Recap: Wilde, Giroux lead Spirit to 5-2 home decision over Frontenacs
Saginaw, MI. – The Saginaw Spirit earned their 37th win of the season and 20th on home ice with a 5-2 victory over the Kingston Frontenacs Friday evening in front of 4,326 fans on Teacher Appreciation Night at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan. With 79 points on the year, Saginaw is just one-point back of the archrival Flint Firebirds for the West Division lead with a game-in-hand.
Saginaw Spirit captain Damien Giroux notched his team-leading 40th and 41st goals of the season in the victory.
New York Islanders signee Bode Wilde turned in a three-point night with a goal and two assists for the Spirit.
Just 37 seconds into play, Saginaw Spirit leading scorer Cole Perfetti was called for a tripping penalty to give Kingston their first man-power advantage of the game. After almost two minutes of strong penalty killing by Saginaw, the Spirit netminder Tristan Lennox was forced to make a point-blank save. 2020 NHL Draft prospect Jake Murray entered the Saginaw zone with speed down the right wing and cut back at the Spirit right face-off circle to center a pass to the center-point. Left-winger Dustin Hutton received the pass and fired a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that was snagged by a quick glove save by Lennox to keep the game scoreless early.
Grand Blanc, Michigan native Dalton Duhart gave the Spirit the lead 8:47 into the first period with his 13th goal of the season. New York Islanders second-round pick Bode Wilde controlled the puck in the neutral zone and chipped the puck down into the Kingston left corner. The Plymouth, Michigan native Wilde hustled down to collect the puck himself and chipped a pass over Kingston goaltender Christian Propp into the Frontenacs’ slot. Duhart, who crashed to the front of the net, one-timed the puck out of mid-air into the open right-side of the net before Propp could slide across to make the save.
With just over one-minute left in the first period, Kingston rookie Vitali Pinchuk tipped the puck off a Saginaw stick and flew into the Spirit zone on a two-on-one rush. Wilde, who was the only defender back, broke up the odd man rush with a poke check to take the puck away from the 2020 NHL Draft prospect Pinchuk’s stick.
The Spirit defenseman Wilde fired a stretch pass up to 2019 Saginaw Spirit second round pick Josh Bloom at the Kingston blueline for a three-on-one rush. The rookie Bloom patiently allowed the play to develop, before the right-winger slid a pass over to Wilde, who had crashed the net. Before Wilde was able to redirect the pass towards the goal, the Frontenacs goalie Propp poked the puck away from danger to keep it a one-goal game.
After 20 minutes of play the Spirit led 1-0 despite a 7-5 shots-on-goal advantage for the Frontenacs.
Just over a minute into the second frame, Cole Perfetti nearly gave the Spirit a two-goal lead. New York Islanders prospect Cole Coskey won the puck battle in the corner and centered a pass to Carolina Hurricanes first round pick Ryan Suzuki in the slot. With a defender bearing down on him, Suzuki chipped a pass to the right face-off dot, where Perfetti fired a one-timer that clanked off the post. The rebound came back to Perfetti and the Saginaw forward backhanded a shot that squeaked through the crease wide of the Kingston net.
After Perfetti rang another shot off the post earlier in a shift, the Spirit grabbed a 2-0 lead 5:08 into the second period on defenseman Bode Wilde’s second of the season. Saginaw, Michigan native Mitchell Smith collected the puck in the neutral zone and chipped a saucer pass over to Wilde, who streaked through the neutral zone and dangled around a Frontenacs defender as he entered the Kingston zone. Wilde protected the puck from another defender with his inside skate and let loose a backhander from the left circle that deflected off the Kingston defender’s stick and bounced over Propp’s left-shoulder for the two-goal Spirit advantage. With the secondary assist on Wilde’s goal, Bloom extended his point streak to five games.
After a cross-checking penalty to Saginaw forward Danny Katic and a roughing minor to Kingston’s Jordan Frasca were assessed, the teams skated four-on-four and the Spirit notched their third goal of the game 14:42 in the second period on Saginaw captain Damien Giroux’s team-leading 40th goal of the season. Upon entry into the Kingston zone, Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Mason Millman fired a cross-ice pass to the trailer Wilde at the left point. Wilde slid a pass to Suzuki, who streaked through the center of the zone with a lot of room in the slot. Suzuki pulled the Frontenacs goaltender Propp’s attention and fired a pass through the top of the crease for an easy backdoor tap-in for the Minnesota Wild prospect Giroux.
The Frontenacs answered just 54 seconds later, on Jordan Frasca’s 15th goal of the season. Forward Pinchuk centered a pass to Frasca at the right face-off dot, where Cole Coskey lined the centerman up for a check. The former Windsor Spitfires draft pick Frasca sniped a wrist shot short side past Lennox just before the Caledon, Ontario native received a strong body check from the Saginaw Spirit all-time games leader make it a two-goal game once again.
Each team fired 15 shots-on-goal through two periods, but the Spirit went into the second intermission on top, 3-1.
The Spirit regained the three-goal advantage just 1:06 into the third period on Hanmer, Ontario native Giroux’s second goal of the game and 41st of the season. New York Islanders prospect Blade Jenkins flew into the Kingston zone on a three-on-two rush with line-mates Giroux and D.J. Busdeker. The Jackson, Michigan native Jenkins slide a pass to Giroux, who flew down the right-wing. The Saginaw captain took a wrist shot that deflected off a Frontenacs defenseman’s stick through Propp’s five-hole to make it 4-1 Spirit.
Saginaw carried play in through much of the third period, but Propp kept the Frontenacs within reach as the Spirit began to pull ahead of the shot battle.
After several close calls throughout the game, Whitby, Ontario native Cole Perfetti extended his point streak to eight games with his 36th goal of the season with 6:30 left in regulation. Cole Coskey controlled the play and skated behind the Frontenacs net, before he passed the puck off to Ryan Suzuki in the right corner of the Kingston zone. The London, Ontario native Suzuki found the Saginaw forward in the slot with a pass and Perfetti sniped a wrist shot over Propp’s left shoulder while he took a hit from the Kingston defender.
Just 40 seconds later, Kingston rookie Ethan Ritchie pulled the Frontenacs back to within three scores after a Saginaw turnover at the Kingston blueline. Jordan Frasca lifted a Spirit defenseman’s stick to take the puck away and flew down the ice on a two-on-one rush. Frasca slid a pass over to the left face-off circle, where Ritchie one-timed the puck past a sliding Lennox for his second goal of the season.
The Spirit held the Frontenacs to just 20 shots, which is the fewest amount for an opponent this season.
Applebee’s Three Stars of the Game:
- Bode Wilde (SAG) G, 2A
- Tristan Lennox (SAG) W, 18 SVS, A
- Damien Giroux (SAG) 2G
The Saginaw Spirit bring in the Hamilton Bulldogs to the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan on Saturday, February 29 for the first of two regular season meetings this season. Puck drop for one of just four remaining regular season home games this season begins at 7:05 p.m.
Fans can catch the action on the flagship WSGW Newsradio 100.5 FM and www.wsgw.com with Art Lewis and the voice of Saginaw Spirit hockey Joey Battaino on the call. “Countdown to Face-off” with host Charley Porter begins 15 minutes prior to puck drop.
To purchase tickets to any Saginaw Spirit home game call (989) 497-7747, visit www.saginawspirit.com, or visit the Saginaw Spirit Store at 5789 State Street, Saginaw MI.