Game Preview: Storm Will Push for Upset in London
November 11, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Guelph Storm News Release
Visiting the London Knights on Friday, the Guelph Storm will be pushing for a Midwest Division upset, hoping for quick redemption in the first of two road games this weekend.
Steph Coratti, GuelphStorm.com ---
It's Friday night in London as the Guelph Storm visit the London Knights to begin a stretch of three games on the road.
The Storm, coming off a 1-2-0-0 weekend, will be looking for quick redemption over the Midwest Division's third ranked team after suffering their worst loss of the season in 9-2 fashion at the hands of the Knights on Nov. 6 in Guelph.
The Knights, on the other side, are 9-1-0-0 in their last 10 games played, while holding onto a dominant four-game win streak that began on Oct. 30 in a 6-3 victory over the Windsor Spitfires.
The puck is slated to drop at 7:30pm.
Player Watch
Guelph Storm
James McEwan, consistently one of the bright spots for the Storm this season, leads the team in goals scored with seven. Additionally, the 1997-born Chatham, Ontario native sits second on the roster in points with 10 in 17 games this campaign, a total that matches to that of his rookie season production in 2014-15 compiled in 45 games. In the last four contests, the five-foot-eleven, 190-pound winger has put up four points (one goal, three assists), including two multi-point performances. Registering more than one point has become a bit of a habit for the Storm sophomore, recording four two-point nights so far this season.
Second-year forward Tyler Boston isn't too far behind in the goals department, something that can be credited to the centre's November performance. Pocketing three goals in his last three games played, including a marker on Nov. 6 against the Knights and two goals in a 5-3 victory over the Flint Firebirds on Nov. 7, Boston has matched his goal total reached through the entire month of October. With six goals on the season, the Newmarket, Ontario native is second in the department on the Storm, while recording a total of nine points in 17 games.
Looking outside of the Storm's recent offensive displays, captain C.J. Garcia is always an important notable, and arguably more so when it comes to Midwest Division rivalry match-ups. Leading the Storm's defensemen in points with seven points (two goals, five assists), the Pickering, Ontario native has been a strong example in all areas on the ice throughout 17 games this season, and will need to continue this display heading into London on Friday night. The last time these two clubs met on Nov. 6, the six-foot, 184-pound defenseman registered an assist in the Storm's 9-2 loss.
London Knights
It's no secret the Knights carry a few threats up front, starting with six-foot-one, 195-pound winger Matthew Tkachuk. The St. Louis, Missouri native is second in the OHL in points with 30 in 16 games played this season, while holding the league-lead in assists with 23. Playing in his first OHL season, the 1997-born forward is on a four-game point streak in which he has compiled 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in that stretch, including six points (two goals, four assists) against the Storm on Nov. 6.
Third-year veteran Christian Dvorak is another big name for the Knights, already compiling 28 points in 14 games this campaign, a total good enough for third best in the league. In addition, the Frankfort, Illinois native has a couple of other OHL-recognitions, sitting fourth overall in goals scored with 12, while pocketing three game-winning-goals so far this season (presently the fifth most in the league), all with an eighth-standing in assists with 16. The six-foot-one, 196-pound centre is also riding an impressive point-streak dating back to Oct. 31, a stretch in which he has compiled seven goals and two assists for nine points in three games.
Closing out the big-three for the Knights is that of five-foot-eleven, 164-pound centre Mitchell Marner. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect ranks fifth overall in league scoring with 26 points in just 14 games played, while holding the sixth position for assists with 17, five of which were registered against Guelph on Nov. 6. Marner is also 19th in goals scored on the season with nine thus far. Heading into Friday's match-up, the Thornhill, Ontario native takes an eight game point streak dating back to Oct. 17, a stretch that has seen the third-year forward compile 19 points (six goals, 13 assists).
The Opponent: London Knights (12-2-1-1, 26 points)
The Midwest Division is seemingly always a battle among the OHL's best teams, and the London Knights take no exception to that. Standing as the league's biggest offensive threat with the most goals for (86), while also the team with the third fewest goals against (only the Kitchener Rangers and the Barrie Colts have allowed less with 43), the Knights find themselves dead locked in the division battle, third in the Midwest with 26 points.
No doubt a challenge for the Storm in the upcoming Friday night match-up at Budweiser Gardens, the Knights carry a four-game win streak into the game, outscoring their opponents 27-5 in that stretch. London was last in action back on Nov. 6 in Guelph, taking home a 9-2 victory and handing the Storm their worst loss on the season.
Looking a little bit further, the Knights have only lost once in their last 10 games played, and will be looking to remain in the win column this Friday.
To push for an upset, the Storm will need to put disciplined play at the top of the game plan. When on the power play, the Knights are first overall in the OHL, registering 26 goals on 87 advantages for a 29.9 PP%. When looking back to Nov. 6, Guelph gave up 10 man-advantages, with London capitalizing on six of them. Notably, five of the Knights' first six goals in the 9-2 result were scored on the power play, including two in the first period to take away the Storm's early 1-0 lead and eventually change the course of the game.
GAME NOTES
Friday's match-up will be the second of six meetings between the Storm and the Knights, with London leading the season series 1-0 following a 9-2 victory in Guelph on Nov. 6.
Tyler Boston has three goals in his last three games played.
Forward Givani Smith (two games) and goaltender Justin Nichols (five games) will both be out of the line up due to suspensions given following the game versus the Windsor Spitfires on Nov. 8.
Following Friday's contest, the Storm visit the Sarnia Sting at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday night.
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