GAME PREVIEW: Spirit at Windsor Spitfires – 2/5/25

Windsor, Ont. -​​ The Saginaw Spirit (25-20-1-1) visit the Windsor Spitfires (33-11-2-1) on Wednesday, February 5th at the WFCU Centre.

 

Tonight’s Game:

Puck drop is at 7:05 PM.

Broadcast:

Radio: 100.5 WSGW, WSGW.com

TV: OHL Live, CHL App, OHL Action Pak

Last Game:

Saginaw last played on Sunday, February 2nd where they defeated the Soo Greyhounds 5-2. Jacob Cloutier scored two goals, and Zayne Parekh added a goal and an assist as the Spirit rattled off five unanswered goals in the third period.

Windsor last played on Sunday, February 2nd where they defeated the London Knights 4-3. Ilya Protas had two goals, and AJ Spellacy scored the game-winner while shorthanded.

This Season:

Saginaw and Windsor have faced off four times this season with the Spitfires winning three out of the four games. The first matchup came on opening night with the Spitfires winning in an overtime thriller 5-4. Jack Nesbitt scored the game winner 59 seconds into OT despite Michael Misa’s two goal effort for Saginaw. The teams met again on November 9th where the Spirit came out on top 5-1. Michael Misa contributed four points in the win, tallying a hat-trick and grabbing an assist. November 27th was the next matchup for these teams where the Spitfires controlled the whole game in a 7-2 victory. Their last meeting came on December 8th where Windsor got their third victory over the Spirit this season with a 7-4 win. Zayne Parekh’s two goal performance wasn’t enough with Jack Nesbitt and Liam Greentree both recording a goal and two assists.

Players to Watch:

Michael Misa sits atop the OHL leaderboard in points with 88, courtesy of his current 13-game point streak. In 44 games this season, Misa has 40 goals and 48 assists. Jacob Cloutier has been on fire as of late and now leads all OHL rookies in points and goals. Cloutier has tallied 38 points (18G-20A) in 47 games this season and was named the league’s rookie of the week for his three-goal weekend. In his last nine games, Zayne Parekh has been on a streak which has brought him to being the top scorer among OHL defenseman (24G-43A—67P). In his last nine games, Parekh has totaled 12 goals and 12 assists.

Capitals prospect Ilya Protas has been leading the charge for Windsor with a point in his last seven games. The third overall pick in the import draft has 77 points (34G-43A) in 43 games this season. Liam Greentree is third in the OHL in points with 80. In two games against Saginaw this season, Greentree has two goals and four assists. Joey Costanzo has been great in net for the Spitfires this season. Costanzo currently holds a 26-8-1-1 record with a 2.81 goals against average and a .901 save percentage.

 

Saginaw’s NHL Drafted Players:

Zayne Parekh (CGY)

Igor Chernyshov (SJ)

Windsor’s NHL Drafted Players:

Liam Greentree (LA)

Ilya Protas (WSH)

AJ Spellacy (CHI)

Tnias Mathurin (DET)