Windsor Spitfires Defeat Saginaw Spirit to Wrap up the Regular Season

Aaron Luchuk scored two goals as the Windsor Spitfires defeated the Saginaw Spirit 4-3 at the Dow Event Center Saturday night.

Cristiano DiGiacinto and Jeremy Bracco scored the other goals for the Spitfires (41-19-5-3) while starting netminder Michael DiPietro made 21 saves before leaving the game midway through the second period. Mario Culina was steady if not spectacular in making 25 saves in a relief effort.

DiGiacinto’s goal was his first in two games since returning to the Windsor lineup after serving a 10-game suspension.

Markus Niemelainen lead the Spirit (27-32-7-2) offensively with two goals while C.J. Garcia added a single marker. The two-goal outburst actually tripled the season goal total for Niemelainen , a towering (6’5”, 220-lbs) Edmonton Oilers blueline prospect.

Evan Cormier made 22 saves while taking the loss in net for Saginaw.

The game concluded the 2016-2017 Ontario Hockey League regular season for the Spitfires, who finished in fifth place in the league’s Western Conference. They will not find out, however, whether they will be starting the first round of the play-offs on the road against either the London Knights or the Owen Sound Attack late next week until the OHL regular season concludes Sunday night.