GAME PREVIEW: Spirit at Flint Firebirds – 3/5/25
Flint, Mich. - The Saginaw Spirit (34-23-2-1) visit the Flint Firebirds (27-27-2-3) on Wednesday, March 5th at the Dort Financial Center.
Today’s Game:
Wednesday marks the sixth game of the Coors Light I-75 Divide Cup series, with Saginaw leading the series at 3-2-0-0.
Puck drop is at 7:00 PM.
Broadcast:
Radio: 100.5 WSGW, WSGW.com
TV: OHL Live, CHL App, OHL Action Pak Ch.
Last Game:
Saginaw last played on Sunday, March 2nd where they defeated the North Bay Battalion 8-3. Calem Mangone had two goals and two assists while Zayne Parekh netted his 30th goal of the season along with three assists.
Flint last played on Saturday, March 1st where they defeated the Erie Otters 6-3. Jimmy Lombardi recorded two goals and an assist while Kaden Pitre notched two points (1G-1A). The Firebirds have matched their longest win streak of the season, securing five straight with the win against Erie.
This Season:
Saginaw and Flint have faced off five times this year, with the Spirit winning the first three matchups and Flint claiming the last two. Calem Mangone and Michael Misa have performed well against Flint this season. Mangone has four goals and an assist while Michael Misa tallied two goals and five assists. For Flint, Christopher Thibodeau and Connor Clattenburg have made an impact in the series. Clattenburg has scored four goals and picked up four assists and Thibodeau has four goals and two assists against Saginaw.
The Spirit and Firebirds last faced off on December 20th where Flint won 6-3 at the Dow Event Center. Flint carried a 2-1 lead into the second period after scoring two early goals. The Firebirds then opened the scoring in the second with Christopher Thibodeau’s first of the game, but Saginaw answered back 17 seconds later with a goal from James Guo. Flint scored twice more in the period including Thibodeau’s second of the night to take a 5-2 lead into the final period. Both teams found the back of the net early in the third, but that would be the end of the scoring as the Firebirds secured a 6-3 victory.
Players to Watch:
Zayne Parekh scored his 30th goal of the season against North Bay on Sunday. He is the first OHL defenseman with multiple 30-goal seasons since Bobby Orr (1965-66). Parekh also sits at 96 points, tied for his career high that was established last year enroute to a Max Kaminsky Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. His 145 career assists place him one shy of the team’s franchise record of 146, held by Vincent Trocheck. Michael Misa is leading the OHL in points with 120 (57G-63A) on the season. Misa is currently on a 26-game point streak and has tallied 27 goals and 32 assists in that span. He also sits in a race with Parekh for the franchise assists lead at 143. Spirit rookie Carson Harmer has seven points (3G-4A) in five points against the Firebirds this season. He notched a point in each of Saginaw’s last three games, including a pair of goals against Sudbury, and leads OHL rookies with 48 points.
Kaden Pitre is leading the Firebirds in points with 52 on the year. In 54 games Pitre has 22 goals and 32 assists. Goaltender Nathan Day has been great in net for Flint this season. In 52 games, Day has a 2.95 goals against average and a .895 save percentage. Flint captain Connor Clattenburg has played well against Saginaw this season. In five games versus the Spirit this season Clattenburg has four goals and four assists.
Saginaw’s NHL Drafted Players:
Zayne Parekh (CGY)
Igor Chernyshov (SJ)
Flint’s NHL Drafted Players:
Nathan Aspinall (NYR)
Kaden Pitre (TB)
Sam McCue (TOR)
Connor Clattenburg (EDM)
Matthew Mania (LA)
Nolan Collins (PIT)
Nathan Day (EDM)
