After another disappointing Toronto Maple Leafs playoff loss, it's time to break up the core four forwards and that might mean moving on from Mitch Marner, who becomes a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season. Easton Cowan's bid for a Memorial Cup ended in disappointment with Josh Bloom scoring the game-winning goal with 21.7 seconds remaining in regulation time that gave the Saginaw Spirit a 4-3 win against the London Knights on Sunday. Bloom's goal came after Cowan's Knights managed to dig themselves out of a 3-0 hole that was established midway through the second period. The Knights got off to a surprisingly rough start against a Spirit team they defeated earlier in round-robin action to earn an automatic berth into the final. Saginaw recorded the first 12 shots on goal in the game and were outshot London 13-1 after one period. Cowan, the Maple Leafs' first-round pick (28th overall) in the NHL, was like the rest of his teammate in the first half of the game as he struggled in the early going to find his footing. The Knights scored the next three goals to eventually tie the game. Cowan scored London's second goal that cut Saginaw's lead to 3-2. It may well have been the last time we see Cowan in junior as the player doesn't have much left to prove with the Knights, despite missing out on the Memorial Cup. Earlier in the day, he was named to the Canadian Hockey League's first-team All-Star squad. The Knights defeated Saginaw in a best-of-seven Western Conference championship series en route to an OHL championship. Perhaps that was what made London's loss feel like an upset. Cowan finished the Memorial Cup as the top point-getter with eight points (three goals and five assists) in four games. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk1MTUxMDE2NDM2ODQ0/cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0.jpg] Related Golfer Victor Perez Wears Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Jersey at Canadian Open This Weekend [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/golfer-victor-perez-wears-maple-leafs-auston-matthews-jersey-at-canadian-open-this-weekend] Should Higher-Taxed NHL Teams Like the Maple Leafs Get an NHL Salary Cap Exception? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/should-higher-taxed-nhl-teams-like-the-maple-leafs-get-an-nhl-salary-cap-exception] How the Maple Leafs Could Use Performance Bonuses if They Wanted to Bring Back Matt Murray and John Klingberg at a Minimal Risk With Big Reward [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/how-the-maple-leafs-could-use-performance-bonuses-if-they-wanted-to-bring-back-matt-murray-and-john-klingberg-at-a-minimal-risk-with-big-reward] News from THN.com Carolina's Martin Necas On the Move? Three Potential NHL Landing Spots [https://thehockeynews.com/news/carolinas-martin-necas-on-the-move-three-potential-nhl-landing-spots] Rangers and Panthers Have Brick Walls in Net, But Who Has the Edge Right Now? [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-playoffs-rangers-and-panthers-have-brick-walls-in-net-but-who-has-the-edge-right-now] Forget About Long Term: What Do the Oilers Do with Darnell Nurse Right Now? [https://thehockeynews.com/news/forget-about-long-term-what-do-the-oilers-do-with-darnell-nurse-right-now]
