The Kingston Frontenacs (25-35-1-2) got out to an early lead but fell 6-3 to the London Knights (43-19-2-0) on Friday night at Budweiser Gardens in the first of three consecutive days of western conference road action. The game marked the second of two games in the season series, with London holding a 2-0-0-0 record including a shootout win.
Frontenacs point leader Ethan Miedema opened the scoring with a powerplay marker midway through the first frame with Nathan Poole adding a late period tally for a 2-0 Kingston lead heading to first intermission. London tallied twice in 33 seconds early in the second, with Ryan Winterton recording a hattrick in the period for a 5-2 London lead after forty minutes. A sixth unanswered tally made it 6-2 before Chris Thibodeau added to his team-leading goal-total for the final 6-3 tally.
Kingston unfortunately faced more injury trouble with defencemen Tommy Budnick and Poole forced to leave action early.
Defenceman, Ian Lemieux had two assists and Owen Outwater extended a point streak to five games with an assist. Miedema’s tally was his third in three games against London, including a tally while with Windsor.
Kingston sent Mason Vaccari to the crease to face 43 shots, making 37 saves in his 22nd start and 27th appearance. Canada World Junior member Brett Brochu made 21 saves on 24 shots in the London net for a second appearance against the Black and Gold on the season.
Former Knight Ben Roger made his return to play his first game on London ice since a trade to Kingston in Nov 21.
The Knights fired three shots on an early man-advantage less then three minutes after puck drop taking a 5-0 shot lead but found themselves down a pair of tallies after twenty minutes, with Vaccari standing tall in the Kingston goal with 13 saves.
The Frontenacs pushed back on the home pressure on three consecutive shots with solid possession in the London zone leading to their first powerplay and the opening goal.
Brochu was beaten past the glove on a quick shot by Ethan Miedema (14) from the faceoff circle for the 1-0 tally for his third goal in three games versus London this season. Defenceman Ian Lemieux earned the primary assist with a nice play keeping the puck in the Knights zone to get it to Miedema. Jacob Battaglia earned an assist on the play at 9:17.
Vaccari made multiple good saves including a pair of quick shots by William Nicholl with the Knights firing eight of ten shots after the Kingston game-opening strike before another Frontenacs goal.
Nathan Poole (6) won the faceoff in the London zone and went directly to the net before redirecting a point shot for a 2-0 Kingston lead heading to first intermission with a 19-11-1-1 when scoring the games first goal. Lemieux earned a second point in the game with the assist at 18:01.
Vaccari was busy early in the second including a nice save on London’s Ruslan Gazizov on one of eight shots faced in the first 2:20 of the period, and 25 overall in the frame.
Humphrey hit Burns into the boards in the Kingston zone sending the Fronts to a second man advantage, but it was London getting two strikes to tie the game. Burns would leave the game later in the period after getting hit by an errant shot but returned to start the third frame.
It was 2-1 off an odd man rush on the 24th shot fired at Vaccari. Sean McGurn (26) was stopped on a first shot by an outstanding Vaccari save but was able to bury the rebound at 5:33. The game was tied 29 seconds later when Winterton (10) finished off a high shot from the slot after trading passes with 39 entering the Kingston zone for the second shorthanded tally on the same penalty-kill.
Just over four minutes later, Winterton (11) then took advantage of a busted play behind the Kingston net for his second of the game and a 3-2 home lead at 10:06 on their 26th shot halfway through the game.
It was 4-2 London after a nice three-way passing play was finished off by Logan Mailloux (24) for the fourth unanswered home tally, and game-winner, at 16:04 with Winterton earning a third point on the night with an assist.
The 5-2 hattrick goal for Winterton (12) came with a shot past a screened Vaccari while on a powerplay and the Knights on a 20-3 lead in second period shots.
London took the lead to the third frame with a 27-3-0-0 record while leading after forty minutes and added a 6-2 goal when Brody Crane (12) got in alone for a break on the Kingston net 4:47 into the period, just after a Kingston penalty had ended.
Kingston finished the scoring at 6-3 when Chris Thibodeau (16) scored a goal from the crease after Outwater and Burns traded passes to get the puck to the front of the net at 15:23. Outwater’s extended a point streak to five games and helped extend Thibodeau’s point stretch to four games.
Miedema took exception to a late shot on Vaccari touching off a scrum that sent Kingston to a fourth powerplay. Brochu made a good save off Alec Belanger during the man advantage with Kingston outshooting London 13-5 in the third.
The Black and Gold continue a three-game western swing in Sarnia versus the Sting tomorrow, Sat, Mar 18 at 7:05pm.
Scorers:
KGN: Miedema (14), Poole (6), Thibodeau (16)
LDN: McGurn (26), Winterton (10,11,12), Mailloux (24), Crane (12)
Powerplays:
KGN: (1/4) – two shorthanded goals against
LDN: (1/4)
BMW of Kingston Hardest Worker
Mason Vaccari
Three Star Awards
- Ryan Winterton LDN – (3G,1A)
- Logan Mailloux LDN – (1G,2A)
- Easton Cowan LDN– (1A)
Fronts Notes:
- Kingston Frontenacs Hockey Club officially bid to host the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Kia
- F Ethan Miedema – third goal in three games versus LDN on the season
- F Owen Outwater – pts in five straight gms (3G,2A)
- F Chris Thibodeau – pts in four straight gms (1G,4A)
Team Stat Pack – G.P. (63) (25-35-1-2) 53 pts
Leaders:
Goals –Thibodeau (16), Outwater (15), Miedema (14)
PPG – Ludwinski, Soto, Miedema (5)
Assists – Miedema (29), Hemström (28), Ludwinski (25)
PPA – Hemström (12), Burns (9), Outwater (8)
Points – Miedema (43), Outwater, Hemström (38)
PPP – Ludwinski (12), Hemström (12), Soto (11)
SOG –Thibodeau (127), Miedema (111), Hemström (107)
PIMs – Burns (98), Budnick (64), Uens (50)
On The Front:
The Frontenacs continue a three-day road swing against the Sarnia Sting tomorrow, Mar 18, at 7:05 pm. The western trip ends with a visit to Kitchener taking on former Front Francesco Arcuri and the Rangers Sun, Mar 19 at 2 pm. The Black and Gold return to Leon’s Centre for a big East Division battle against the Oshawa Generals on Wed, Mar 22, at 7 pm, for the second-last home regular season game.
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