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The Erie Otters denied the Saginaw Spirit a three-game comeback to win the teams' Ontario Hockey League playoff series.
They did so with another kind of rally during Saturday's fifth game at Michigan's Dow Event Center.
Erie, after its worst 20-minute performance of the series, trailed 2-0 at the first intermission. The Otters were whistled for eight penalties that included Malcolm Spence's 10-minute game misconduct.
What words, terse or otherwise, coach Kris Mallette said to the players during that break apparently worked.
The Otters, highlighted by Martin Misiak's hat trick, outscored the Spirit 6-1 over the last 40 minutes. Their 6-3 win also clinched the franchise's first playoff series victory since its Robertson Cup championship season of 2016-17.
Erie next faces the London Knights, the OHL's reigning champions, in the Western Conference semifinals. The league should release that series schedule early next week.
Saginaw didn't begin Saturday's game like it missed Michael Misa. The forward, whose 134 points were the most of any Canadian Hockey League player over the regular season, was scratched from the hosts' lineup for an undisclosed reason.
The Spirit, though, took advantage of Erie's undisciplined play for its first two-goal advantage of the series. Igor Chernyshov and Carson Harmer scored in a 65-second span at the expense of Erie goaltender Noah Erliden.
However, the Otters regained a kind of scoring touch that saw them total 17 goals over their game one and two victories at Dow. They pulled within 3-2 at the second intermission, and then outscored the hosts 4-0 over the rest of regulation.
Misiak, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, completed his hat trick with his sixth and seventh goals of the series against Spirit goalie Kaleb Papineau. Alex Messier and Sam Alfano added insurance offense that extended Erie's season at least two more weeks.
More: Erie Otters take 3-1 lead over Saginaw with first home win in teams' OHL playoff series
The conference semifinals were officially determined with Saturday's result. The fifth-seeded Otters joined No. 1 London, No. 2 Windsor and No. 3 Kitchener in that round.
Erie was the only one of those four which advanced minus home-ice advantage for the first round.
Like London against Erie, Windsor has dibs for home-ice vs. Kitchener.
Kingston, going into Saturday, was the league's lone Eastern Conference franchise which advanced on thatside of the league's playoff bracket.
Former Otter Dylan Strome could be a footnote if significant NHL history is made Sunday.
Strome, a member of Erie's 2016-17 Robertson Cup title team, is a nine-year league veteran and a third-year center for the Washington Capitals. One of his frequent linemates with them has been Alex Ovechkin.
The same Alex Ovechkin who could become the league's all-time goal scorer this afternoon at Elmont, New York. It's there the Russian could score his 895th goal when the Caps take on the host New York Islanders.
Doing so means Ovechkin would break his current tie with hockey icon Wayne Gretzky, who recorded the last of his 894 goals in 1999.
Sunday's 12:30 p.m. game will be broadcast live on TNT.
It's possible Strome could be on UBS Arena's rink if Ovechkin records his record-breaking goal Sunday. He assisted on Ovechkin's 893rd goal, the first of two the latter scored when Washington won 5-3 against Chicago on Friday.
Taylor Raddysh is another former Otter listed on Washington's roster. The reserve left winger suited up for Erie from 2014-18.
March 27: Erie 8, Saginaw 5
March 29: Erie 9, Saginaw 5
Tuesday: Saginaw 3, Erie 2 OT
Thursday: Erie 7, Saginaw 3
Saturday: Erie 6, Saginaw 3 (Erie wins 4-1)
Contact Mike Copper at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Otters advance in OHL playoffs with series victory vs. Saginaw
Continue reading...
They did so with another kind of rally during Saturday's fifth game at Michigan's Dow Event Center.
Erie, after its worst 20-minute performance of the series, trailed 2-0 at the first intermission. The Otters were whistled for eight penalties that included Malcolm Spence's 10-minute game misconduct.
What words, terse or otherwise, coach Kris Mallette said to the players during that break apparently worked.
The Otters, highlighted by Martin Misiak's hat trick, outscored the Spirit 6-1 over the last 40 minutes. Their 6-3 win also clinched the franchise's first playoff series victory since its Robertson Cup championship season of 2016-17.
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Erie next faces the London Knights, the OHL's reigning champions, in the Western Conference semifinals. The league should release that series schedule early next week.
Fantastic finish after slow start
Saginaw didn't begin Saturday's game like it missed Michael Misa. The forward, whose 134 points were the most of any Canadian Hockey League player over the regular season, was scratched from the hosts' lineup for an undisclosed reason.
The Spirit, though, took advantage of Erie's undisciplined play for its first two-goal advantage of the series. Igor Chernyshov and Carson Harmer scored in a 65-second span at the expense of Erie goaltender Noah Erliden.
However, the Otters regained a kind of scoring touch that saw them total 17 goals over their game one and two victories at Dow. They pulled within 3-2 at the second intermission, and then outscored the hosts 4-0 over the rest of regulation.
You must be registered for see images attach
Misiak, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, completed his hat trick with his sixth and seventh goals of the series against Spirit goalie Kaleb Papineau. Alex Messier and Sam Alfano added insurance offense that extended Erie's season at least two more weeks.
More: Erie Otters take 3-1 lead over Saginaw with first home win in teams' OHL playoff series
Conference semifinals set
The conference semifinals were officially determined with Saturday's result. The fifth-seeded Otters joined No. 1 London, No. 2 Windsor and No. 3 Kitchener in that round.
Erie was the only one of those four which advanced minus home-ice advantage for the first round.
Like London against Erie, Windsor has dibs for home-ice vs. Kitchener.
Kingston, going into Saturday, was the league's lone Eastern Conference franchise which advanced on thatside of the league's playoff bracket.
You must be registered for see images attach
Otters' Ovechkin connections
Former Otter Dylan Strome could be a footnote if significant NHL history is made Sunday.
Strome, a member of Erie's 2016-17 Robertson Cup title team, is a nine-year league veteran and a third-year center for the Washington Capitals. One of his frequent linemates with them has been Alex Ovechkin.
The same Alex Ovechkin who could become the league's all-time goal scorer this afternoon at Elmont, New York. It's there the Russian could score his 895th goal when the Caps take on the host New York Islanders.
Doing so means Ovechkin would break his current tie with hockey icon Wayne Gretzky, who recorded the last of his 894 goals in 1999.
Sunday's 12:30 p.m. game will be broadcast live on TNT.
You must be registered for see images attach
It's possible Strome could be on UBS Arena's rink if Ovechkin records his record-breaking goal Sunday. He assisted on Ovechkin's 893rd goal, the first of two the latter scored when Washington won 5-3 against Chicago on Friday.
Taylor Raddysh is another former Otter listed on Washington's roster. The reserve left winger suited up for Erie from 2014-18.
Series results
March 27: Erie 8, Saginaw 5
March 29: Erie 9, Saginaw 5
Tuesday: Saginaw 3, Erie 2 OT
Thursday: Erie 7, Saginaw 3
Saturday: Erie 6, Saginaw 3 (Erie wins 4-1)
Contact Mike Copper at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Otters advance in OHL playoffs with series victory vs. Saginaw
Continue reading...
