Harmer Scores OT Winner, Shurygin Stops 38 in Comeback Win over Spitfires
OHL Saginaw Spirit

Harmer Scores OT Winner, Shurygin Stops 38 in Comeback Win over Spitfires

Published on January 10, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw Spirit center Carson Harmer
Saginaw Spirit center Carson Harmer
(Saginaw Spirit, Credit: Steven Frank)

Saginaw, Mich. - The Saginaw Spirit hosted the Windsor Spitfires at the Dow Event Center Saturday night for their third game in three days. After Caden Harvey and Liam Greentree made it 2-0 in favor of the Spitfires, the Spirit would rally late in the third with Nikita Klepov and Dima Zhilkin forcing overtime. Carson Harmer would be the OT hero, picking up his second point of the game and extending his point streak. On defense, the Spirit's penalty kill would fight off four of four opportunities for the Spitfires, and Stepan Shurygin stopped 38 of 40 shots in the 3-2 OT win.

Windsor opened the scoring mid-way through the first, with Caden Harvey picking up his sixth of the season after firing in a shot from the right circle. Carson Woodall and Alex Pharand picked up the assist as the Spitfires led 1-0 at 8:26.

After 1: SAG 0 - 1 WSR (Total Shots: 3 - 11)

Despite great chances at both ends of the ice, the game would remain 1-0 in favor of the Spitfires through the second period. Stepan Shurygin stopped all 18 shots he faced for the Spirit, and Michael Newlove stopped eight for the Spitfires.

After 2: SAG 0 - 1 WSR (2nd period shots: 8 - 18 Total shots: 11 - 29)

Fifty-three seconds into the third, the Spitfires stuck again, with Liam Greentree driving down the left wing and firing it in low blocker side. Anthony Cristoforo and Jakub Fibigr picked up the assist as Windsor extended their lead to two early in the third.

Nikita Klepov responded for Saginaw on the power play, sending in a rebound from the right circle for his 23rd of the season. Dima Zhilkin picked up the primary, and Carson Harmer extended his point streak with the secondary assist at 13:43.

With 1:37 left in the third, captain Dima Zhilkin fired in a shot from the top of the circle to tie it late in the third. Zhilkin scored his 20th of the season from Nikita Klepov and Jacob Cloutier and forced overtime between the Spirit and the Spitfires.

After 3: SAG 2 - 2 WSR (3rd period shots 8 - 9, Total shots 19 - 38)

Carson Harmer scored into a wide-open net after an opportunistic bounce off the boards to win it in overtime for the Spirit. Brody Pepoy picked up the primary assist after his shot went wide, and Levi Harper picked up the secondary assist as the Spirit won at home 1:45 into overtime.

Final: SAG 3 - 2 WSR (OT shots 1 - 2, Total shots 10 - 40)

Powerplays: SAG 1/3 WSR 0/4

Goaltenders: SAG: Stepan Shurygin (38 saves, 40 shots) WSR: Michael Newlove (18 saves, 20 shots)

The Spirit play next Friday, January 16th, visiting the Kitchener Rangers at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. Puck drop is at 7:00pm.

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

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Images from this story

Saginaw Spirit center Carson Harmer
Saginaw Spirit center Carson Harmer
(Steven Frank)		   



Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 10, 2026


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