GAME PREVIEW: Spirit at Brantford Bulldogs – 2/7/25
Brantford, Ont. - The Saginaw Spirit (26-20-1-1) visit the Brantford Bulldogs (29-16-4-0) on Friday, February 7th at the Brantford Civic Centre.
Tonight’s Game:
Puck drop is at 7:00 PM.
Broadcast:
Radio: 100.5 WSGW, WSGW.com
TV: OHL Live, CHL App, OHL Action Pak Ch. 467 / RogersTV, YouTube, X, Facebook
Last Game:
Saginaw last played on Wednesday, February 5th where they defeated the Windsor Spitfires 6-3. Igor Chernyshov had two goals and an assist while Michael Misa scored two goals and picked up two assists.
Brantford last played on Wednesday, February 5th where they defeated the Sudbury Wolves 2-1. Nick Lardis scored his OHL-leading 49th goal, while Ryerson Leenders stopped 36 of 37 shots he faced.
Last Season:
Saginaw and Brantford faced off twice last season with the Spirit winning both games in overtime. The first matchup ended with a 5-4 Saginaw win in OT with Zayne Parekh scoring the game winner. Despite the Bulldogs loss, Marek Vanacker had three goals and an assist. The team met again a week later, this time the Spirit won 4-3 in OT once again. Zayne Parekh scored twice including the game winner while also getting an assist.
Players to Watch:
Igor Chernyshov continues to make an impact since his debut. In three games, the Sharks draft pick has five goals and two assists. Zayne Parekh has been leading the charge for the Saginaw offense as of late with 12 goals and 13 assists in his last ten games. With a four-point night on Wednesday vs. Windsor, Michael Misa extended his point streak to 14 games. Misa now has totaled 42 goals and 50 assists which gives him an OHL leading 92 points in just 45 games this season. He sits five goals away from tying the team’s single-season record of 47, set by Josh Shalla in 2010-11.
Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis is leading the CHL in goals with 49 and has the OHL’s longest goal streak. His still-active 11-game streak has seen 17 goals, dating back to January 8th. 2025 draft eligible Jake O’Brien is riding a seven-game point streak going into this one. During that span, O’Brien has totaled four goals and ten assists. Patrick Thomas is second on the Bulldogs in points with 73. Thomas’s team leading 51 assists have helped him be a prime producer in Brantford’s offense this season.
Saginaw’s NHL Drafted Players:
Zayne Parekh (CGY)
Igor Chernyshov (SJ)
Brantford’s NHL Drafted Players:
Nick Lardis (CHI)
Marek Vanacker (CHI)
Cole Brown (NJ)
Patrick Thomas (WSH)
Adam Jiricek (STL)
Tomáš Hamara (OTT)
Owen Protz (MTL)
Ryerson Leenders (BUF)
