Misiak Caps Second Hat Trick of Post-Season in 6-3 Win, Erie Gets Gentleman's Sweep with 4-1 Series

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OHL Erie Otters

Misiak Caps Second Hat Trick of Post-Season in 6-3 Win, Erie Gets Gentleman's Sweep with 4-1 Series

April 5, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Saginaw, Michigan - Do your job, and the series is yours. The mantra for the Erie Otters on Saturday night in downtown Saginaw was a simple one: win. Coming into the fifth game of the first round series with a chance to end the series, Erie would look to continue the success its enjoyed in the Dow Event Center this post-season. After a tremendous finish to the Thursday night game at home, Erie would ride a momentum wave into the Great Lakes Bay Region, and into an opportunity to have a handshake line at game's end. With Michael Misa out of the lineup on Saturday, Erie would do battle with a shorter Saginaw bench.

With their backs against the wall, the Spirit would fly into period number one like a desperate team. With penalty trouble afflicting the Otters in the early stages of the game - five penalty kills total - the Otters would be the team suffering with goals against in the first 20. With a power play opportunity 10 minutes in, Igor Chernyshov (2, PPG) would put the Spirit out in front 1-0. 65 seconds later, Carson Harmer (2) would fire a wicked wrister on net to put the Spirit ahead by their biggest lead of the series, 2-0. Erie would muster just seven shots in the opening 20 to the Spirit's 11, and find themselves down 2-0 after 20.

The script would flip to start period number two, as the Otters offense would wake up and find the back of the net. In the opening six minutes of the period, Martin Misiak (5, PPG) and Dylan Edwards (5) would assist each other on goals to knot things up at 2-2. Penalty trouble would afflict the Otters once again in the middle frame, with Erie having two additional penalty kills for a game total through 40 of seven PKs. Halfway through the game, an opportunity on the man-advantage would turn into a leading-goal for the Spirit, as Jacob Cloutier (1, PPG) would give the Spirit a 3-2 lead that they would take into the final period. Saginaw would continue to lead in shots, 29-22.

Ready to end the series, Erie would play on a mission in period three. Martin Misiak (6 [PPG], 7 [GWG]) would take over the game again at the Dow with his second hat trick of the series (third all-time in Saginaw), to put Erie up 4-3. An unsung hero in the series, Alex Messier (1) would give Erie its much-needed insurance goal with his first-career playoff goal, and an empty-netter from Sam Alfano (5, ENG) would give him a goal in every game of the series. Erie would dominate the third to win the game 6-3, and the series 4-1. The Erie Otters move to 12-2 all-time against the Saginaw Spirit in the playoffs, as Erie wins its first series since the 2017 championship season with 32 goals in five games.

The Erie Otters will face the same opponent in the second round as the last time they made it to round two - the rival London Knights. Schedules, times, and dates are not yet finalized, but will be upon the completion of all series pending in the OHL playoffs.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 5, 2025


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