Heartbreaking Defeat for the London Knights

The Saginaw Spirit’s Josh Bloom broke a 3-3 tie with 21.7 seconds left in regulation to give the franchise its first Memorial Cup championship in franchise history.

Game Overview

Early Dominance by Saginaw Spirit

London, the top team in the Canadian Hockey League, looked lifeless for nearly 48 minutes as the host Spirit controlled the play. The Spirit jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the scoreboard and a 24-6 advantage on the shot clock after two periods.

Knights’ Comeback

However, trailing 3-1 in the third period, the Knights would not go away. Easton Cowan and Sam Dickinson scored 2:28 apart to bring the game level at three goals apiece. London looked to be controlling the play for the final 10 minutes of the third, but they could not clear the zone on a dump out, and the Spirit converted to win the title in front of 5,373 fans at the Dow Event Center.

Key Moments

Critical Penalty

A turning point came late in the first period when Knights forward Landon Sim was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for a check to the head. The Spirit’s Owen Beck scored his second goal of the night on the ensuing man-advantage. Joey Willis scored the other goal for the Spirit.

London’s Struggles

London did not look like its usual self, as the team managed just one shot on goal against the hosts in the first period, and five more in the second. The Knights finally broke the shutout