In probably the highest anticipated game of the 2024 Memorial Cup round-robin games, the London Knights and Saginaw Spirit squared off with quite a bit at stake. The winning team earned themselves the number one seed and a bye directly to the finals, while the other would be squaring off against the Moose Jaw Warriors in the semi-finals. The matchup between the two Ontario Hockey League (OHL) teams lived up to the hype and was a back-and-forth struggle. In the end, the Knights found themselves taking a 4-2 win over the Spirit and earning a spot in the Memorial Cup Finals.
Spirit Unable to Cash In on Chances
Early on in both the first and second periods of the game, the Spirit came out with momentum and energy. The problem though is that they were unable to make anything out of it for the most part. There were numerous quality chances thanks to solid puck movement, but whether it ended in a shot missing the net or the puck just jumping off sticks, the Spirit were unable to get anything fully on Knights goaltender Michael Simpson that was a high-danger chance.
While getting the Spirit on the board with the first goal of the game, Alex Christopoulos got a ton of strong chances to cash in throughout the game and just could not finish on Simpson. Simpson was solid once again for the Knights, stopping 26 of the 28 shots he faced.
Cowan Shines in the Big Moment
The OHL regular season and playoff most valuable player, Easton Cowan had seemingly been quiet offensively heading into the game against the Spirit (he had two total assists coming into the game). But he came to life a bit for the Knights in their win over Saginaw, tallying an assist on their first goal of the game by San Jose Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen. He looked more like the league MVP throughout the game and eventually got himself in the goal column and did it in a big way.
With not having recorded a single goal in the Memorial Cup heading into the matchup against Saginaw, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, Cowan, scored what is up to this point, the biggest goal in the Knights season when he tallied the game-winning goal with just under a minute and a half left in the game. He would end up adding an empty net goal as well to seal the deal for the Knights.
Spirit Miscues Come Back to Haunt Them
When looking back at how the Knights scored three of their goals, it was specific miscues by the Spirit that directly led to the Knights getting their goals. Whether it was trying to force a play or being a bit too fancy, simple miscues by the Spirit in the end did them in.
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It started with Zayne Parekh taking a double-minor penalty for high-sticking in the first period, which helped lead to the Knights’ first goal of the game, and ended with a failed clear attempt on a flip play when there was a safer and smarter option to get the puck up the ice leading to a rush for the Knights, and eventually Cowan’s game-winner. In the end, the Spirit were able to control the play for a good chunk of the game, but these miscues can be looked back on as what contributed in a big way to them losing the game.
Other Game Notes
- Spirit goaltender Andrew Oke was strong in between the pipes once again for his team, making a number of big-time saves when the Knights found themselves pressing the Spirit defense. In total, he made 32 saves in the game for his team.
- The Knights’ victory marked head coach Dale Hunter’s 13th career win at the Memorial Cup. It ties him for second place all-time in wins at the season-ending tournament and has the chance to tie for the most wins all-time with a win in the finals on June 2.
- With his two goals and an assist, Cowan earned himself Player of the Game honors.
What’s Next for Both Teams
As mentioned above, with the win, the Knights find themselves sitting and waiting to see who they will play in the finals on June 2. The Spirit will take on the Moose Jaw Warriors in the semis on May 31, who they beat in round-robin play 5-4, to see who will take on the Knights.
