Djokovic are in another universe when it comes to early results.  Djokovic had a 66-19 record in majors by age 23 with one major win.  Roger Federer had one major title and two quarter final appearances by age 22.  He had a 39-13 record.  Rafa Nadal had five majors before age 23. 
    In past years, Pete Sampras had won 58 matches in majors before age 23.  He had won three titles and been to two semi finals.   The player that might compare most to Raonic is Goran Ivanisevic, who had a 45-20 record in majors at age 22.   

   This is not to be critical of Raonic.  He is progressing.  He showed a lot of game in the first set against  Djokovic in the Davis Cup.   His return of serve and net presence are improving.  

   But he is not young.  In high level tennis the career trajectory is different than most other sports.  Good players reach their peak earlier and also decline earlier.  

    Milos should expect QF and SF in majors in 2014.   

More Marner

Mitch Marner 

This kid is special. 

London Knights first round draft choice, Mitch Marner displayed a rare skill in the Knights 6-3 loss to the Plymouth Whalers. 

Although just 16, he has mastered the art of the backhand pass.   

Marner found Mark Gazdic with a clever backhanded pass through traffic to set up the Knights' first goal of the game.  Marner laid a nice pass to Remi Elie for the Knights third goal as Elie unleashed a slap shot from just inside the blueline. 
  
 If you are playing with Mitch Marner you need to be ready to get the puck on your stick.  He will find you - even on the backhand.   So many players don't practice the art of the backhand pass.  Too often the time it takes to move the puck to the forehand allows a checker to break-up the play.  Not so with Marner. 

And They're Off

London Knights rookie Mitch Marner

First round draft choice Mitch Marner took about two periods to look comfortable in the Ontario Hockey League.
Marner scored two third period goals to help the London Knights to a 5-1 win over the Sarnia Sting in the pre-season opener for 2013-14.
Watching Marner score the two goals, you could check off a list of attributes the Knights listed when they selected him last May.
"He competes", said the scouting report.
On his first goal, Marner went hard to the net and wouldn't be denied as he lifted a rebound over Brodie  Barrick in the Sarnia goal.  Despite his slight frame Marner showed no hesitation sticking his nose into areas where punishment is dished out.  Marner seems to have grown at least an inch since draft day.
"He keeps his feet moving," said the scouting report.
Also on his first goal Marner did indeed keep his feet moving.  That gives him a 'slippery' quality for opposing defenseman.
"He has high-end skill and great hands", said the scouting report.
On his second goal, Marner picked off a pass in the slot on his backhand.  He quickly brought it to his forehand and got a shot on goal.  He got his own rebound and scored.
Marner will get a lot more pre-season ice time when the Knights drafted players leave for pro camps.

Michael McCarron is big. More than that, McCarron loves to be in front of the net.  Even more than that, McCarron has the skill to be able to do something with the puck when he gets it in front of the net.  He scored a goal vs. the Sting that required using his size and hands.  The same skill set that made Tom Wilson such a handful for the Knights in the playoffs last year, appears evident in McCarron.  The first round pick of the Montreal Canadiens played mostly on a line with Matt and Ryan Rupert.

Michael McCarron will be a headache for OHL goaltenders this season.

Portland 2 London 1 - What a Year

 The Knights on the ice after a 2-1 loss to Portland in the Memorial Cup semi-final

Pained but proud, the London Knights lost the Memorial Cup semi-final 2-1 to the Portland Winterhawks in Saskatoon.

World junior defensemen Tyler Wotherspoon and Scott Harringston

The Knights left their hearts in Saskatoon, giving everything they had against a very good Portland team.  Ty Rattie's third period goal proved to be the winner, his fifth of the Memorial Cup.

There was very little to choose between two skilled, fast teams and the hockey was entertaining.  The game finished with the Knights pressing for the tying goal.

In the end, the key game for the Knights might have been the Saskatoon Blades beating the Halifax Mooseheads for their only win of the tournament.  Had that not happened, the Knights would not have had to play a tie breaker Thursday night.  Although the Knights had good energy throughout the semi-final game against Portland, perhaps the extra energy would have helped.  

Max Domi scored the London goal to put them up 1-0.   The Winterhawks tied the game less than two minutes later on a goal by Tyler Wotherspoon setting the stage for Rattie's winner.

The Knights played well enough to win, but Portland goes on to play Halifax in what should be a great Memorial Cup final.

Thanks to Saskatoon for being a great host.

The Knights try for the tying goal in the dying seconds against Portland. 

Country star Paul Brandt did a great job on both anthems

Knights Win 6-1 over Saskatoon

The handshake after a tie breaker win

Sparky Anderson used to have a sign in his office when he managed the Detroit Tigers.  

It said: "Every 24 hours, the world turns over on someone who thought they were on top.."

Jake Petterson vs. Sakatoon Blades

The reverse is also true.   The London Knights left the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon relieved, happy and energized after their 6-1 win over the host Blades.  When Seth Griffith scored a power play goal just after the midway point of the game, the Knights relaxed.  They dominated the rest of the game and proved to be too fast and skilled for the Blades.  It was a long way from how the Knights felt after a 9-2 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads in their final round robin game.  The Knights would be forgiven for having a crisis of confidence.

The world turned over for London goalie Jake Patterson as well.  He was in the net for the first five Halifax goals and his confidence appeared shaken.

But the world continues to spin and the new day brought new hope. Patterson was tapped on the shoulder by coach Dale Hunter.  He made several key saves while the Knights built their confidence and nursed a 1-0 lead on a Bo Horvat penalty shot goal.

It was one of the strangest exits to a Memorial Cup in my memory.  7,585 watched the hometown Blades in their elimination game but few were around at the final buzzer.  A tepid ovation sent them on their way after a "year on the edge.." (Sportsnet documentary), a four game sweep in round one vs. Medicine Hat and a 51 day wait for the Memorial Cup.

Game Three - Halifax 9 London 2

Knights captain Scott Harrington meets Mr. Hockey in Saskatoon

Well, that was a turn of events.  

The London Knights lost to the Halifax Mooseheads 9-2 at the MasterCard Memorial Cup.  The Knights record fell to 1-2.   The Knights trailed 5-0 after one period and never threatened the powerful Moosehead, who lost just six regular season games and one playoff game this year.

The Knights looked fine to start the game when they had a couple of chances on a power play in the first five minutes of the game.   Halifax goalie Zach Fucale was put to work early and made a couple of decent saves. 

Alexis Normand redeeming performance of Canadian national anthem

When Halifax got a power play a couple of minutes later, they cashed in.  Stefan Fournier scored at 7:43 as he found some room in the slot and beat starting goalie Jake Patterson. 

The Knights seemed to sag after that and Halifax pounced.  Playing their second game in two nights, the Knights couldn't muster sustained pressure against the Mooseheads.  London perhaps is feeling the effects of two tough OHL playoff rounds vs. Plymouth and Barrie.  

The Knights scored two goals after Halifax had a 7-0 lead.  Seth Griffith and Matt Rupert scored  1:18 apart.  The Knights used the rest of the game to get some experience to some of their younger players and Kyle Platzer and Remi Elie acquitted themselves very well. 

The Knights will play the loser of Saskatoon vs. Portland in a tie-breaker game on Thursday.  Not much more the Knights can say except they can't be worse.

Halifax scored first goal vs. Knights.  Stefan Fournier sneaks into the slot on the PP

Knights had some chances on an early power play but were stopped by Zach Fucale