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OHL Saginaw Spirit

Spirit Look to Hook the Trout on 'Hockey Fights Cancer Night' Presented by Covenant HealthCare

November 9, 2018 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw, Michigan - The Spirit return to Saginaw for the third of four consecutive home games Friday when they welcome the Mississauga Steelheads for the first time this season. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. (ET) at The Dow Event Center for Hockey Fights Cancer Night presented by Covenant HealthCare.

Friday will be one-of-two regular season meetings between the two clubs as the Spirit will head to Mississauga on Sunday, December 9, for what will be the final of a two-game road trip. Last year, Saginaw split the series, 1-1, coming away with a 4-3 win at home in mid-October.

Through 17 games this season, the Steelheads are tied with the Niagara IceDogs at 22 points for first and second place in the OHL Central Division. With 10 wins, five losses and two losses in overtime, the Steelheads also sit 11 points behind Western Conference leader Ottawa 67's for second place.

After falling by two goals on the road to Niagara last Thursday, Mississauga earned back-to-back weekend home wins from the Paramount Fine Foods Centre on Friday and Sunday, scoring a combined nine goals against the IceDogs and Kingston Frontenacs.

The 5-2 win over Kingston and four unanswered goals scored on Niagara vaulted the Steelheads back to the top of the Central Division, finishing the previous 10 games with a record of 5-4-1.

Despite allowing six goals in the first period at home Sunday in the 8-2 defeat to Ottawa, the Spirit remain in second place in the West Division standings, 10 points behind leader Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

In what was their second game decided by a shootout in a seven-day span, Saginaw won the season series against the Guelph Storm in a 5-4 home win Friday for 18 points and its fifth win at home this season. The Spirit are right in the middle at pack of the Western Conference standing for fifth place, four points behind second place London Knights.

17-year-old defenseman Mason Millman would notch the game-winning goal over Guelph in the shootout after six scoreless rounds. Saginaw trailed, 4-3, in the remaining five minutes of the third period before overage defenseman Reagan O'Grady forced overtime at 16:21 for his first goal of the season.

The Spirit won the face-off battle, 41-25, and had 37 shots on goal but couldn't get the better of the 67's, who as the youngest club in the league with just one overager, have secured at one point in their last 14 games. 2018 New York Islanders fifth-round pick Blade Jenkins broke Ottawa's 6-0 run in the second period and veteran defenseman Hayden Davis grabbed his first goal of the season on a shorthanded play.

2018 OHL Priority Selection rookies Cole Perfetti and Tristan Lennox, head coach Troy Smith and assistant coach Ryan Kuwabara continue their absence from the team for the remainder of this weekend as the qualifying round of the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge finished up on Thursday.

Both the semifinal and placement games will commence Friday from the Harbour Station in Saint John, New Brunswick, before the bronze and gold medal finale taking place on Saturday. All three Canadian teams (White, Red, Black) have combined for just two losses in the four days of preliminary games.

Perfetti ranks first among all players in assists with six and second behind fellow Team Canada White representative Connor McClennon with seven goals. On day 2, Perfetti's four-point effort helped Team Canada White secure a 5-4 overtime win over Team Canada Black.

Lennox has played in two games for Team Canada White, making 58 saves in 123 minutes for a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.93 and a .906 save percentage (SAV%). Kuwabara is Team Canada White's video coordinator while Smith is serving as an assistant coach for Team Canada Black.

After Spirit general manager Dave Drinkill made the announcement last week that first-year goaltender Ivan Prosvetov was given the proper paperwork to play in Canada, the Arizona Coyotes prospect recorded the shutout effort in the shootout win last Saturday.

With 202 total saves and six wins through 11 games, Prosvetov's second loss of the season came against Ottawa to have his goals-against average (GAA) and save percentage (SAV%) currently stand at 3.55 and .860, respectively.

Prosvetov also will represent Team Russia in Game-3 of the 2018 CHL CIBC Canada/Russia Series on Thursday, Nov. 8, in Sarnia, along with Hayden Davis representing Team OHL. The tournament pits a team selected by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation playing two games each against teams from all three umbrella leagues of the CHL.

On special teams, Saginaw has the ninth best power play, converting 19 percent of all man-up opportunities for 11 goals. Penalty killing for the Spirit is seventh in the league, allowing just nine goals for an 83 percent success rate. Mississauga is third when on the power play with a 32.4 percent success rate and 15th on man-down situations.

Overage forward Albert Michnac leads all Saginaw players offensively with eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points. The former Steelhead's league-leading 13 game points streak came to an end on October 28 in the 5-3 loss to the Sarnia Sting.

Goaltender Cameron Lamour, who made his second relief appearance in eight days last Sunday, made 21 saves in over 50 minutes in net. Veteran right-winger Cole Coskey has recorded one point in five of the last seven games, scoring against both Sarnia and Guelph for seven total goals and 18 points overall.

Perfetti and second-year forward Nicholas Porco are tied with Michnac in goals while team captain and Minnesota Wild prospect Damien Giroux's +9 is the highest plus-minus rating for the Spirit.

After opening the season with three goals and 13 points in 10 games, 2018 New York Islanders second-round selection Bode Wilde is projected to make his return for Friday's game. The Plymouth, Michigan, native has been out of action since October 19 with an upper body injury but returned to practice Tuesday.

Eight players for Mississauga have surpassed the double-digit mark in points, led by fourth-year right-winger Carter Cole with 16 goals and 23 points. Florida Panthers prospect Owen Tippett has 10 goals through 11 games with a team-high plus-minus of +9.

Mississauga's assist leader belongs to Edmonton Oilers prospect Ryan McLeod with 15 while forward Keean Washkurak (12) and fourth-year forward Alan Lyszczarczyk (10) are second and third, respectively.

With a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.87 and .907 save percentage (SAV%), Los Angeles Kings goaltending prospect Ingham has compiled a 9-5-1 record and 417 saves in 900 minutes played.

There will be a combined nine players on the ice Friday with their rights owned by NHL teams. For the Steelheads, it'll be McLeod (Edmonton), Tippett (Florida) and Jacob Ingham (Los Angeles). Forward Brady Gilmour and defenseman Reilly Webb (Detroit), Wilde (NY Islanders), Jenkins (NY Islanders), Giroux (Minnesota) and Prosvetov (Arizona) will represent the Spirit.

Saginaw will conclude its four-game home stand on Saturday, November 10, hosting the Soo Greyhounds for Military Appreciation Night at The Dow Event Center. Presented by Bay City Elks Lodge 88, The Spirit will hold a jersey auction during postgame.

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.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from November 9, 2018


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