A cloud of frustration loomed over the London Knights throughout a 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings in their second game at the Mastercard Memorial Cup.

Once again the Knights put up offence but struggled to convert. Ryan Rupert failed to score on London’s second penalty shot of the tournament. Down 2-0 in the second, the host team had gone almost 5 periods without a goal before Alex Basso smacked home London’s first of the tournament. “It was a good feeling putting the puck in the net, it kinda sucked they scored right after and ruined our momentum.”

The goal put energy back into a quiet Budweiser Gardens not used to seeing a team with eight 20 plus-goal-scorers struggle to find the back of the net. That excitement was short lived as a series of bad bounces allowed Edgars Kulda to put the puck past Anthony Stolarz.

Stopping 27 of 30 shots, it would be tough to blame Stolarz for the struggles in front of him but he was none the less replaced by Jake Patterson for the third period. Patterson did what he could to keep his team in it but Edmonton managed 2 more goals in the final frame. “It’s tough coming in cold, you just want to make that first save and keep them in it.” Patterson said post game.

Luke Bertolucci beat Patterson from close range to put Edmonton up three. Dakota Mermis made it 4-2, putting away a rebound off a great individual effort from Max Domi midway through the third. Bertolucci sealed it in tight on the backhand for his second of the game.

The Knights have one last chance to stay alive in the competition. Wednesday they take on a familiar foe in the Guelph Storm. The two teams have played 11 times this year including playoffs with Guelph winning 7 and London winning 4. Ryan Rupert says if he and his fellow forwards can get it going, the Knights can take the must win game. “Our only two goals were by defensemen (so far), we gotta pull up our socks and put some (pucks) in the net.”

– With files from Tom Fraser