Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
In a midweek Western Conference showdown in Sault Ste. Marie, the fourth-place Soo Greyhounds (26-14-1-1) welcomed the fifth-place London Knights (25-15-3) to the Memorial Gardens on Wednesday, January 21st, with just one point separating the two clubs in the standings. The Greyhounds entered the contest with 54 points through 42 games, while the Knights arrived close behind with 53 points, setting the stage for a crucial matchup in the playoff race. The season series has been all the Knights heading into Wednesday night, with London claiming both wins against the Soo this season.
The Soo Greyhounds continued their red-hot stretch, skating to a 5–2 victory over the London Knights and extending their winning streak to six games in Ontario Hockey League action.
A scoreless first period set the tone for a tightly checked contest, with both teams trading chances but unable to solve the opposing goaltenders. Carter George was sharp early for the Greyhounds, while Aleksei Medvedev stood tall at the other end to keep the game even through 20 minutes.
The offense broke through in the second period. At 6:05, Jeremy Martin opened the scoring for Soo, netting his 16th of the season off assists from Chase Reid and Marco Mignosa to give the Greyhounds a 1–0 lead. London responded quickly on the power play at 7:40, as Ryan Brown wired home his 11th of the season with helpers from Henry Brzustewicz and William Nicholl to tie the game 1–1.
Just one minute later, the Greyhounds regained the lead. Quinn McKenzie finished a strong shift at 8:40, scoring his 16th of the season off feeds from Reid and Martin to make it 2–1. The Knights answered again late in the period, capitalizing on a Greyhounds turnover at the London blue line. Brown struck shorthanded at 18:06 for his second of the game and 12th of the season, evening the score at 2–2.
Soo had the final say in the middle frame. With 1:07 remaining in the period, Marco Mignosa buried a power-play marker for his 18th of the season at 18:53, assisted by McKenzie and Reid, sending the Greyhounds into the intermission with a 3–2 advantage.
The Greyhounds locked things down defensively in the third period and put the game away in dramatic fashion late. With the Knights pressing and their goaltender pulled, Carter George made history at 18:33, firing the puck the length of the ice and into the empty net for a rare goaltender insurance goal, pushing the lead to 4–2.
Soo added one more just under a minute later, as Colin Fitzgerald scored his 13th of the season at 19:24, also into an empty net, sealing the 5–2 win.
George finished the night with 28 saves on 30 shots for the Greyhounds, while Medvedev stopped 30 of 33 shots in the loss for London.
With the victory, the Greyhounds carry their six-game winning streak into a two-game homestand at the Memorial Gardens. Soo will host the North Bay Battalion on January 24th at 7:07 p.m. and again on January 25th at 2:07 p.m., looking to keep their momentum rolling in front of the home crowd.
Goaltender goals remain one of hockey’s rarest feats, and George’s tally was a perfect exclamation point on a disciplined team effort. The Greyhounds locked things down defensively in the final minutes, allowing their netminder the chance to make history and ensure there would be no late comeback.
For Carter George, the goal will be remembered as a highlight moment, but his calm presence and reliable play throughout the game were just as important in securing the victory for the Greyhounds.
