OHL Saginaw Spirit

Preview: Spirit Host Spitfires Saturday at the Dow Event Center

Published on November 17, 2018 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saturday, November 17, 2018

TV: WNEM TV5+ (12/1 8:00 p.m.), Your TV Windsor (LIVE), OHL Action Pak (LIVE)

Radio: 100.5 FM WSGW

Web: OHLlive.com, fmtalk1005.com, iHeartRadio

Saginaw, MI - The Saginaw Spirit return home Saturday after a three-game road trip as they host the Windsor Spitfires for the first time this season. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. (EST) at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan.

Saturday will mark the third regular-season game for Saginaw against its OHL West Division rival. The Spirit lost 7-1 this past Sunday in the last meeting between the two clubs as Minnesota Wild prospect Damien Giroux scored the lone goal to start the road swing.

Through 21 games this season, the Spitfires are seventh in the Western Conference standings at 21 points. With 10 wins, 10 losses and one shootout loss, Windsor also sits seven points behind first place conference-leader London Knights.

The Spitfires allowed two goals in the third period to suffer a 5-2 defeat at the WFCU Centre Thursday to the Oshawa Generals. It was their first game back home since scoring seven goals against the Spirit, who have gone 5-4-0-1 over the course of 10 games.

In the first game following the setback in its voyage across the Detroit River, Saginaw took Game 3 of the Coors Light I-75 Divide Cup on Wednesday in a 4-2 win, as New York Islanders prospect Blade Jenkins recorded his eighth goal for 15 points through 11 career games played against in-state rival Flint Firebirds.

Fellow 2018 Islanders draft choice Bode Wilde earned his first multi-point performance since returning from an upper body injury. The defenseman has notched three goals and 14 assists for 17 points through 15 games.

Rookie Cole Perfetti, head coach Troy Smith and assistant coach Ryan Kuwabara also returned to the bench Wednesday in the Spirit's fifth consecutive win over Flint and their 11th in the last 12 meetings dating back to the 2016-17 season.

All three along with rookie prospect Tristan Lennox took part in the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Saint John and Quispamsis, New Brunswick. Smith served as an assistant coach for Team Canada Black and Kuwabara was the video coordinator for Team Canada White.

Perfetti led all players in the tournament with seven assists and second in points with nine as a representative of Team Canada White. The Whitby, Ontario, native ranks fourth among all OHL rookies this season with 13 points.

Lennox, who was reassigned to the Ontario Junior Hockey League back in early October, played in three games for Team Canada White, making 89 total saves and allowing just three goals.

The Spirit are coming off their second loss since November 4 in a 5-2 undoing Friday to the Kitchener Rangers at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. It was their first loss to the Western Conference foe through three games this season.

17-year-old defenseman Mason Millman, who received second-star honors with his two assists and first multi-point performance of the year at Flint, also picked up two assists against the Rangers to reach double-digit points through 21 games. Millman has recorded at least one assist in five of the last seven games.

South Porcupine, Ontario native Danny Katic scored his first goal and first point in his third season with Saginaw with 6:02 into the second period, which cut the Spirit lead to one, while forward Aidan Prueter's fourth of the season came late in the third frame for the game's final goal.

Arizona Coyotes prospect Ivan Prosvetov stopped a season-high 33 shots but took the loss in his 16th appearance in net for Saginaw. The 2018 fourth-round draft pick has a goals against average (GAA) of 3.47 and a .879 save percentage (SAV%).

On special teams, Saginaw has the fifth best power play in the league, converting 23.3 percent of all man-up opportunities for 17 goals. Penalty killing for Saginaw is 12th in the league, allowing 14 goals for an 80 percent success rate, going down a player just 70 times this season which also ranks fifth among all 20 clubs.

Overage forward Albert Michnac still leads all Spirit players offensively with 23 points, scoring eight goals and assisting on 15. At the time, the forward's league-leading 13 game points streak came to an end on October 28 in the 5-3 loss to the Sarnia Sting.

Second-year forward Nicholas Porco was the first player for Saginaw to reach double-digit goals after scoring Wednesday's opening goal with 5:25 into the first period. Porco is third in points at 18 behind Michnac and veteran right-winger Cole Coskey.

Coskey, who celebrated his 50th career goal on November 10 in the 5-3 win over Sault Ste. Marie, has nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points this season. Giroux's +7 is the highest plus-minus rating for the Spirit.

On special teams, Windsor is the league's second-best club on the penalty kill with 10 goals allowed for an 87.2 percent success rate. The Spitfires are 13th in power play goals with 13.

Vancouver Canucks prospect Michael DiPietro has an OHL best goals-against average of 2.31 (GAA) and fourth-best .922 save percentage (SAV%). With an all-time record of 13-3-0-1 against the Spirit, DiPietro also has two shutouts in those 17 games.

Former 2016 OHL Priority selection forward Tyler Angle is first in points with 14 for Windsor on six goals and eight assists. 2018 Dallas Stars fourth-round draft choice Curtis Douglas yields a team-high nine goals.

There will be a combined nine players on the ice Saturday with their rights owned by NHL teams. For the Spitfires, it'll be defenseman Connor Corcoran (Vegas), DiPietro (Vancouver) and Douglas (Dallas). Forward Brady Gilmour (Detroit), defenseman Reilly Webb (Detroit), Wilde (NY Islanders), Jenkins (NY Islanders), Giroux (Minnesota) and Prosvetov (Arizona) will represent the Spirit.

Saginaw will not play at home again until Thursday, November 29, as they get set for three more consecutive games on the road, beginning with the North Bay Battalion this Thursday, November 22, on Thanksgiving Day. Game time is at 7:00 p.m.

The Spirit will later play guest to the Sudbury Wolves on Friday, November 23, and wrapping up with the Owen Sound Attack on Sunday, November 25. Joey Battaino and Dennis Desrosiers will have the call on FM Talk and Sports 100.5 and fmtalk1005.com for all three games.

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.

For tickets and more information:

Reserve your seat at The Dow Event Center by calling (989) 497-7747 or visit www.saginawspirit.com for more information. YOUR Region. YOUR team. YOU'RE invited.

Saturday, November 17, 2018

TV: WNEM TV5+ (12/1 8:00 p.m.), Your TV Windsor (LIVE), OHL Action Pak (LIVE)

Radio: 100.5 FM WSGW

Web: OHLlive.com, fmtalk1005.com, iHeartRadio

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from November 17, 2018


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