Saginaw Scores Five Third Period Goals To Beat Sarnia 7-3
By Carl Chimenti
The Saginaw Spirit (31-21-1-1) scored five third period goals to break open a close game and went on to beat the Sarnia Sting (18-25-4-7) before a sold-out crowd of 4,435 on the annual Family Day game, at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena.
The loss ran Sarnia’s winless streak to seven games. The game entered the third period tied at 2-2, but Saginaw scored early and often.
Michael Misa led the way with two goals and was the first star. Igor Chernyshov (San Jose Sharks) had a goal and three assists and was selected as the second star. Kristian Epperson had a goal and two assists for third star honors.
Ruslan Karimov (11th), Daylen Moses (7th) and Beckham Edwards, with his team leading 19th goal scored for the Sting. Single assists went to Ryder Simpson, with his first career OHL point, Alessandro Di lorio, Nathan Omeri, Jack O’Brien, Easton Wainwright and Lukas Fischer (St. Louis Blues). In net Evan Maillet was left out to dry in the final period as he turned away 31 of 38 shots. Saginaw out-shot Sarnia 38-18.
The Spirit went one for two on the power-play while the Sting did not have any man-advantage time. Sarnia got off to a good start scoring the first goal at 10:55. Karimov’s own rebound went off his chest and into the back of the net. There was a quick review but the goal was allowed with Simpson and Di lorio assisting.
Saginaw came back scoring two goals in 36 seconds. Chernyshov continued his torrid scoring at 16:18 to tie the game from Epperson and Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames). Sebastien Gervais put the Spirit in front for the first time at 16:54 with assist going to both Dimian Zhilkin and Nic Sima. It was a closely played, penalty free, first twenty minutes as Saginaw out-shot Sarnia 7-6. Sarnia tied the game in the second period with the only goal coming early at 2:04. The play started with Omeri sending a shot from inside his blue-line and the puck hit Moses in the back of his shoulder and into the net for the equalizer. Omeri and O’Brien drew the assists.
For the second straight period the Spirit were better on the shot clock 15-7. Only one minor penalty was called but the Spirit failed to convert on the man-advantage.
