Knights clip Greyhounds in high-scoring affair

Slow starts have been an issue for the Soo Greyhounds this season.

The Greyhounds fell behind 3-0 through seven minutes of action on Friday night in an 8-5 loss to the London Knights in London.

“I don’t know that it was a slow start,” said Greyhounds Associate Coach Joe Cirella, who filled in for Sheldon Keefe who it away at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sarnia. “(London) took advantage of some of their opportunities (early).”

Cirella also spoke of the Knights ability to capitalize on some Greyhounds mistakes early in the game to jump out to a lead.

Max Domi had a goal and an assist for the Knights in the opening period and finished the night with two goals and three assists in the win.

Michael McCarron had a goal and four assists for London while Christian Dvorak chipped in with two goals. Mitchell Marner had a goal and two assists while Julius Bergman and Chandler Yackimowicz also scored.

Knights goaltender Michael Giugovaz stopped 31 shots.

David Miller scored a pair of goals for the Greyhounds while Bryan Moore and Sergey Tolchinsky added a goal and an assist each. Michael Bunting assisted on two goals in the loss. Darnell Nurse had the other goal for the Greyhounds.

Brandon Halverson got the start for the Greyhounds but was pulled after giving up three goals on five shots. Joseph Raaymakers stopped 21 shots.

After falling behind 4-1 on Marner’s goal in the opening minute of the period, the Greyhounds continued to cut into the lead only to see the Knights increase the gap.

The Knights led 5-2 through two periods before the teams traded goals in the final 20 minutes.

With the loss, the Greyhounds record drops to 10-4-0-0. They continue to lead the OHL’s West Division with 20 points, six points ahead of the Sarnia Sting. The Greyhounds sit second in the Western Conference.

The Knights improve to 8-6-0-0 and sit fourth in the Midwest Division.

The Greyhounds return to action on Saturday night when they wrap up their two-game road trip in Saginaw against the Spirit.

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OTHER SCORES

In Mississauga, Brenden Miller and Matthew Santos scored third period goals to lead the North Bay Battalion to a 3-0 win over the Mississauga Steelheads. Jake Smith stopped all 29 shots he faced for the shutout.

In Sudbury, Hayden Hodgson scored a pair of first period goals to lead the Sarnia Sting to a __ win over the Sudbury Wolves. Goaltender Taylor Dupuis made 41 saves. Sudbury goaltender Troy Timpano made 37 saves.