Spirit Erase Four-Goal Deficit in Shootout Win over IceDogs Thursday Night
OHL Saginaw Spirit

Spirit Erase Four-Goal Deficit in Shootout Win over IceDogs Thursday Night

Published on March 5, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw Spirit left wing Dimian Zhilkin scores the winner in the shootout
Saginaw Spirit left wing Dimian Zhilkin scores the winner in the shootout
(Saginaw Spirit, Credit: Vivid Eye Photography)

St. Catherines, Ont. - The Saginaw Spirit visited the Niagara IceDogs at the Meridian Centre for their second and final meeting of the season on Thursday. Niagara would score four straight goals against the Spirit. The Spirit would ride goals from Ryan Hanrahan, Nikita Klepov, Jacob Cloutier and Carson Harmer into a 5-4 shootout win, with Dima Zhilkin scoring the game-winner.

Despite a couple of decent chances on both sides of the ice in the first, the teams would remain tied at zero headed into the second. IceDogs goaltender Charlie Robertson stopped seven shots, and the Spirit's goaltender Stepan Shurygin stopped four to keep it scoreless.

After 1: SAG 0 - 0 NIAG (Total Shots: 7 - 4)

Noah Read opened the scoring in the second after a deep shot from Sean Doherty bounced off him and in for the IceDogs. Blake Barnes picked up the secondary assist as the IceDogs led 1-0 at 3:50.

Ryerson Edgar scored his 21st goal of the season after he picked off a pass and sent a backhand in on the breakaway. Edgar scored unassisted to make it 2-0 for the IceDogs at 7:06.

Niagara scored their third unanswered goal short-handed after Haoxi Wang drove down the sideboards for his fourth of the season. Wang scored unassisted on the play, making it 3-0 at 17:57.

After 2: SAG 0 - 3 NIAG (2nd period shots: 4 - 9 Total shots: 11 - 13)

Riley Patterson extended the lead for the IceDogs after he fired in a rocket from the slot for his 36th goal of the season. Ethan Czata found him open for the primary assist, as the IceDogs took a commanding 4-0 lead to open the third period at 3:32.

Ryan Hanrahan responded for Saginaw after he fired one high on Charlie Robertson for his second career OHL goal. James Guo set up the play with a backhand pass for the assist, as the Spirit trailed 4-1 at 8:40.

Nikita Klepov cut the lead to two after he scored on a breakaway short-handed, benefiting from a bad bounce for his 35th of the season. Klepov scored unassisted to make it 4-2 in favor of the IceDogs at 12:06.

Jacob Cloutier scored with the net empty after he batted in a puck for the Spirit's third straight goal. Carson Harmer and Nikita Klepov picked up the assists as the Spirit trailed 4-3 at 18:07.

Forty-eight seconds later, the Saginaw Spirit would tie it, erasing the four-goal deficit after Carson Harmer tipped it in with the goaltender pulled for his second point of the game. Dima Zhilkin and Egor Barabanov picked up the assists as the Spirit and IceDogs stood tied at four at 18:55.

After 3: SAG 4 - 4 NIAG (3rd period shots 13 - 9, Total shots 24 - 22)

After a scoreless overtime period, Spirit Captain Dima Zhilkin would be the shootout winner for Saginaw after he scored the only goal.

Final: SAG 5 - 4 NIAG (OT period shots 1 - 2, Total shots 25 - 24)

Powerplays: SAG 0/4 NIAG 1/5

Goaltenders: SAG: Stepan Shurygin (20 saves, 24 shots) NIAG: Charlie Robertson (21 saves, 25 shots)

The Spirit are in Brantford on Friday, March 6th to play the Bulldogs at the TD Civic Centre. Puck drop is at 7:00pm.

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

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Images from this story

Saginaw Spirit left wing Dimian Zhilkin scores the winner in the shootout
Saginaw Spirit left wing Dimian Zhilkin scores the winner in the shootout
(Vivid Eye Photography)		   



Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 5, 2026


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