Memorial Cup Day 5: Tigers Hold Off Knights & Clinch Spot in Final With 3-1 Victory

This pressure and play did not take long to help lead the Knights to take an early lead in the game. A relentless forecheck and pressure led to an early power play for the Knights, where they took full advantage. Normally, a goal-scorer in the sense of firing the puck, Kasper Halttunen scored the lone goal for the Knights on the power play off a redirection from fellow San Jose Sharks prospect, Sam Dickinson. The Knights had continuous pressure and kept the Tigers’ defence on their toes all game.

Penalty Kills Come Up Big

With two teams that have elite skill on their power play units, the penalty kill units took centre stage in the game. While the Knights opened the scoring with the Halttunen power-play goal, neither team would score on the man advantage the remainder of the game, going a combined 1-for-6.

Both teams’ penalty kills did a strong job of finding ways to clog up shooting lanes for the opposing team, while they also relied on their respective goaltenders to make big saves when challenged. Keeping players like Easton Cowan (Toronto Maple Leafs prospect) and Gavin McKenna (2026 NHL Draft-eligible) off the scoresheet is never an easy feat. Still, both teams did just that, especially on the power play.

Missed Opportunities Cost London

With 36 shots on Meneghin, the Knights had plenty of scoring chances throughout the game. The missed chances and opportunities on top of the aforementioned 36 shots on net ended up costing them in the end, whether it was hitting a post (Cowan and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Denver Barkey both hit at least one) or not being able to cash in on rushes. There were a handful of odd-man rushes the Knights had where they could not convert, partially thanks to a strong backcheck from the Tigers, but also from missed shot attempts.

Both Dickinson and Oliver Bonk (Flyers prospect) reiterated the sentiment that they earned their offensive chances but need to cash in on them, with Bonk being quoted as saying, “We just got to bury. We generate a lot of scoring chances and two-on-ones and three-on-twos. We just need to bury.” after the loss. A prime example of the missed opportunities coming back to haunt the Knights was on the Tigers’ eventual game-winning goal. Cowan had a high-danger chance on Meneghin in the slot for a one-timer and missed the net. The Tigers subsequently had a rush down the ice that led to Matthew Ward’s first goal of the Memorial Cup to put his team up 2-1 at the time.

Other Game Notes

What’s Next

The Knights will await the winner of a rematch from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Finals between the host, Rimouski Oceanic, and the Moncton Wildcats. The winner will take on the Knights in the semi-final game on May 30. The Tigers will be off until the final, taking place on June 1.