Klepov Makes History in 5-4 Spirit Win at Flint
OHL Saginaw Spirit

Klepov Makes History in 5-4 Spirit Win at Flint

Published on February 11, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw Spirit right wing Nikita Klepov looks for a shot against the Flint Firebirds
Saginaw Spirit right wing Nikita Klepov looks for a shot against the Flint Firebirds
(Saginaw Spirit, Credit: Natalie Shaver, OHL Images)

Flint, Mich. - In game seven of the Coors Light I-75 Divide Cup series, the Saginaw Spirit and the Flint Firebirds battled in a back-and-forth matchup full of excitement where the Spirit's top power play unit propelled them to a 5-4 win over the Firebirds.

The game marked a big milestone for Spirit rookie Nikita Klepov. His three assists on the night put him at 40 helpers on the season, establishing a new Spirit record for the most assists by a Saginaw rookie. Klepov surpassed Cole Perfetti, who had 37 assists in his rookie season during the 2018-19 campaign.

Klepov led the way with four points (1G-3A), while Egor Barabanov (2G-1A) and Dima Zhilkin (3A) both had three-point nights.

The Firebirds struck early in the game when Urban Podrekar received the puck from Ihnat Pazii on the blueline and fired the first shot of the game past Stepan Shurygin to open up scoring.

The Spirit responded with offensive zone time and began to put pressure on Mason Vaccari. A clean passing sequence between the Spirit gave Levi Harper an open lane to Liam Storch, who scored his second goal of the season. Harper's assist extended his point streak to three games as the game was tied at 1-1.

Halfway through the period, Jimmy Lombardi was called for slashing, giving the Spirit their first power play of the night. The Spirit saw some high-quality chances on the man advantage, but Vaccari kept them off the board.

The Firebirds went on an offensive push after going back to full strength, testing Shurygin. In the final five minutes of the period, Jacob Battaglia found Darian Anderson on the right circle, and Anderson walked into the slot to fling the puck past Shurygin. Anderson extended his scoring streak to six games as he gave Flint the lead going into the first intermission.

After 1: SAG: 1 - FLNT: 2 (Total Shots: 10 - 15)

Luka Graziano was called for tripping in the early minutes of the second frame, sending the Spirit back to the man advantage. A minute into the power play, Harper connected with Nikita Klepov, whose shot tipped off the stick of Dima Zhilkin and redirected into the back of the net. Zhilkin tied the game and marked his second straight game with a goal.

The Firebirds were called for tripping three minutes later, sending Saginaw back to the powerplay. The Spirit struck again with 30 seconds remaining in the man advantage when Jacob Clouiter found Egor Barabanov in the slot to fire the one timer past Vaccari. Barabanov's 63rd point of the season gave the Spirit their first lead of the night. Klepov picked up the secondary assist.

Ninety seconds after Barabanov's goal, James Guo was called for holding, sending the Firebirds to their first power play of the night. The Spirit only allowed one Firebirds shot on the power play, but as the Spirit got back to full strength, Xander Velliaris got tangled up with Ihnat Pazii on a rush, and Pazii was awarded a penalty shot. Shurygin came up with a big glove save to keep the Spirit in front.

The Firebirds continued to pressure Shurygin, but he kept them out of the net with multiple saves on high-quality chances. In the final three minutes, Josh Glavin was called for interference to send the Firebirds back to the powerplay. Flint moved quickly as Kevin He fired the puck from a distance to tie the game up ten seconds into the power play.

After 2: SAG: 3 - FLNT: 3 (2nd period shots: 7 - 13 Total shots: 10 - 15)

In the first three minutes of the final period, a holding penalty on Barabanov gave the Firebirds their third power-play opportunity. Lombardi, behind the net, set up Nathan Aspinall in the slot to give the Firebirds the 4-3 lead. Anderson notched an assist alongside Lombardi, giving each player two points on the night.

Flint took heavy control over the period after Aspinall's goal, but the Spirit kept pushing every chance they got. The top line continued its dominance with Zhilkin finding Klepov as they entered the offensive zone. Klepov fired a shot from the high slot that redirected off Barabanov's stick and past Vaccari to tie the game.

In the final minutes of the period, Graziano was called for a delay of the game. The Spirit's power play that had already seen success in the game went back to the man advantage. In a scramble in front of the net, Nikita Klepov secured the game-winning goal for Saginaw, poking the puck past the foot of Vaccari for his 30th of the season and a 5-4 lead.

Shurygin held strong in the final minute, and the Spirit took their first win over the Firebirds this season in a hard-fought win.

Final: SAG: 5 - FLNT: 4 (3rd period shots: 5 - 8, Total shots: 22 - 36)

Powerplays SAG: 3/5 FLNT: 2/4

Goaltenders: SAG Stepan Shurygin (32 saves, 36 shots), FLNT Mason Vaccari (17 saves, 22 shots)

The Spirit are back in action on Friday night as they travel to the Progressive Auto Sales Arena to face off against the Sarnia Sting. Puck drop is set for 7:05 pm.

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

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Images from this story

Saginaw Spirit right wing Nikita Klepov looks for a shot against the Flint Firebirds
Saginaw Spirit right wing Nikita Klepov looks for a shot against the Flint Firebirds
(Natalie Shaver, OHL Images)		   



Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 11, 2026


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