The Kingston Frontenacs overcame the Saginaw Spirit last night in a 9-5 victory that featured a clash between Clagary’s 2024 first-round pick Zayne Parekh and second-round pick Jacob Battaglia.
Halfway through the first period, Saginaw held a 2-1 lead with goals by Igor Chernyshov and rookie forward Jacob Cloutier.
Down one, the Frontenacs stepped on the accelerator scoring six unanswered goals between the end of the first and middle of the second period.
Jacob Battaglia and Tuomas Uronen picked up a goal apiece while Tyler Hopkins, who is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, scored a hat trick. The sixth goal was scored by team captain Quinton Burns.
Although Saginaw pushed back in the second half outscoring Kingston 3-2, they could not overcome the five-goal lead.
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Bright Spots For Saginaw
While Saginaw lost the game there were several bright spots. Igor Chernyshov scored a pair of goals in his debut with the Spirit. The Russian forward looks like he will be a major boost for Saginaw to the end of the year due to his offensive instincts and blistering shot.
Additionally, rookie forwards Carson Harmer and Cloutier continued to show their skill and poise. The pair have risen to the occasion seeing increased minutes since the trade deadline.
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Cloutier picked up a goal to extend his point streak to seven games. During the streak, he has seven goals and four assists.
Harmer failed to register a point and as a result, his point streak came to an end after six games. He had a goal and six assists during the streak.
Cloutier currently leads all rookies in scoring with 36 points. Right behind him is Harmer with 34 points. Both are eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft and their play suggests they will be a big part of Saginaw’s offense this season and next.
Battle of the Flames’ Prospects
It was a good night for Flames prospects. Battaglia finished the night with two goals and three assists while Parekh scored a goal and added an assist.
The game gives Battaglia the edge over Parekh in the head-to-head clash between the two young stars. His eight points in two games trump the five points scored by Parekh in the same number of games.
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The pair will not play against one another again this season unless they meet in the Ross Robertson Cup Finals.
Both have excelled in their respective roles this season. Battaglia is ninth in overall scoring with 67 points this year while Parekh leads all OHL defenders with 61 points.
Whether their teams end up succeeding or not, it looks like Calgary has hit on both of these players who could be playing for the NHL club in the next few years.
