OHL Kingston Frontenacs

Kingston Suffers a Loss to a High-Scoring Spirits Team

Published on February 28, 2020 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kingston Frontenacs News Release


While it was a 5-2 score, the Frontenacs played a hard game and if not for a few unfortunate bounces the game could have been much closer on the board against the Saginaw Spirit on Friday night.

The Frontenacs were in Saginaw on the second of seven straight road games coming off Tuesday's morning game in Ottawa. With Niagara IceDogs winning yesterday the Frontenacs found themselves again looking to get back into the eighth-spot in the East Conference.

Shane Wright began the game on an 11-game point streak leading all OHL rookies in goals and points but would have his streak ended tonight.

Kingston would get an early powerplay after Dustin Hutton was tripped by Cole Perfetti just 36 seconds into the game, but the Spirits eighth-ranked penalty-killing units mitigated any good chances by the Frontenacs ending on a Dawson Baker shot.

Saginaw had a couple of odd-man rushes in the period with the first being broke up on a nice stick play by Jakob Brahaney just over five minutes in. Shortly after, the Spirits would open the scoring after New York Islanders prospect Bode Wilde would make a good play winning a race to the puck in the Kingston zone. After chipping the puck out front, a lucky bounce got the puck to Dalton Duhart and he was able to chip it past Christian Propp for the 1-0 lead at 8:47. It was his 13th goal of the season. Spirit Goaltender Tristan Lennox also was credited an assist on the play.

The shots were just 4-3 halfway into the frame with Saginaw having the better puck possession. Good sticks by Kingston and a commitment to blocking shots helped aide Propp in the crease. Kallaway Mercer and Jordan Frasca almost teamed up for a tying goal but Lennox was able to stop Frasca up-close in the crease.

Saginaw had no shots from the time they scored their first goal for a span of almost eight minutes. They did have a couple of quality chances near the end of the period as they tried to go up a pair. Propp made an excellent left-pad stop on Ryan Suzuki who was camped out at the side of the crease. Suzuki tried to bang home a cross-ice pass from Perfetti. The teams went to intermission with the 1-0 lead holding for Saginaw.

Saginaw looked to score early as Perfetti was able to sneak a puck under Propp but the puck banked off the post and off Propp's pad before being pushed off to the corner. It was 2-0 however at 5:08 as Wilde would score his second of the season off another unfortunate bounce for Kingston when he tried to centre a pass and the puck deflected in off a Kingston defenders skate. Propp had no chance on the goal assisted by Mitchell Smith and Josh Bloom.

Perfetti hit the crossbar under a minute later as Saginaw was beginning to mount some pressure. Kingston was held without a shot from the 26-second mark for almost eight minutes with the shots being only 9-9 midway through the tight-checking game.

Jordan Frasca and Saginaw's Danny Katic would go off for double-minors at 13:21 for some four-on-four. The game opened up as both teams would get some chances. Saginaw had the best opportunity but Martin Chromiak made a great diving play to thwart a two-on-one preventing a Perfetti pass from getting through to a wide-open DJ Busdeker. The Spirit would have another chance at 14:42 and it was 3-0 after Ryan Suzuki found Damian Giroux on the backdoor side of Propp for essentially an empty-net goal. Wilde would get his third point of the game with an assist along with Suzuki's helper on Giroux's 40th goal.

Kingston has been the victim of a few quick-strike goals against this season and tonight it was their turn. Just 15 seconds after getting out of the box and, and just 54 seconds after the third Saginaw goal, Frasca would strike for his 15th goal of the season. Wiring a wrist shot just as he was getting hit by Cole Coskey. As the Kingston forward was falling, the shot whistled by Lennox with Vitali Pinchuk and Nick King drawing assists.

Kingston had another excellent opportunity on a two-on-one late but Lennox made a beautiful sprawling save on a one-timer by Chromiak after he was set up on a nice saucer pass by Wright. The 3-1 score would hold as the teams went to the second intermission.

It was 4-1 Saginaw early in the third on Giroux's second of the game (41st) after a third unfortunate deflection for Kingston. After breaking down the right side, he let a wrist shot go that changed angle on Propp after hitting Lucas Peric's stick and he didn't have much of a chance for the third time of the night. Jenkins assist kept a five-game point streak alive.

Perfetti, who had chances throughout, scored his 36th at 13:30 to make it 5-1 with assists by Suzuki and Coskey. Dawson Baker (leading OHL in penalty minutes) was called for hitting Perfetti after he scored and was joined in the box by Mason Millman with a second four-on-four chance for the teams.

This time Kingston would take advantage of the situation at 14:10 bringing the game closer. After a giveaway by Saginaw, Frasca would take the puck deep and dump off a pass to rookie Ethan Ritchie who buried his second goal of the season. Ritchie was able to get the puck through the equipment of Lennox, who almost made the save. Frasca recorded his second point of the game on the assist that made it a 5-2 final score.

Kingston did not take a penalty the entire game. It was another good effort by the Frontenacs against one of the best teams in the league. Saginaw jumped over Flint with the win and is now just one point back of London in the Western Conference.

The loss for Kingston keeps them two points back of Niagara IceDogs in the race for the playoffs. The IceDogs also lost to Sudbury 4-2 on Friday.

The Frontenacs next game is tomorrow, Saturday, Feb 28 in Flint against second-overall selection Brennan Othmann and the Firebirds. The next home game is Friday, March 13th at 7 p.m. as the Frontenacs host Hamilton Bulldogs. Tickets are available at the Leon's Centre box office or at Ticketmaster.ca.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 28, 2020


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