London already is the Champ regardless of what happens in this game. Saginaw is a great team no question about it, but host teams winning it seems pointless. Even though the Spirit were probably the second best team all season in the whole CHL. Its like in 2007 when the Milan Lucic and the Vancouver Giants hosted it and beat the WHL Champ Medicine Hat in the final. But then this is the London Knights and realistically with the exception of everyone living in London, Ontario and players family members of the players want them to lose.
Sima, Sim, then play word scramble and you got Misa. Like its a bunch of confusing tongue twitting names.
Saginaw scores first when Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck notched his third goal of the tournament at 9:07 of the first period with the assist going to Josh Bloom.– Saginaw opened the scoring halfway through the first following a faceoff in the London zone. Off the faceoff draw Josh Bloom tipped the puck out to Owen Beck who fanned on the initial shot then shoveled the puck on net. Goaltender Michael Simpson never saw the shot until it was already over his shoulder and in the net for Beck’s third of the Memorial Cup and giving Saginaw a 1-0 lead.
With just a little over a minute left in the first period Landon Sim got a 5 minute penalty for clipping Princess Parekh in the face with his elbow. I don’t think the intent was there but when you see the replay he did get his head a bit. Tough call to have in such an important game. Its also ironic and tough considering it happened to a kid who got the most ridculos suspension in not only hockey history but SPORTS HISTORY. When earlier this year the league suspended him 5 games for calling a kid a pussy. LINK. That ridiculous suspension alone should allow the kid the green light for life to never get a penalty again. Oh well what do you do now. Kind of crappy too the TV zoomed to his parents. His mom looked quite visibly upset, in a sad way.
Owen Beck scores his second goal of the game on the Power Play to give the Spirit a 2-0 lead with 45 seconds left in the first period. The assists on the goal went to Josh Bloom and Joey Wills.– During the powerplay, Joey Willis expertly received a pass on the side boards, skillfully moving the puck behind the net to set up Josh Bloom. The young Vancouver prospect, displaying impressive agility, skated behind the net and made a precise pass up to Owen Beck, who was charging in. The talented Saginaw center wasted no time, stepping into the shot and unleashing a powerful strike that sailed past Simpson. This marked Beck’s second goal of the period, solidifying the Spirit’s advantageous two-goal lead.
Shots on goal in the first were 13-1 for Saginaw.
The first does not look like London at all what is going on here? Did they go out drinking and partying last night? Did they get bought off? Like did a player from the other teams dad buy them off to play bad. I wonder if a player on the other team has a father that had money who could do something like that🤔. Just kidding but in all reality what the hell are they doing out there?
Then Joey Wills gets a breakaway and scores on the back hand at 7:47 of the second period to make it a 3-0 game unassisted.–In the second period, at precisely 7:47, London attempted a strategic maneuver to move the puck off the ice but unfortunately missed the pass in the neutral zone. Joey Willis, seizing the opportunity, intercepted the pass above the London blueline and sped into the open zone. With a swift backhand move, Willis skillfully opened the shot and subsequently buried the backhand shot above the glove of Simpson, marking his second goal in the Memorial Cup and propelling the Spirit to a commanding 3-0 lead.
San Jose Sharks prospect Kasper Haulttunen scores for London at 9:45 of the second period with the assists going to Easton Cowan and Oliver Bonk.– 1:58 later, Oliver Bonk expertly played the puck to Easton Cowan, who aimed to strategically dump the puck into the opposing team’s territory. However, Cowan’s plan was thwarted as he was hit by Rodwin Dionicio, causing the puck to ricochet off the glass. Kasper Halttunen, seizing the opportunity, collected the loose puck, smoothly drifted into the left circle, and then unleashed a powerful shot that soared over the blocker of goaltender Andrew Oke. This crucial goal marked Halttunen’s fourth in the tournament and narrowed the gap, bringing the Knights back within two.
Shots on goal in the second period were 11-5 for Saginaw
Easton Cowan then scores at 7:48 of the third period to cut the deficit to only 1 for the Knights. Assists on the goal went to Sam Dickinson and Oliver Bonk.– London managed to close the gap with a goal at 7:48 in the third period. Oliver Bonk executed a skillful play, passing the puck to Sam Dickinson, who swiftly outpaced the Saginaw defense. The defenseman then adroitly maneuvered the puck through the crease, where it found the stick of Easton Cowan. The London winger deftly accepted the pass, accurately placed his shot, and slid the puck home, securing his third goal in the Memorial Cup and adjusting the scoreline to a tense 3-2.
Sam Dickinson ties the game up at 3 at 10:18 of the third period with the assists on the goal going to Max McCue and Easton Cowan- Less than three minutes later, a lapse by Saginaw allowed the puck to be lost high in the London zone, where Max McCue promptly seized possession and began a lightning-fast dash down the ice. As he crossed the Saginaw blueline, McCue was flanked by Sam Dickinson, who received the pass from McCue and, in a decisive move, buried the shot through Andrew Oke for his second goal of the tournament. This timely goal leveled the score at three, intensifying the thrilling contest.
With 21.7 seconds left in the third period Josh Bloom scored the game winner with the assists going to Hunter Haight and Jorian Donovan.–In a mad scramble at the end of regulation, Spirit defenseman Jorian Donovan cut to the slot and fired a shot to the net. Spirit OA Josh Bloom jammed the puck home with 21.7 seconds left in regulation to give the Spirit a 4-3 lead. Saginaw held on, securing their first Memorial Cup in franchise history, and becoming just the third American team to win junior hockey’s most coveted prize.
Shots in the third period were 7 each. In the game the Saginaw Spirit outshot the London Knights 31-13!!!!!!!. You can only win a game with that little of shots in a game if you are the Edmonton Oilers who beat Dallas 2-1 while getting outshot 35-10 while this game was going on to send themselves to the Stanley Cup final.
Andrew Oke made 10 saves on the 13 shots that he faced for the win for the Spirit. For the Knights Michael Simpson made 27 saves on the 31 shots that he faced for the Knights.
Owen Beck was named the Memorial Cup MVP
Attendance in Saginaw was 5,373
