Brady Martin’s goal with 25.8 seconds remaining in the first overtime period gave the Soo Greyhounds a 3-2 victory and a 2-0 series lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference quarter-final series.
The Nashville Predators prospect took a drop pass from Marco Mignosa and got to the slot, where he rocketed a shot into the London net.
Mignosa was the Greyhounds’ regular-season MVP in what will be his final year in the Ontario Hockey League. He had a goal and two assists and was named the game’s first star.
The Knights had battled back from a 2-0 deficit in the game to force overtime and now they will have to try to battle back from that same deficit in the series as the teams head for Sault Ste. Marie.
Mignosa opened the scoring on a power play as he faked a pass and then lifted a shot into the top corner from in tight to the Knights’ net for his second goal of the post-season.
After Evan Van Gorp wired a wrist shot off the crossbar and some penalties created some 3-on-3 hockey that failed to produce a goal, a Chase Reid one-timer found the back of the London net to give the Greyhounds a 2-0 lead at 11:44 of the second period.
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London got that goal back, scoring on a power play at 16:41 as Jaxon Cover carried the puck around the Sault Ste. Marie zone and glided into the slot where Cover’s shot was tipped past Carter George by Knights forward Braiden Clark and London went to the third period down by a goal.
The Knights got the equalizer early as Van Gorp split the Greyhound defence and got to the net, where he was stopped by Carter George. Linus Funck followed on the play and scored his first playoff goal to make it 2-2 just 1:23 into the final frame.
The score stayed that way for the rest of the third and through more than 19 minutes of overtime before Martin’s game-winning goal.
London dominated the faceoff circle for the second game in a row as they won 61.3 per cent of the draws.
Sault Ste. Marie outshot the Knights 43-34.
London was 1-for-4 on the power play.
The Greyhounds were 1-for 3.
Blake Montgomery and Wisconsin off to NCAA Frozen Four
In 2025, Blake Montgomery was part of a London Knights team that won the Memorial Cup.
A year later, Montgomery is two wins away from an NCAA title after the Wisconsin Badgers knocked out the Michigan State Spartans with a 4-3 overtime win on March 28 to reach the Frozen Four.
Montgomery had nine goals and 17 points in 36 regular-season games with the Badgers this year.
Wisconsin will face North Dakota on April 4.
Up next
London will head to Sault. Ste, Marie for Game 3 and Game 4 of their first round series against the Greyhounds on March 31 and April 1.
Game 3 will be an 8:07 p.m. faceoff. It is scheduled to begin an hour later than usual, following a Goo Goo Dolls concert the night before.
Coverage can be heard beginning at 7:30 p.m. on 980 CFPL and on the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps.
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