After not making the playoffs last year, the Saginaw Spirit (No. 8 seed in the western conference) are back and will kick off the 2018 Ontario Hockey League post-season on the road against the Soo Greyhounds (No. 1 seed in the western conference) at 7:07 pm at the Essar Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, ON tomorrow night.
The Spirit have 1-win, 6-losses, and 1-overtime loss in its eight meetings this year with the Soo, who are the No. 1 ranked team in the 60-team Canadian Hockey League.
In 16-years as an OHL franchise in Saginaw (2002-2018) the Spirit have qualified for the OHL playoffs 12 of those 16 seasons, failing to make the playoffs in the first three seasons, along with last season.
Last year, the Spirit had missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2005 post-season, before a run of 11-straight playoff appearances, starting with the 2006 OHL post-season, where the Spirit were knocked out in the first round of the western conference playoffs (4-games to zero) by the Guelph Storm who were led by L.A. Kings defenseman Drew Doughty.
Saginaw's first post-season meeting with the Soo came in the 2007 western conference playoffs where the Greyhounds managed to knock the Spirit out (4-games to 2-games) following a 4-3 OT decision in game six.
The Soo then swept the Spirit (4-games to zero) the following year, knocking Saginaw out in the first round of the 2008 western conference playoffs.
Saginaw managed to win its first playoff series after sweeping the Guelph Storm (4-games to zero) in the first round of the 2009 western conference playoffs, before bowing out (4-games to zero) to the London Knights, who were led by John Tavares (N.Y. Islanders) in the 09 western conference semi-finals.
After winning its first ever division title (2010-11 West Division Champs) the Spirit then captured its second ever playoff series, knocking the Storm out (4-games to 2-games) in the first round of the 2011 western conference playoffs, before falling (4-games to 2-games) in the second round to the Windsor Spitfires, who were led by Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis.
The following season, the Spirit won its third ever playoff series, knocking the Sarnia Sting out (4-games to 2-games) in the first round of the 2012 western conference playoffs, before being eliminated (4-games to 2-games) in the second round by the London Knights, who were led by Detroit Red Wings speedster Andreas Athanasiou.
Since the 2012 OHL playoffs, the Spirit have won just one playoff game, after being knocked out (4-games to 1-game) in the first round of the 2014 western conference playoffs by the Erie Otters, who were led by (Edmonton Oilers) Connor McDavid.
The last time the Spirit met the Soo in the playoffs, the Greyhounds, led by Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, swept Saginaw (4-games to zero) in the first round of the 2015 western conference playoffs.
Saginaw has a post-season record of 2-wins and 12-losses to the Soo in 14-playoff games, meeting the Greyhounds (16-games) three different times in the OHL post-season.
The Spirit will open the 2018 playoffs with game-1 Friday night at 7:07 pm and game-2 Sunday afternoon at 3 pm at the Essar Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, ON, before returning home for game-3 Monday March 26, and game-4 Wednesday March 28, at 7:05 pm at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, MI.
2018 OHL playoffs western conference first round Saginaw vs Soo:
Game-1 Fri March 23, at Soo 7:07 pm
Game-2 Sun March 25, at Soo 3 pm
Game-3 Mon March 26, at Saginaw 7:05 pm
Game-4 Wed March 28, at Saginaw 7:05 pm
Game-5 Fri March 30, at Soo 7:07 pm *(if necessary)
Game-6 Sat March 31, at Saginaw 7:07 pm *(if necessary)
Game-7 Mon April 2, at Soo 7:07 pm *(if necessary)
Ticket Purchase Information:
Round-1 Executive Lower Upper
Adult $19.00 $17.00 $15.00
Student/Senior (+62) $19.00 $15.00 $13.00
Children (3-12) $19.00 $14.00 $12.00
Phone: (989) 497-7747
In Person:
Dow Event Center Box Office Saginaw Spirit Store
(Directions)303 Johnson St. 5789 State St. Ste. 2
Saginaw, MI 48607 Saginaw, MI 48603
Group Tickets (10 or more)
Phone: Thomas Grantham (989) 497-6507
email: tgrantham@saginawspirit.com
info@review-mag.com
989-780-4162
Mar 22, 2018
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