Dmitri Savin turned a steal into his first OHL goal, part of a Saginaw Spirit attack that struck five times against the Niagara IceDogs. Saginaw stretched its advantage to 5-1 before Niagara answered twice, making the finish more competitive than the middle of the game. The Spirit held on for a 5-3 win.
How the Game Played Out
Saginaw opened the scoring on a loose puck in front. Brady Wozney was involved in the play, with the call describing a chance intended for Gilken that did not reach the net as planned before the puck came to Wozney in front. The Spirit made it 2-0 when Handrahan’s shot produced a rebound for Cloutier, who lifted it over Haffner. It was Cloutier’s first goal of the season.
Sawyer Smith finished a Saginaw rush for the third goal, with Papoidis credited in the call for dancing into the offensive zone to help create the chance. Savin then picked off the puck from Blake Munnings and scored on a direct move to the net. The broadcast marked it as Savin’s first OHL goal and Saginaw’s fourth. Those early scoring plays established the Spirit’s control, though the highlight call does not attach period labels to each of them.
Niagara broke through on the power play when Munnings put the puck in front and it went off Smith and past Nolang, cutting the margin to 4-1. Gilken restored the four-goal cushion with a steal and a backhand finish, making it 5-1. The next Niagara goal came with 18:24 remaining in the third: Callum Chornouski scored on a pass out of the corner, beating Brady Nolin to make it 5-2.
Nolin later had to move quickly across the crease after a strange bounce off the corner boards, making a right-pad save on Smith. Niagara continued to press and scored again on the power play, when Langdon spun a loose chance up and over Nolin. The late goal made it 5-3, but Saginaw’s five-goal total stood as the final. The call also noted that the game marked Nolin’s first in the OHL and Brandon Taylor’s first as Saginaw’s head coach.
What the Result Means
The 5-3 result gives Saginaw the win in this matchup, while Niagara’s two late goals showed the visitors kept pushing after falling behind by four. The highlight and match record do not provide standings or broader season results, so the significance beyond this game is limited to what happened on the ice: Saginaw built a substantial lead, faced a late response, and finished ahead.
For the Spirit, the scoring came from several moments of pressure, rebounds and opportunistic puck work, including Savin’s milestone first OHL goal. Niagara’s power-play goals and late attack offered a response, but did not erase the deficit. Their next outings will show how each team carries this performance forward.
Watch the Highlights
The OHL highlight reel features Saginaw’s five-goal run, Savin’s first OHL marker, Nolin’s cross-crease stop and Niagara’s late power-play push. Watch the video above for the scoring plays and key saves.
Final Score: Saginaw Spirit 5, Niagara IceDogs 3.
Final Score: Saginaw Spirit 5, Niagara IceDogs 3.
Source: OHL highlight transcript + Highlightly match API