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OHL Saginaw Spirit

Preview: Spirit, Greyhounds Battle in West Division Showdown

December 28, 2018 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Sault Ste. Marie, MI - The Saginaw Spirit are eyeing a consistent and steady second half of the 2018-19 season after fighting their way to a top-five standing in the OHL Western Conference standings through 33 games.

With the holiday break coming to an end, Saginaw begins the winter stretch with an important road trip to the GFL Memorial Gardens tonight at 7:07 p.m. against the reigning West Division leader.

The Spirit will embark on its fifth regular-season meeting and second game away from The Dow Event Center with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds as they look to lessen the divide in the race for the division crown.

Listen live on the flagship WSGW 100.5 FM Talk & Sports and fmtalk1005.com with Joey Battaino and Dennis Desrosiers. Pre-game coverage starts 15 minutes before puck drop.

Coming off an 11-day hiatus, Friday will mark the first time Saginaw has taken the ice since bringing in nine points over a five-game stretch from December 8-16, winning four, including two at home, and losing on the road in overtime.

At 18 wins, 11 losses, two overtime losses and two shootout losses, the Spirit scored a combined 26 goals during that eight-day run. That spike in points has propelled them to just seven behind the Greyhounds for the division lead and one point for third place in the Western Conference.

After missing three games, Saginaw's top scorer has returned from the 2019 U.S. National Junior Team selection camp in veteran Cole Coskey.

The former 2015 third-round pick was among 29 players auditioning for a roster spot in the 2019 International Ice Hockey Federation Work Junior Championship in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.

The native of Zion, Illinois, leads all Spirit players in points (34) and is tied for first with rookie first rounder Cole Perfetti in goals (15). Coskey's assists (19) are among the top-five on the team.

Perfetti, taken with the No. 5 pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, finished the first half of the season with two points in five of the final seven games, scoring three times and assisting on seven goals.

Perfetti accounted for back-to-back goals in wins over the Windsor Spitfires and Sarnia Sting on December 14 and 15, respectively. Since coming back from the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Saint John and Quispamsis, New Brunswick, in mid-November, Perfetti has recorded 15 points over the course of 14 games.

Agreeing to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with the New York Islanders on December 3, Bode Wilde currently ranks in the top-5 in goals (9), assists (24) and points (33) among all OHL defenseman this season.

The 2018 second-round draft pick finished without a point in just one game from November 29-December 16, recently notching four points in a game against the Sting.

Fellow Islanders prospect and 2018 fifth-round selection Blade Jenkins has seen an significant rise in offensive production since moving to the center position on the first line.

Residing in Jackson, Michigan, Jenkins collected two points or more in five games before the break, including a goal and two assists on December 8 and December 14. Jenkins is third on the Spirit in assists (21) and tied for second with Wilde and overager Albert Michnac in points (33).

Inching his way towards mirroring his 13 game points streak at the beginning of the season, Michnac ended the first half with at least one point in six consecutive games. The former Mississauga Steelhead scored twice against Sarnia and had two assists in three different games.

Recently acquired trade piece Justin Murray assisted on three goals in the four games following his departure from the Barrie Colts on December 9, where he served as the captain. Murray, an overager, will look to earn a professional contract in his final run in the OHL.

Minnesota Wild prospect Damien Giroux and second-year forward Nicholas Porco have combined for 28 goals to sit in second place on the team in total scoring at 14 each. Giroux's 12 assists also have him among 10 other Spirit players in double-digits.

Following three straight wins in net, 2018 Arizona Coyotes fourth rounder Ivan Prosvetov continues to improve his goals against average (GAA) and save percentage (SAV%), which stands at 3.34 and .894, respectively. Born in Moscow, Russia, Prosvetov has a record of 15-6-1 through 25 appearances this season.

Rookie goaltender Tristan Lennox has fortified the backup duties since the trade of Cameron Lamour to Sarnia on December 12. Recalled back to Saginaw after 11 games in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, Lennox has made five appearances and three starts in net this season, picking up his first career OHL win on December 8.

On special teams, the Spirit are the fourth-best club on the power play on with 28 goals scored for a 24.8 percent success rate. Their penalty kill is ranked 12th with 23 goals allowed on 106 man-down situations.

Sault Ste. Marie wrapped up the first half of the season with six wins for 12 points in seven games, including a decisive 5-1 final over the Hamilton Bulldogs on December 15 from the First Ontario Centre.

Vying for their third consecutive division title and second straight OHL Championship Series appearance, the Greyhounds are second in the Western Conference standings at 47 points, two shy of leader London Knights.

At 21 wins, eight losses, four overtime losses and one shootout loss, the Soo are one-of-six OHL clubs to endure single-digit defeats so far this season, also sitting with the third-highest goals total (140) through 34 games.

Philadelphia Flyers first-round draft pick Morgan Frost and overager Keeghan Howdeshell rank among the top-five in five major offensive categories this season.

Frost, who was taken 27th overall in 2017, is first in the league in assists (38) and third in points (58). The 19-year-old has accumulated 11 points in all four games played against Saginaw and has finished with three points or more in eight games.

Howdeshell, the native of Brighton, Michigan, is first in the league in game winning goals (7), fourth in total goals (28) and fourth in short-handed goals (4). Howdeshell's 41 points are second-best among all Greyhounds players.

2018 Arizona Coyotes fifth overall selection Barrett Hayton and 2018 Toronto Maple Leafs fourth rounder Mac Hollowell have combined for 26 goals and 45 assists for 71 points. Three other Sault Ste. Marie players are above the double-digit mark in assists.

Garnering a 2.99 goals against average (GAA) and .903 save percentage (SAV%) in 21 appearances in net this season, Los Angeles Kings goaltending prospect Matthew Villalta has a record of 14-4-1, winning four of his last five games before the break.

On special teams, Sault Ste. Marie is third in the OHL in penalty killing with 23 goals allowed for a 83.4 percent success rate. The Greyhounds are eighth on the power play with 31 goals scored on 132 opportunities for a 23.5 percent success rate.

There will be a combined 10 players on the ice Saturday with their rights owned by NHL teams. For the Soo, it'll be Frost (Philadelphia), Hollowell (Toronto), Hayton (Arizona) and Villalta (Los Angeles).

Defenseman Reilly Webb (Detroit),forward Brady Gilmour (Detroit), Prosvetov (Arizona), Jenkins (NY Islanders), Wilde (NY Islanders) and Giroux (Minnesota) will represent Saginaw.

Presented by Causley Trucking, The Dow Chemical Company and Yeo & Yeo, CPA's, Detroit Red Wings broadcast analyst Mickey Redmond will be at The Dow on Saturday, December 29, for a special pregame autograph session and ceremonial puck drop.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. as fans can meet and take photos with the two-time Stanley Cup champion alongside the Conn Smith Trophy, Frank J. Selke Trophy, Clarence Campbell Bowl, William M. Jennings Trophy and the James Norris Trophy.

The session will run from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Fans must purchase a ticket to participate in the autograph signing, as the Spirit host the Erie Otters at 7:05 p.m.

Purchasing an autograph package will take place at The Dow Hockey Corner while supplies last. More information of the offerings can be found on the official Saginaw Spirit website.

To purchase your tickets for all Saginaw home games, call (989) 497-7747, visit saginawspirit.com, or by visiting the Saginaw Spirit Store at 5789 State Street, Saginaw, MI.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 28, 2018


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