Saginaw visits London for season series finale
By Matthew Wesolowski
London, Ont. – The Saginaw Spirit (25-18-2-0) head on the road to take on the London Knights (30-13-1-0) Friday, February 3, at the Budweiser Gardens in the last of a four-game season series.
Tonight’s Game:
Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.
Broadcast:
Television: CHL TV, CHL App, Rogers TV, OHL Action Pak Ch. 462
Radio: 100.5 FM WSGW, WSGW.com
Last Time:
The Spirit snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory over the Flint Firebirds Wednesday, February 1, at the Dow Event Center. Saginaw’s Zayne Parekh scored two goals 19 seconds apart to help take the lead in the second period. Roberto Mancini and Michael Misa both scored one goal and two assists in the win.
The Knights won 3-2 in a shootout against the Kingston Frontenacs Saturday, January 28, at Leon’s Centre in Kingston, Ontario. George Diaco scored the only goal in the shootout and Brett Brochu made 28 saves on 30 shots for London.
This Season:
This is the fourth and final matchup between Saginaw and London this season, with London winning the first three games. The most recent meeting, which was on January 7, resulted in a 3-0 shutout for the Knights In Saginaw. London’s Ryan Winterton scored a goal and an assist. Zach Bowen secured a shutout after stopping all 26 shots he faced. Tristan Lennox made 26 saves on 27 shots for the Spirit.
Players to Watch:
Recently, Saginaw’s Joey Willis was honored for his off-ice performance by being named the West Division’s Academic Player of the Month in January. He has nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 45 games this season.
Spirit winger Dean Loukus has been a magnet for assists as of late, recording seven assists in his last seven games. He is second in assists (28) and fourth in goals (15) for Saginaw as well. 2022 OHL first overall draft pick Michael Misa leads all OHL rookies and his team in scoring (21G, 29A, 50P). Tristan Lennox’s 3.28 goals against average (GAA) and 18 wins are the most for the Spirit. Andrew Oke has the best save percentage, posting an .884 SV% through 13 games.
George Diaco leads the Knights in goals (20) and points (53). Sean McGurn’s 34 assists are the most for any London skater. Brett Brochu’s 2.63 GAA and Zach Bowen’s .909 SV% stand as London’s top goaltending marks.
Saginaw has three (3) players drafted into the National Hockey League (NHL), including Matyas Sapovaliv (Vegas), Tristan Lennox (New York Islanders), and Hunter Haight (Minnesota).
London has six (6) players drafted into the NHL, including Ryan Winterton (Seattle), Max McCue (San Jose), Landon Sim (St. Louis), Isaiah George (New York Islanders), and Jackson Edward (Boston).
