Spirit prove first win was 'no fluke' after another 1 goal victory 2-1 over the Sarnia Sting

After erasing a 6-goal deficit in an unprecedented come-from-behind 7-6 OT victory over Sarnia just eleven days ago, the Saginaw Spirit (16-11-3-0) braved a bus ride (in a blizzard) over the Blue Water Bridge, proving to the hockey world that the first win was not a fluke with another 1-goal decision over the Canadian Hockey League's No. 3 ranked team, while skating to a 2-1 victory over the Sarnia Sting (24-7-2-0) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, ON tonight.

 

Just 3-days after a 33-save performance in a 3-1 road victory over the Oshawa Generals on Sunday afternoon, Spirit net-minder Evan Cormier (a fourth round pick of the New Jersey Devils in the 2016 NHL draft) was the difference once again with 38-saves tonight, especially in the third period where he turned away 16 Sarnia shots. 

 

The Spirit had jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the game when defenseman Hayden Davis (4) scored his fourth goal of the season with assists coming from Cole Coskey and D.J. Busdeker at 5:02 of the first period.

 

In the final seconds of the opening period, Spirit defenseman Marcus Crawford was whistled for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, creating an opportunity for Sarnia RW Sean Josling (11) who beat Cormier with a power play goal (his eleventh goal of the season) to tie the game at 1-goal apiece at 1:08 of the second period.

 

Spirit forward Brady Gilmour (a seventh round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2017 NHL draft) scored the eventual game-winner, his seventh goal of the season with an assist from Mason Kohn just 1:09 into the third period, giving the Spirit a 2-1 lead it would not relinquish. 

 

The Spirit (who have won the first 3 matchups against Flint this year) will look to build a 4-game lead in the I-75 Divide Cup Series with a road game against the Flint Firebirds in a 7 pm face off Friday at the Dort Federal Event Center.