OHL Saginaw Spirit

Preview: Series Shifts to Sault with Spirit in a Two-Game Advantage

April 9, 2019 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Sault Ste. Marie, ON - The second-round shifts to Sault Ste. Marie for game three Tuesday, April 9 as the Saginaw Spirit look to build onto their 2-0 series lead against the Soo Greyhounds. Puck drop from the GFL Memorial Gardens is at 7:07 p.m.

The Spirit opened the second round series with dominating performances at home. Saginaw outscored the Soo, 14-2 in the first two games of the series.

Fans can follow all the action on the flagship WSGW Newsradio 100.5 FM and fmtalk1005.com with Joey Battaino and Dennis Desrosiers on the call. "Countdown to Face-off" begins 15 minutes prior to puck drop for all your pregame coverage.

Fans can watch the game live from the Saginaw Spirit "Watch Party" from the 2690 Tittabawassee Road Buffalo Wild Wings location.

The Spirit's short-handed unit has killed an astonishing 31 straight man-power advantages, dating back to the second to last game of the regular season. Saginaw has killed all of the Soo's 11 man-power advantages this series.

Saginaw's penalty kill has benefitted from stellar goaltending in the first six post-season games. Arizona Coyotes fourth round pick Ivan Prosvetov is undefeated in his first six Ontario Hockey League (OHL) playoff games.

The Moscow, Russia native has an astounding 1.78 goals against average and .950 save percentage through Saginaw's six playoff games this season. Prosvetov allowed just two goals in the second round and stopped 76 of the 78 shots in the two games against the Soo.

2017 Florida Panthers 10th overall pick Owen Tippett's strong post-season play continued in game two. The Spirit right-winger contributed a goal and two assists in the 10-1 victory Sunday evening.

Tippett is currently second among OHL players this season in post-season scoring with 14 points in six games. The Peterborough, Ontario native leads Saginaw in both goals (8) and points (14) in this season's playoffs.

Ryan McLeod, a 2018 second round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, has been one of the Spirit's most consistent playoff performer this year. The Mississauga, Ontario native has a plus/minus rating of plus-11 with eight points in these playoffs.

McLeod was given game-two's second star after the Saginaw center scored two goals and two assists in the effort.

The Spirit received big contributions from two Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario natives in game two against the Greyhounds. 2018 NHL Draft eligible prospects Nicholas Porco and Camaryn Baber scored goals against their hometown teams in Sunday's 10-1 rout over the Soo.

Porco, who NHL has ranked 101st among 2019 North American skaters, scored two goals in game two's victory. Game two's first goal was the right-winger's first career OHL post-season tally.

Baber has heated up offensively as the season has progressed, including 11 points in the last 11 regular season games. The Saginaw center has two goals and two points in the post-season.

Detroit Red Wings draft pick Brady Gilmour (10) trails only Tippett in scoring for the Spirit this post-season. The Saginaw alternate captain compiled a goal and two assists for the Spirit in game two which extended his post-season point streak to four games.

Gilmour leads all Spirit players with nine assists this post-season, which is third among OHL players in this year's playoffs.

Toronto Maple Leafs signee Mac Hollowell collected Sault Ste. Marie's lone goal in game two. The defenseman put the Soo on the board with a short-handed tally in the second period of Sunday's game.

2017 Philadelphia Flyers 27th overall pick Morgan Frost assisted on the Hollowell goal in game two. The Saginaw Spirit defense core has done well to contain the Greyhound's regular season points leader to just the one point in the first two games of the series.

Barrett Hayton, the 2018 fifth overall pick of the Arizona Coyotes, has been held scoreless in the first two games of the series. The Soo center has a plus/minus of minus-seven in round two against the Spirit. Hayton led the Soo Greyhounds in the first round with 10 points in five games.

The Soo Greyhounds have four players with rights owned by NHL clubs, forwards Morgan Frost (Philadelphia Flyers-signed), Barrett Hayton (Arizona Coyotes-signed), defenseman Mac Hollowell (Toronto Maple Leafs-signed), and goaltender Matthew Villalta (Los Angeles Kings-signed).

The Spirit also boasts eight players drafted by NHL clubs, forwards Brady Gilmour (Detroit Red Wings), Blade Jenkins (New York Islanders), Owen Tippett (Florida Panthers-signed), Ryan McLeod (Edmonton Oilers), Damien Giroux (Minnesota Wild), defensemen Reilly Webb (Detroit Red Wings), Bode Wilde (New York Islanders-signed), and goaltender Ivan Prosvetov (Arizona Coyotes).

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 9, 2019


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