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So much for home sweet home.
At least through three games of the Ontario Hockey League playoff between the Erie Otters and Saginaw Spirit.
The Otters sought a commanding 3-0 series advantage by the end of Tuesday's meeting at Erie Insurance Arena. They were in position to accomplish that with a 17-goal barrage over two road victories against their Michigan opponents.
Now, though, the series still awaits its initial win by a home team due to Zayne Parekh. The Spirit defenseman, with less than six minutes left in a 20-minute overtime period, flicked a shot from between the circles that eluded the glove of Erie goaltender Noah Erliden.
Saginaw's 3-2 victory cut the Otters' series lead to 2-1. It also negated Erie's dramatic goal that forced overtime.
Bonus hockey was needed after Malcolm Spence converted the rebound off a stop by Spirit goalie Kaleb Papineau with 13 seconds left in regulation.
However, Parekh's heroics at least assured Erie won't win the teams' Western Conference quarterfinal in a sweep.
"There's some guys who are really feeling it in (the locker room)," Otters coach Kris Mallette said. "This is the playoffs. This is not like a regular season game.
"We put ourselves in a situation where we forced overtime, and we had some good looks (on net) in overtime. But, that's the way it goes sometimes. We've got to learn from it and have a short memory."
The next chance for the series' initial home victor is Thursday back at EIA. Game four between the fifth-seeded Otters and the fourth-seeded Spirit starts at 7 p.m.
Mallette expected Saginaw to compete Tuesday like its season was on the line.
He was right.
Although the Spirit trailed 1-0 on a goal by Erie's Sam Alfano, they were sharper than their losses at Dow. They required no multi-goal comeback this time with help from Papineau, whose 39 saves included seven in overtime.
Saginaw also caught Erie with a 1-2 scoring punch during the second period. Parekh and Calem Mangone got pucks past Otters goalie Noah Erliden in a 2:06 span.
"I thought we sat back too much (in that period)," Mallette said. "The key is to take time and space away from, offensively, a really talented team.
"(The Spirit) defintely came out more determined and they were more physical in that period."
Saginaw maintained its 2-1 lead until Spence's goal in the waning seconds of regulation. It occurred seconds after Erie pulled Erliden a second time for an extra attacker.
The Otters had the chance to join the London Knights as a conference team with a 3-0 quarterfinal lead.
The top-seeded Knights achieved that series margin with Tuesday's 7-4 victory at the eighth-seeded Owen Sound Attack. Sam O'Reilly and Easton Cowan each scored shorthanded during their two-goal performances.
No. 3 Flint, the other Michigan team involved in this year's Robertson Cup tournament, also halved Kitchener's series lead Tuesday. Firebirds goalie Nathan Day denied each of the Rangers' 38 shots en route to a 2-0 shutout of the conference's third seeds.
No. 2 Windsor leads No. 7 Sault Ste. Marie 2-1 going into Wednesday's fourth game at the Greyhounds' GFL Memorial Gardens.
March 27: Erie 8, Saginaw 5
March 29: Erie 9, Saginaw 5
Tuesday: Saginaw 3, Erie 2 OT (Erie leads 2-1)
Thursday: Saginaw at Erie, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Erie at Saginaw, 7:05 p.m.
April 7: Saginaw at Erie, 7 p.m. (if necessary)
April 8: Erie at Saginaw, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Contact Mike Copper at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Overtime win has Saginaw within 2-1 of Erie in OHL playoff series
Continue reading...
At least through three games of the Ontario Hockey League playoff between the Erie Otters and Saginaw Spirit.
The Otters sought a commanding 3-0 series advantage by the end of Tuesday's meeting at Erie Insurance Arena. They were in position to accomplish that with a 17-goal barrage over two road victories against their Michigan opponents.
Now, though, the series still awaits its initial win by a home team due to Zayne Parekh. The Spirit defenseman, with less than six minutes left in a 20-minute overtime period, flicked a shot from between the circles that eluded the glove of Erie goaltender Noah Erliden.
Saginaw's 3-2 victory cut the Otters' series lead to 2-1. It also negated Erie's dramatic goal that forced overtime.
Bonus hockey was needed after Malcolm Spence converted the rebound off a stop by Spirit goalie Kaleb Papineau with 13 seconds left in regulation.
However, Parekh's heroics at least assured Erie won't win the teams' Western Conference quarterfinal in a sweep.
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"There's some guys who are really feeling it in (the locker room)," Otters coach Kris Mallette said. "This is the playoffs. This is not like a regular season game.
"We put ourselves in a situation where we forced overtime, and we had some good looks (on net) in overtime. But, that's the way it goes sometimes. We've got to learn from it and have a short memory."
The next chance for the series' initial home victor is Thursday back at EIA. Game four between the fifth-seeded Otters and the fourth-seeded Spirit starts at 7 p.m.
More spirit in Spirit
Mallette expected Saginaw to compete Tuesday like its season was on the line.
He was right.
Although the Spirit trailed 1-0 on a goal by Erie's Sam Alfano, they were sharper than their losses at Dow. They required no multi-goal comeback this time with help from Papineau, whose 39 saves included seven in overtime.
You must be registered for see images attach
Saginaw also caught Erie with a 1-2 scoring punch during the second period. Parekh and Calem Mangone got pucks past Otters goalie Noah Erliden in a 2:06 span.
"I thought we sat back too much (in that period)," Mallette said. "The key is to take time and space away from, offensively, a really talented team.
"(The Spirit) defintely came out more determined and they were more physical in that period."
Saginaw maintained its 2-1 lead until Spence's goal in the waning seconds of regulation. It occurred seconds after Erie pulled Erliden a second time for an extra attacker.
Other results
The Otters had the chance to join the London Knights as a conference team with a 3-0 quarterfinal lead.
The top-seeded Knights achieved that series margin with Tuesday's 7-4 victory at the eighth-seeded Owen Sound Attack. Sam O'Reilly and Easton Cowan each scored shorthanded during their two-goal performances.
No. 3 Flint, the other Michigan team involved in this year's Robertson Cup tournament, also halved Kitchener's series lead Tuesday. Firebirds goalie Nathan Day denied each of the Rangers' 38 shots en route to a 2-0 shutout of the conference's third seeds.
No. 2 Windsor leads No. 7 Sault Ste. Marie 2-1 going into Wednesday's fourth game at the Greyhounds' GFL Memorial Gardens.
Series schedule
March 27: Erie 8, Saginaw 5
March 29: Erie 9, Saginaw 5
Tuesday: Saginaw 3, Erie 2 OT (Erie leads 2-1)
Thursday: Saginaw at Erie, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Erie at Saginaw, 7:05 p.m.
April 7: Saginaw at Erie, 7 p.m. (if necessary)
April 8: Erie at Saginaw, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Contact Mike Copper at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Overtime win has Saginaw within 2-1 of Erie in OHL playoff series
Continue reading...
