Easton Cowan led the London Knights to a 4-3 victory against the Generals in a dramatic overtime showdown on March 2. This victory came courtesy of a masterful set-up by Sam O’Reilly, allowing Cowan to score the decisive goal.
Cowan was the star of the night, scoring three goals in total. This victory marked the end of a tough three-day stretch for the Knights, during which they played three games in three different cities. Despite falling behind in the third period, they managed to bounce back and secure the win.
This win also lowered the Knights’ magic number to eight in their bid to secure the top position in the Ontario Hockey League, overtaking the Kitchener Rangers.
The game saw an equal exchange of goals in the first period with Luca D’Amato of the Generals scoring the first goal. Cowan then balanced the score by netting his 22nd goal of the season and his 200th career point.
Sam Dickinson and O’Reilly assisted Cowan’s goal, marking O’Reilly’s sixth point of the weekend. O’Reilly ended the game with seven points from three games, thanks to his assist on the winning goal.
The second period saw another exchange of goals as Cowan scored his 23rd goal and 50th point of the season, putting the Knights in the lead. However, the scoring was balanced once again when Owen Griffin netted his 17th goal of the season for the Generals, sending the teams into the third period tied 2-2.
In the final period, both teams continued to trade goals. The Generals took the lead when Colby Barlow scored his 30th goal of the year, but Noah Read equalized for the Knights with 3:20 to go.
Overtime saw intense drama as both Cowan and Dickinson came close to scoring. But it was Cowan who finally secured the win, scoring his third goal of the night with only 1:07 left on the clock.
The thrilling match, viewed by 6011 spectators at the sold-out Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa, Ont., saw the Knights outshoot the Generals 41-33.
Looking ahead, the Knights will continue their campaign against top Eastern Conference contenders, as they face off against the Brantford Bulldogs on March 5. The Bulldogs boast the league’s top scorer, Nick Lardis, making this an exciting fixture to look forward to.
Former Knight Bo Horvat also made headlines by reaching 20 goals for the eighth time in his ten-season National Hockey League career, with his most recent goal scored in a 7-4 victory for the New York Islanders over Nashville on March 1.
