It's not unusual to find Rob Schremp poring over statistics. One would suspect most stellar offensive players would be looking at goals and assists.

Not Schremp. The first statistic he looks at is the plus-minus category.

For the uninitiated a plus-minus is the difference between even-strength goals for and against a team when a player is on the ice.

Last night he could be forgiven for looking at the offensive stats first because it's likely to be a long time before he puts together that type of night again.

Schremp blitzed a bewildered, confused and defensively inept Windsor Spitfires team for four goals and an assist on the way to an 8-0 spanking.

It was a performance worthy of a Memorial Cup-bound team. Mind you, the competition was atrocious. The Spitfires should have been embarrassed by their lack of effort.

The highlight of the evening was a first period by the Knights that was almost frightening in its dominance. The Knights led 5-0 at its conclusion, outshooting the Spitfires 20-9.

At the heart of the victory were the Knights' offensive wizards, Schremp and Corey Perry, who had three goals. They had help from Dylan Hunter with four assists.

"Awesome," said Schremp. "The first game I had three points in the big victory in Kitchener and then I kind of died out. The opportunities unfolded (last night.) I got some nice passes."

The plus-minus is a statistic that carries great weight with coaches. A big plus means a player and his linemates are not only effective offensively but take responsibility on the defensive end of things.

Schremp is blunt about the need for a good plus-minus.

"My first year in Mississauga I was a minus-17," said Schremp. "Last year, I was at a plus-15. I was really happy about that."

Going into the game he was a minus-one. Coming out of the game he was plus-one.

Schremp knows what it's going to take not only to make it to the National Hockey League but to get to play a great deal in Knights coach Dale Hunter's system. He needs more than a good plus-minus. He needs to take an even greater responsibility defensively.

"I need to be more consistent and take the man. And I have to pay attention to the down-low coverage," said Schremp.

Sounds more like a defensive forward than one of the most talented offensive players in the OHL. But this team has plenty of offensive talent. And there's a mantra that comes from the Knights coaching room all must adhere to. It's something about offensive chances springing from solid defence.

There is a lot to that.

In the first period of the annihilation of the Spitfires, Schremp made an innocuous play. With the Spitfires' Ryan Donally breaking over the London blue-line, Schremp came back to take away the puck, which had come loose. It didn't amount to anything for Schremp except a good defensive play.

Later in the period he was again deep in his own zone when the puck made it out over the blue-line and Schremp broke out with Kelly Thomson. The puck eventually came to Schremp who made Spitfire defenceman Iain McPhee look silly with a slick move, flipping it past Brad Topping in net.

From then on the puck seemed to find Schremp.

"You have to realize that you aren't going to score three goals every game," said Schremp. "Some games you aren't going to put the puck in the net but you have to be consistent in how you play."

Schremp says he wants to put up as many points as possible but that he'd give up a 70-point season in exchange for a season that makes him a more complete player.