Harper continues scoring streak in Sunday night loss to Brantford

Harper Continues Scoring Streak in Sunday Night Loss to Brantford

The Saginaw Spirit suffered a 6-2 defeat to the Brantford Bulldogs at the Dow Event Center on Sunday night. Despite the loss, Nikita Klepov continued his productive weekend, scoring a goal and adding an assist — reaching six points across three games. Egor Barabanov collected two assists, marking his seventh multi-point performance of the season.

For Brantford, Jake O’Brien extended his point streak to ten games, contributing four assists in the victory. Goaltender Ryerson Leenders made 27 saves on 29 shots, anchoring the Bulldogs’ defense.

Game Summary

The Bulldogs took an early lead when Layne Gallacher converted Zack Sandhu’s rebound past Saginaw goalie Stepan Shurygin. Ben Danford assisted on the play. Brantford doubled their advantage shortly after when Adam Benak scored on the power play from the blue line, assisted by Jake O’Brien and Adam Jiricek.

After the first period: Saginaw 0 - 2 Brantford (Shots: 7 - 10)

In the second frame, Nikita Klepov answered for Saginaw with a backhand goal from the slot, assisted by Egor Barabanov and Graydon Jones, narrowing the deficit to one. However, Brantford’s strong power play struck again when Caleb Malhotra’s pass deflected in off a Saginaw defender, restoring their two-goal cushion.

Notable Performances

Nikita Klepov: 1 goal, 1 assist, 6 points over the weekend
Egor Barabanov: 2 assists, seventh multi-point game of the season
Jake O’Brien: 4 assists, 10-game point streak
Ryerson Leenders: 27 saves on 29 shots

Author’s Summary

In a tough 6-2 loss, Saginaw’s stars kept producing while Brantford’s balanced offense and sharp goaltending secured another dominant win.

WNEM — 2025-11-04