The Saginaw Spirit won game seven by a score of 3-1 against the Soo Greyhounds and will take on the London Knights in the Western Conference Championship Series
Everyone's favourite, game seven. The Soo Greyhounds won game six 5-0 and forced a winner-take-all final game against the Saginaw Spirit. Win; you take on the London Knights in the Western Conference Final. Lose; your season is over, and it's time to start planning out the golf trips.
The Saginaw Spirit were without a couple of defensemen. James Guo received an indefinite suspension by the OHL following his slash to the head of Greyhounds forward Travis Hayes. But the bigger hole was the absence of their elite offensive blueliner, Zayne Parekh.
Parekh was helped off the ice in the second period of game six after he was involved in a puck battle with Greyhounds right winger Marco Mignosa. As the camera starts to pan away with the puck heading up ice for Saginaw, it appears Mignosa grapples Parekh to the ice with his bodyweight falling on top of him.
Now the Spirit did get some reinforcements with the return of their captain Braden Haché after serving his two-game suspension. Left Winger Aidan Castle also slotted back into the lineup, making his first appearance since game one.
For the Greyhounds, they were without one of their most tenacious forecheckers, and a key centerman for them, Owen Allard. He missed the game due to an injury, so head coach John Dean moved Jordan D'Intino to center and slotted him between Jack Beck and Marco Mignosa. Julian Fantino drew back into the lineup on the fourth line.
Nashville Predators prospect Joey Willis had a glorious opportunity with a fairly wide-open net, but put the puck back into Greyhounds netminder Charlie Schenkel. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice later in the first, redirecting home a pass from Will Bishop to open the scoring.
Joey Willis was all over the puck in the opening frame and could've had a hat trick if he buried his grade-A scoring chances. The home team Saginaw controlled play, outshooting the Greyhounds 10-4, heading into the second period with momentum.
Nolan Lalonde denied Marco Mignosa on a breakaway in the middle frame. But on the ensuing faceoff, Arttu Karki muffs his one-timer, and the puck takes a fortuitous bounce to Gavin Hayes who bats the puck past Lalonde to tie the game up at one apiece.
The third period kicked off with the Greyhounds sitting back on their heels and absorbing a flurry of chances by Saginaw. With the Spirit clearly outplaying the Soo at this point of the game, frustration had to have started seeping in for the home team.
However, a strong forecheck and an Auston Matthews-like stick lift steal by Michael Misa behind the Greyhounds net to recoup the puck and set up Calem Mangone gave the Spirit a 2-1 lead on their 32nd shot of the game.
The Sault Ste. Marie native Mangone has been the definition of clutch in this series. After only recording two assists in Saginaw's round one sweep against Owen Sound. Mangone exploded for five goals and seven points in this series, including three game-winning goals.
With the Greyhounds season on the line late in the third, it was Saginaw's defense that stepped up and nullified their attack, limiting them to just two shots after Mangone's goal. Matyas Sapovaliv added an empty netter, sealing the 3-1 victory, and launching over 5,000 fans out of their seats at the Dow Event Center.
The Saginaw Spirit reach the Western Conference Finals for just the second time in their franchise's history. Their previous appearance came in 2018-19 where they lost in seven against the Guelph Storm.
London and Saginaw finished first and second in the OHL and begin their series on Friday at Budweiser Gardens.