The Saginaw Spirit played three games on the road over the last week of play (Jan. 20 – Jan. 26), taking three of six possible points, but easily could have won all three games. The Spirit’s offense was on full display, while the backend of the ice, including defensive play and netminding, stumbled quite a bit.
Game Results
Jan. 23 @ Peterborough Petes: 8-6 loss
Jan. 24 @ Kingston Frontenacs: 7-6 shootout loss
Jan. 25 @ Ottawa 67s: 7-2 win
Offense On Full Display
Over the three games, the Spirit scored 22 goals. The team displayed no shortage of offense, with 14 players recording at least a point and 13 of those players recording multiple points.
The offense was led by the duo of Zayne Parekh and 2025 NHL Draft prospect Michael Misa. Parekh recorded his second hat trick against the 67’s and tallied eight points (five goals, three assists) on the three-game road trip. The 2024 first-round pick of the Calgary Flames has seemingly taken his game to another level and continues to look like he did when he won the Canadian Hockey League’s (CHL) Top Defenseman Award last season. Misa continued his superb draft-year season, putting up eight points (two goals, six assists). But it was not just the two stars of the Spirit chipping in offensively.
Related: 2025 NHL Draft: Baracchini’s Top 64 January Rankings
The chemistry built between Misa and Kristian Epperson, who made his way to Saginaw after playing last season with the United States National Team Development Program, continued to shine through. Both Misa and Epperson fed off each other and looked great once again. On the road trip, Epperson totaled three points in the two games he played in (he did not play against the 67’s on Jan. 25). Other players who stood out offensively for the Spirit were Carson Harmer, Liam Storch, and Dimian Zhilkin.
Defense and Goaltending Can’t Hold Up
In each of the three games played, the Spirit jumped out to multi-goal leads by the end of the first period of play. However, team defense and goaltending throughout the season seem to be a downfall for the Spirit, and it continued that way this last week. Andrew Oke started in two of the Spirit’s games, losing against Kingston and then bouncing back against Ottawa with a 25-save win. Kaleb Papineau started against the Petes but found himself being pulled in favor of Oke after allowing his fourth goal of the game.
Oke has been the workhorse for the Spirit this season, playing in 37 games, the third most in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). There have been times when his game has gotten away from him, and there have been goals that he would certainly like to have back, which continued a few times throughout the week.
While looking at the stat sheets and seeing how many goals given up by the Spirit can be traced back to the goaltending, in the same breath, the team defense also factored into the equation. On numerous occasions, the defense in front of Oke and Papineau left them in a bad spot, whether on odd-man rushes or being out of position defensively. As much as the offense has been at the top of its game, scoring the third most goals in the OHL (198), they have struggled defensively, giving up the eighth-most goals (169). Righting the ship as the team looks to get themselves into a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference for home-ice advantage in the playoffs will be imperative.
Rookies Continue to Step Up
After losing players like Matyas Sapovaliv, Owen Beck, and Braden Hache, among others, from their 2024 Memorial Cup-winning team, the Spirit has seen an influx of rookies inserted into the lineup this season. As the season has progressed, a handful of these rookies have taken on big roles in the lineup. This group is led by Jacob Cloutier, who has earned his way into top-six forward minutes and power play time. Cloutier currently leads all OHL rookies in points with 35. He has brought an edge to the lineup while showing off a strong all-around game. Not far behind him in rookie points is Carson Harmer, who sits second in the league among rookies with 33 points. Like Cloutier, Harmer has earned plenty of power play time and has been strong for the Spirit. Over the three games played this last week, Cloutier tallied five points (three goals, two assists), and Harmer had three assists.
Tagging along with Cloutier and Harmer is the Spirit’s 2024 OHL Priority Selection first-round pick, Dimian Zhilkin. He missed the start of the season due to an injury but has been a staple in the lineup since his return. In 30 games, he has tallied 23 points and plays a game like Cloutier’s: offensively skilled with a bit of an edge. That play continues to shine through and helped him tally six points (one goal, five assists) in three contests this last week.
Other Notes
- Misa has extended his point streak to 10 games, with 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists). He has also recorded multiple points in nine games during the streak.
- Cloutier (10 points), Harmer (six points), Parekh (16 points), and Zhilkin (nine points) are all currently on six-game point streaks.
- Recently acquired Ethan Weir is on a three-game point streak, tallying three assists in that time.
What’s On Tap for the Spirit
The Spirit return home for three games this week (Jan. 27 – Feb. 2), welcoming in former Spirit players Joey Willis, Ethan Hay, and Will Bishop for the first time since being traded to the Kingston Frontenacs. The two teams will face off on Jan. 30. The Spirit then take on the Kitchener Rangers on Feb. 1 before finishing off the week with a matchup against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Feb. 2. The three games pose a strong chance for the Spirit to further establish themselves in that fourth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
