The Saginaw Spirit returned to the ice for the week of Dec. 25 – Dec. 31 after a 12-day break for three games without two of their key players, Rodwin Dionicio (Switzerland) and Matyas Sapovaliv (Czechia), who are in Sweden helping lead their teams in the World Junior Championship (WJC).
The Spirit won two of their three games for the week while being led by Michael Misa up front and picking up the slack.
Game Results
- Dec. 28 vs Sault Ste. Marie: 5-2 Loss (20-10-1)
- Dec. 30 vs Windsor: 5-4 Win (21-10-1)
- Dec. 31 @ Sault Ste. Marie: 4-3 Win (22-10-1)
Misa Picks Up the Slack
As mentioned before, with Sapovaliv and Dionicio away from the team for the WJC, the Spirit had a big hole in their offense that needed to be filled. Misa has had some lofty expectations bestowed upon him due to being granted exceptional status by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) before last season.
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In the three games that the Spirit played in, Misa stuck out as one of, if not the best offensive player for the team. In the team’s lone loss against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Dec. 28, he found himself with two points (one goal and one assist). While the team ended up losing, he looked very solid all-around and could have easily had more than what he did statistically.
In the Spirit’s revenge game against the Greyhounds on Dec. 31, Misa made his presence felt in the offensive zone with strong playmaking and was rewarded himself with two goals that helped push the team to their 4-3 victory. He also won 50 percent of his faceoffs in the game.
On the season, Misa sits with 17 goals, 22 assists, and 39 points. He’s been turning his offensive game up as of late and did so over the last three games to importantly help out the Spirit offense.
Bounce Back for Oke
Andrew Oke has been rock solid for most of the season for the Spirit, especially after returning from injury. But his showing against the Greyhounds on Dec. 28 was shaky. However, he was able to turn things around in the second meeting on Dec. 31.
In the first matchup against the Greyhounds, the Spirit goaltender looked shaky while allowing three goals on only 12 shots in just over a period of play. The straw that broke the camel’s back for head coach Chris Lazary seemed to be the last goal Oke allowed, which was a five-hole shot that he easily should have had. Oke got pulled in favor of backup and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Nolan Lalonde. Lalonde looked solid in relief for the Spirit and has looked good for the most part since being acquired earlier in the season.
In his second time out against the Greyhounds, Oke looked much better. He made several big saves throughout the game and looked more confident in net for the Spirit while helping preserve leads or keeping the game in deadlocks. With Oke bouncing back to normal form, the Spirit pulled out a 4-3 victory, with Oke stopping 23 of 26 shots faced.
Christopoulos Getting Back to Form
After seeing Alex Christopoulos score 49 goals last season for the Windsor Spitfires, Spirit fans hoped to see him play like that player after being acquired from the Spitfires. It has taken a little while for him to look like that, but as of late, he has gotten his offensive game back and going.
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Over the three games, the Spirit played over the week of Dec. 25 – Dec. 31, his offensive game stuck out alongside Misa’s. In total, Christopoulos tallied 12 shots on net, including six alone against his former team, the Spitfires. He also tallied two goals, including the game-winner against his former team. If he can resemble his 2022-23 self for the Spirit, he could very well become the team’s go-to goal scorer as the season progresses. His play in the last three games has also been welcomed with Sapovaliv, the Vegas Golden Knights prospect, being away from the team.
What’s Next for Spirit
The Spirit will hit the ice three times this upcoming week (Jan.1- Jan.7) when they travel to Kitchener to take on the Rangers on Jan. 4 before returning home for two games against the Peterborough Petes (Jan.6) and the Oshawa Generals (Jan. 7).
