Sam O'Reilly's Overtime Goal Lifts London Knights Over Flint Firebirds 5-4
Sam O'Reilly scored the overtime winner as the London Knights edged the Flint Firebirds 5-4 on October 3rd at Canada Life Place, securing their first victory of the 2025-26 regular season. Henry Brzustewicz delivered a crucial cross-ice pass to set up O'Reilly's game-winning goal.
O'Reilly's Heroics in Overtime
The game-winning goal came just 58 seconds into overtime and marked O'Reilly's second goal of the night. O'Reilly started overtime by winning the faceoff, ensuring the Firebirds never touched the puck before he snapped it past Flint's overage goalie Mason Vaccari. O'Reilly's strong performance on faceoffs was a key factor in the Knights' victory, winning 20 of 28.
First Period Action: Aspinall and Murata Give Flint the Early Lead
Nathan Aspinall, a New York Rangers prospect, opened the scoring for Flint in his first game of the season, deking past Aleksei Medvedev of the Knights at 16:58 of the first period. Soon after, Charlie Murata scored his first Ontario Hockey League goal, assisted by Londoner Matthew Wang, giving the Firebirds a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
Knights Rally in the Second Period
The London Knights came out strong in the second period. The line of Max Crete, Mike Zakharov, and Brody Cook pressured the Flint defense, leading to Sam O'Reilly's first goal of the year at 9:03, assisted by Crete. Two minutes and 20 seconds later, Cohen Bidgood tipped in his second goal of the year, assisted by Andoni Fimis, tying the game. Shortly after, Linus Funck scored on the power play, assisted by Evan Van Gorp, giving the Knights a 3-2 lead.
Firebirds Tie it Up Before the Third
The Firebirds responded before the end of the second period, as Aspinall scored his second goal of the game with a backhand deke, tying the score at 3-3 before the final 20 minutes.
Third Period Trading of Goals Sets Stage for Overtime
The third period remained tight. Late in the period, Noah Read found Jared Woolley on an odd-man rush, and Woolley scored his fourth goal in three games, putting London back in front 4-3. However, the lead was short-lived. Matthew Wang set up a play where Medvedev made a save, but the puck ricocheted off Funck and into the net, tying the game at 4-4 and setting the stage for overtime.
Game Statistics
London outshot the Firebirds 44-31. The Knights were 1-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
| Statistic | London Knights | Flint Firebirds |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 5 | 4 |
| Shots | 44 | 31 |
| Power Play | 1/3 | 0/2 |
| Penalty Kill | 2/2 | 2/3 |
Up Next: Knights Face Guelph Storm
The London Knights will face the Guelph Storm on the road at the Sleeman Centre at 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 4th. The Storm are 3-2 on the season after an overtime win against the Saginaw Spirit. Coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m. on 980 CFPL.
