OHL Saginaw Spirit

Saginaw Spirit Eagles Nest Notes

Published on October 26, 2008 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


The Saginaw Spirit hockey club comes into the week ranked second in the OHL West Division and ranked fourth in the OHL Western Conference. The Spirit have 16 points and a record of 8-6-0-0. The Spirit are 6-4-0-0 in their last 10 games.

Despite ending the three game road series with one win and two loses, the team still boasts one of the lowest goals against rankings in the league. The Spirit have had only 42 goals scored against them in 14 games.

Spirit captain Chris Chappell enters the week on a four game goal streak (October 18 to present) and is ranked 11th in the league for goal scoring. Center Jack Combs had six assists last weekend, four of which came against the Niagara IceDogs Saturday night. Combs is currently ranked 14th on the league's assist scoring sheet. Goalie Edward Pasquale is ranked 9th in the goals against average category with a 2.77 GAA and is tied for 3rd in the total wins ranking with 8 wins on the season so far.

The Spirit play at home for two games this weekend, against the Oshawa Generals Saturday night and the Kitchener Rangers Sunday afternoon.

Week 6 Recap

The Spirit started out the weekend with a 3-2 win over the Erie Otters last Friday. Chris Chappell, Jack Combs and Kain Allicock tallied goals in the effort, with Edward Pasquale notching 34 saves on 36 shots.

The team fell 5-4 to the Niagara IceDogs last Saturday night in a hotly battled contest that saw two goals from Chris Chappell, four assists from Jack Combs and three assists from Nick Crawford. Adam Comrie and Joe Underwood also posted goals in the effort; if was Underwood's first goal since his rookie year (2006-07). The Spirit also accomplished the rare feat of not committing any minor penalties in the game. Despite the effort, the Niagara IceDogs won the contest and evened the two-game season series between the two squads.

The Spirit entered last Sunday's contest in fourth place in the OHL Western Conference and closing in on the third place Guelph Storm. Despite notching 21 shots on Guelph's net and Chris Chappell scoring his fifth goal in five consecutive games, the Spirit were unable to gain ground on the Storm. The Spirit remained in fourth place in the Western Conference but lost two points in their race to catch up to the Storm.

Week 7 Preview

Oshawa Generals

The Spirit host the Oshawa Generals Saturday night at 7:11 PM. The Eastern Conference squad enters the week ranked third in their conference with 15 points and a record of 7-7-0-1. They snapped a four game losing streak Sunday with a 4-3 win over the Barrie Colts. Center John Tavares (14G 12A), picked by many experts as the first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, was recently edged out by Windsor Spitfires winger Taylor Hall as the league's top scorer. Tavares is averaging 1.73 points per game, and will still be a contender for the top scoring title by the end of the season.

Center Brett Parnham (8G 2A) is the team's second top goal scorer, with New Jersey Devils pick Kory Nagy (3G 8A) and center Jeff Brown (5G 5A) also contributing on offense. Rookie defenseman Calvin de Haan (3G 13A) has made an impressive showing in his OHL debut, earning a plus-6 in 15 games. New York Rangers first round pick Michael Del Zotto (2G 12A) is also a dominate force on the blue line.

Goalie Daryl Borden has started 11 games for the Generals, earning a 3.91 goals against average and 0.883 save percentage. Kevin Bailie, a 1992-born rookie, has come out strong with a 2.71 goals against average and 0.915 save percentage in 5 games.

Kitchener Rangers

The Kitchener Rangers head to Saginaw Sunday afternoon for a 4:00 PM match-up against the Spirit after they play against the Barrie Colts Friday and the Plymouth Whalers Saturday. The Rangers come into the week on a three game losing streak but ranked fifth in the OHL Western Conference with 15 points and a record of 7-5-0-1. This is the first of four meetings this season between the Spirit and last year's OHL Champions.

Overage winger Brandon Mashinter (10G 8A) leads the offense, with center Scott Timmins (9G 5A) and winger T.J. Battani (3G 6A) also contributing up front. The Rangers picked up winger Chris MacKinnon (1G 9A) in a recent trade with the London Knights, adding a veteran forward to the lineup that has also seen action with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Owen Sound Attack in his three OHL seasons. Defenseman Ben Shutron (1G 9A) ranks tops on defense in the plus/minus category with a plus-4 and also contributes on offense with 9 assists on the season.

Chicago Blackhawks pick Josh Unice returned at the end of October after nursing a sore knee, allowing four goals and posting a 0.486 save percentage against the Peterborough Petes in his return last weekend. Former Spirit netminder Parker Van Buskirk carried the load for the Rangers during Unice's absence, earning a 2.95 save percentage and 0.920 save percentage in 9 games.

Tickets Remain!

To purchase tickets for these contests, please contact the Spirit at 989-497-7747 or visit the team's official ticket and merchandise store at 5789 State Street in Saginaw. Tickets can also be purchased at TheDow Event Center box office or any TicketMaster outlet.

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from October 26, 2008


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