Knights 5 Huskies 2
Parades usually have a bit of fanfare surrounding it.
But the parade to the penalty box Tuesday night didn’t have many fans at the Centrium happy.
A total of 22 penalties were called in the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, London Knights MasterCard Memorial Cup game. Eleven in the first period, six in the second and six more in the third.
With that many penalties, it was no surprise that all but one of the goals came from special teams. Four of London’s came on the power play, but they managed a short handed marker for good measure. They went 3-for-7 tonight, bringing their tournament total to 12-for-27.
Mitchell Marner led the way for the Knights once again with four assists while Matthew Tkachuk had two goals and one assist. Knights goalie Tyler Parsons turned in a stunning performance, stopping 30 of 32 Rouyn-Noranda shots.
Through three games in the tournament Marner has 13 points, two goals and 11 assists.
“My linemates have been awesome as well, the whole team played well tonight and throughout the tournament we’ve stayed as a unit and that’s helped me out a lot,” said Marner.
Timo Meir had both of the Huskies goals while Antoine Waked had two assists.
The Knights power play was the first to connect, on their second opportunity. J.J. Piccinich had the puck at the side of the net and attempted to send it through the crease to a positioned Tkachuk. But it hit a Husky defender in the leg and bounced through Huskies goalie Chase Marchand’s five-hole, giving London a 1-0 lead.
The 2-0 goal was a deflection in front by Tkachuk on a point shot from defenceman Olli Juolevi.
The shorthanded goal gave the Knights a 3-1 lead. Forward Max Jones created a turnover, with some good forechecking and a mishandled puck by Marchand, Jones passed the puck to a trailing Marner. Marner skated to the left wing side with the puck and as Marchand got out of position, passed it back to Jones who put the puck into the open net.
It took the Huskies six, including a five minute major, tries with the extra man, but eventually they connected midway through the second period.
Waked passed the puck to Meier, who carried the puck from the half boards into the slot and fired a falling wrist shot that beat a screened Parsons.
Zachary Lauzon took a vicious hit from Chandler Yakimowicz from behind into the end boards behind his own net. Lauzon was down on the ice for a bit and the stretcher and spine board were called, but he got to his feet and walked to the dressing room on his own power. Yakimowicz was given a five minute major penalty and a game misconduct.
Christian Dvorak put the Knights up 4-1 standing at the side of the net and picking up the rebound off of a Tkachuk point shot.
It took a little longer than the Huskies may have liked, but Meier was given credit for a shortside goal. The puck crossed the goalline, but squirted out the back of the net as it was an inch or two off the ice. Play continued and Waked was given a penalty for high sticking. As the penalty was called, the referees reviewed the goal. Both the goal and the penalty counted.
In a weird quirk, Waked was credit with an assist at 8:12, but was then sent to the box at 8:42. After the goal was reviewed the clock was set back to 8:12, but the penalty at 8:12 stood.
Tkachuk iced it with an empty net goal.
The Knights emerge from the round robin of the Memorial Cup undefeated. They have earned a berth in the tournament final scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
The Huskies will await the outcome of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Red Deer Rebels game on Wednesday to see if they go to the semifinal or have to play a tiebreaker. The Wheaties and Rebels faceoff at 6 p.m.
mcrawford@www.reddeeradvocate.com