The London Knights pulled off a thrilling 7-5 victory over the Oshawa Generals in Game 3 of the OHL Championship series on May 12, 2025, taking a 2-1 series lead. The game was a rollercoaster of momentum shifts, with the Knights dominating early before the Generals mounted a fierce comeback.
A Fast Start for London
The Knights wasted no time asserting their presence. Easton Cowan opened the scoring at 7:59 of the first period, stripping the puck from Owen Griffin and backhanding a shot past Jacob Oster. Just over three minutes later, Kasper Halttunen fired a one-timer off a feed from Will Nicholl, giving London a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Second Period Surge
London extended their lead early in the second period with a power-play goal just five seconds in. In a dazzling display of skill, Cowan spun in mid-air before feeding Halttunen, whose slap shot—despite breaking his stick—found the back of the net for a 3-0 advantage. Oshawa responded with a power-play goal from Griffin, but London struck again when Jacob Julien converted a two-on-oh breakaway, making it 4-1. Halttunen completed his hat trick at 16:09, pushing the Knights to a 5-1 lead heading into the final frame.
Oshawa’s Furious Comeback
The Generals refused to go quietly. In a span of just over five minutes, Luca D’Amato, Colby Barlow, and Luke Torrance all scored, cutting London’s lead to 5-4 with 6:18 remaining. The Tribute Communities Centre crowd roared as Oshawa pressed for the equalizer.
Knights Seal the Win
With the game hanging in the balance, Sam O’Reilly flipped the puck ahead to Jesse Nurmi, who skated across the blue line and buried a shot to make it 6-4 with 2:11 left. Oshawa pulled their goalie and Beckett Sennecke capitalized, scoring with 1:29 remaining to bring the Generals within one again. But London had the final say—Cowan netted his second goal of the night into an empty net, securing the 7-5 victory.
Stars of the Game
- Kasper Halttunen (London Knights) – Hat trick, 10th goal of the playoffs.
- Easton Cowan (London Knights) – 2 goals, 1 assist, now London’s all-time franchise leader in playoff scoring with 92 career points.
- Jesse Nurmi (London Knights) – Game-winning goal.
- Luca Marrelli (Oshawa Generals) – 3 assists.
Looking Ahead
With the Knights now leading the series 2-1, the Generals will look to bounce back in Game 4 on Tuesday. If this game was any indication, the battle for the OHL Championship is far from over.
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OHL Writers 