Spirit build 4 game lead in I-75 Divide Cup Series with 3-0 shutout victory over Flint Firebirds

 

The Saginaw Spirit (17-11-3-0) have now built to a 4-games-to-none lead, earning at least a tie in this year's I-75 Divide Cup Series, following a 3-0 shutout victory over the Flint Firebirds (9-20-3-0) at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint, MI tonight. 

 

The Spirit scored once in each period (with 2-goals from two different rookies and 1-goal from a second year forward) behind another great performance from goal tender Evan Cormier, who went to work, stopping all 39 shots he would face between the pipes for the Spirit for his second shutout of the season (eighth of his career) in his third straight game with 34 or more saves. 

 

Saginaw's No. 1 pick in the 2017 Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft, Nicholas Porco (2) lit the lamp for an early lead, scoring his second goal of the season from Max Grondin to give the Spirit a 1-0 lead at 7:37 of the first period. 

 

Following a 2-minute tripping penalty to Flint defenseman Fedor Gordeev (a fifth round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2017 NHL draft) the Spirit finally broke out of an 0-for-21 power play drought when rookie defenseman Duncan Penman (4) converted on the power play for his fourth goal of the season with assists from Marcus Crawford and Brady Gilmour to extend the Spirit lead to 2-0 at 18:13 of the second period. 

 

Second year Spirit forward Damien Giroux (12) added an empty netter for his twelfth goal of the season with assists from Caleb Everett and Mason Kohn to make it a 3-0 game at 18:10 of the third period. 

 

Saginaw finished 1 for 4 on the power play, while killing all five of the Firebirds' power play chances to go one-hundred percent on the penalty kill tonight.

 

The Spirit (37-points) who are currently tied with the Windsor Spitfires (37-points) for fourth place in the OHL's western conference standings, and trail third place Sarnia (50-points) by 13-points, will have a chance to take sole possession of fourth place when the Spitfires (17-11-2-1) come to Saginaw for a 7:05 pm face off at the Dow Event Center tomorrow evening.