London Knights and Windsor Spitfires played out a 0:0 draw in the Ontario Hockey League on Thursday evening. The match ended without either side finding the net, leaving both teams with zero points after their opening fixture of the season.
and here's the thing — a scoreless result is not a sign of poor effort. Both sides set up to protect their goal, and that meant chances were limited by design. To be fair, neither attack could break through a disciplined defensive structure.
The Knights entered this game third in the table with one win from their previous campaign, while the Spitfires had fallen six places to sixth. Recent form showed mixed results for both sides, with London beating Victoria 5:3 before losing 7:1 in the same fixture, and Windsor dropping four of their last five against Kitchener.
We had backed the away win at 43% confidence, but the game went another way. By then it was clear the Spitfires could not impose themselves, and the Knights were content to hold their shape rather than risk an attack that might leave them exposed.
Both teams remain at zero points after one game, which tells you nothing about where they will finish. The standings will only make sense once there are enough fixtures to establish patterns. For now, this was a match decided by three or four moments neither side could create.
