Game Preview: Saginaw Spirit (4) vs Erie Otters (5) Game 5

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OHL Saginaw Spirit

Game Preview: Saginaw Spirit (4) vs Erie Otters (5) Game 5

April 5, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw, Mich. - The Spirit (1-3) host the Otters (3-1) at the Dow Event Center for Game 5 of their first-round OHL Playoff series on Saturday night.

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

Series so Far:

The Otters hold the 3-1 series lead and have an opportunity to advance to the second round for the first time since 2017. The two teams combined for 27 goals in the first two games of this opening round series, with the Otters claiming both contests at the Dow Event Center.

Sam Alfano opened the scoring in Game 3 to give the Otters a 1-0 lead going into the second. The Spirit had an answer in the second as Calem Mangone and Zayne Parekh both found the back of the net to give Saginaw a 2-1 heading into the third period. With 13 seconds left in the third and an extra attacker on, Erie tied the game with a goal from Malcolm Spence to send Game 3 into overtime. 14:07 into overtime, Zayne Parekh buried his second goal of the night to give the Spirit their first win of the series with a final score of 3-2.

Game 4 started off with a Spirit goal off the stick of Kristian Epperson. Erie responded later in the period to make it a 1-1 game going into the second period. 27 seconds into the second period the Otters took a 2-1 lead with a goal off the stick of Alexis Daviault. Epperson scored his second of the game to tie things back up at 2-2. Both teams found the back of the net once more in the period sending the game into the third period tied 3-3. Erie scored four unanswered in the third period, including two from Pano Fimis, to secure a 7-3 win.

Players to Watch:

Kristian Epperson had two goals in the game on Thursday. Epperson has three goals and one assist in the series. Zayne Parekh is leading the team in points this postseason. Parekh has two goals and two goals and five assists. Calem Mangone had a three-point night (1G-2A) in the win in Game 3 and added another assist in Game 4.

Pano Fimis leads the Otters in points and goals in the playoffs. In four games Fimis has seven goals and five assists. Gabriel Frasca had a two-goal night in Game 4 after a quiet start to the series and now has four points (2G-2A). Martin Misiak, Sam Alfano, and Dylan Edwards each have four goals in this first-round series to follow Fimis' team lead. Alfano has a goal in every game so far, and each player has recorded at least a point in every game.

Saginaw's NHL Drafted Players:

Zayne Parekh (CGY)

Igor Chernyshov (SJ)

Erie's NHL Drafted Players:

Carey Terrance (ANA)

Martin Misiak (CHI)

Ty Henry (CHI)

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 5, 2025


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