Speers Nets Assist as Soo Takes Series Lead over Flint

Blake Speers had an assist on the game winning goal in game four as the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds took a three games to one series lead over the Flint Firebirds. The Greyhounds won 5-2 at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint.

Speers had the primary assist on Boris Katchouk’s goal just 17 seconds into the second period to make it 3-0 at the time. Bobby MacIntyre had the secondary assist on the goal. Morgan Frost, Otto Makinen, David Miller and MacIntyre also scored for Sault Ste. Marie to give the Greyhounds a commanding lead in their best-of-seven series.

Everett Clark and Kole Sherwood had the goals for the Firebirds. Hayden Verbeek – nephew of Devils alumni Pat Verbeek – assisted on Miller’s goal at 2:35 along with Jack Kopacka to give the Greyhounds a 4-0 lead at the time.

Game five of this opening round OHL playoff series takes place on March 31 from the Essar Centre in Sault Ste. Marie.

Another Devils prospect is also having some playoff success on another continent. Yegor Rykov, currently playing for SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League has advanced to the Gagarin Cup Finals and will play for the top trophy in Russian hockey.

SKA completed a sweep of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in their best-of-seven Western Conference Final earlier today at Arena 2000 in Yaroslavl.

Former Devil Ilya Kovalchuk also, of course, plays for SKA St. Petersburg while another former Devil, Andrei Loktionov is a member of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. SKA will meet the winners of the Eastern Conference Final, currently ongoing between Ak Bars Kazan and Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

The KHL’s Gagarin Cup Finals begin early next month.

Greyhounds Take Two Games to One Lead over Flint

Blake Speers and Colton White’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds took a two games to one lead in their best-of-seven series against the Flint Firebirds today with a 3-1 win tonight. The game was played at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint, Michigan.

The Firebirds actually took the early lead when Kole Sherwood scored at 8:12 of the first period. The turnaround came 42 seconds into the second when White took a roughing penalty to put Flint on the power play.

However, Tim Gettinger scored a shorthanded goal (with an assist to Hayden Verbeek) to tie the game up at one at 2:17. And that was the way it would remain until Zachary Senyshyn scored the game winner with a little under seven minutes left in the third period. That goal came on the power play and was assisted by Conor Timmins and Morgan Frost.

Boris Katchouck scored an empty netter to put the game out of reach at 19:12 of the third unassisted.

It was after that goal that everything broke loose. As Bobby McIntyre of the Greyhounds and Nicholas Caamano of the Firebirds each got ten minute misconduct penalties while the Firebirds’ Alex Peters also got a roughing minor. All of those penalties came at 19:58.

Game four takes place in Flint on Wednesday, March 29.