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The London Knights don’t like mid-week road games.
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For the second straight Wednesday, they surrendered multiple first-period goals and a ton of early shots. It hurt them in Guelph Nov. 5 and cost them again in a 3-2 defeat to the Flint Firebirds before 2,932 at the Dort Financial Center.
The Firebirds scored twice in the opening 20 minutes and fired 19 shots. Last week, Guelph scored three times on 18 first-period shots.
“It’s a different schedule,” London assistant coach Rick Steadman said. “You get up at different times. You don’t get the same amount of practice time and they just don’t have their game going the way they should. It’s a slow start and that got us behind the eight-ball even though (goalie Aleksei Medvedev) made some huge saves for us.
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“We just couldn’t quite get it back to where we needed it to be.”
The defending Memorial Cup champs must figure it out soon. There are more mid-week tilts to come.
“It’s the pro way,” Steadman said. “They seem to play every other day – Tuesdays, Thursdays, too. If you want to be a pro, you’ve got to find a way to get yourself ready. Sleep, eat right, do your stretches and find a routine that works for you.”
London forward Brody Cook, a Michigan native, scored his first OHL goal in the second period and Andoni Fimis pulled the visitors within one midway through the third. But they couldn’t muster the equalizer – even with two third-period power-play chances and Medvedev holding the fort at a high level.
If you discount the shootout winner in Owen Sound last weekend, the Knights have only scored six goals in their past three games. They managed to win two of those, but it won’t be sustainable with limited offensive production.
“We need everything to get rolling – get to the net and find some rebounds,” Steadman said. “Sometimes, you try to do too much. Maybe some ugly goals – off a shinpad or skate and that will get us running again.”
AROUND THE RINK: The Knights were missing Russian centre Mikhail Zakharov and defenceman Maksim Sokolovskii. Both are still waiting for their visas to come through. As of now, they can only play in Canada . . . Without an extra forward due to Cohen Bidgood’s ongoing lower-body injury, London dressed seven defencemen. When will the net-front presence and former St. Marys Lincolns standout return? “He’s getting better every day and chipping away at it,” Steadman said. “Hopefully next game, but you never know until you get there.” . . . Flint won its fourth straight game and has been terrific on home ice this season. The Firebirds lost in London in overtime Oct. 3 . . . Firebirds leading scorer Alex Kostov (14 goals) sat out with an upper-body injury . . . Flint’s new skill development coach is Cal Hofford, the son of former Knights coach and head scout Lindsay Hofford . . . The Knights brass watched Maple Leafs forward Max Domi punch and get tangled up with big Boston defenceman Nikita Zadorov Tuesday after Zadorov hammered Toronto captain Auston Matthews. Of course, they played together with London from 2012-14, made it to two Memorial Cups and were first-round NHL picks. There are no friends on the ice, though. “It was one of those things where it’s a hockey game and it’s different when you’re out there and you have to stick up for your teammates,” Steadman said . . . London sophomore Logan Hawery stuck up for himself after being hit from behind by Flint’s Josh Bonnyman in the second period. He was handed a fight instigator penalty, which negated the power play.
rpyette@postmedia.com
Firebirds 3, Knights 2
Flint goals: Jimmy Lombardi, Kaden Pitre, Ryland Cunningham
London goals: Brody Cook, Andoni Fimis
Next: The Knights face Owen Sound Friday, 7 p.m. at Canada Life Place.
First period
1., Flint, Lombardi 10 (Graziano, Podrekar) 11:25
2. Flint, Pitre 4 (Podrekar) 18:04
Penalty – Lombardi, Fl (tripping) 0:16.
Second period
3. London, Cook 1 (Cover) 2:23
4. Flint, Cunningham 2 (Thibodeau) 18:10
Penalties – Hawery, Ldn (fight instigator, 10-minute misconduct), Bonnyman, Fl (boarding, fighting) 6:15, Fagan II, Ldn (kneeing) 15:44.
Third period
5. London, Fimis 2 (Funck, Hawery) 9:42
Penalties – Aspinall, Fl (boarding) 7:29, Smith, Fl (hooking) 10:13.
Shots on goal by
Ldn 13 6 9–28
Fl 19 12 5–36
Power plays: Ldn 0-3. Fl 0-1.
Goalies: Medvedev, Ldn (L, 7-4). Vaccari, Fl (W, 10-4).
Referees – Chad Ingalls, Mac Nichol. Lines – Justin Cornell, Dan Kovachik.
Attendance – 2,932.
3 stars: 1., Urban, Podrekar, Firebirds; 2. Kaden Pitre, Firebirds; 3. Aleksei Medvedev, Knights
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