Zack Kassian assisted on the game winning goal Saturday as Windsor moved one-step closer to advancing in the OHL playoffs with a 5-3 win over Saginaw. Kassian entered the Spirit zone with four minutes left on the clock, throwing the puck on net for Ryan Ellis to bang in the rebound and break the 3-3 tie. Kassian, who speaks about the play here in a post-game interview, now has 11 playoff points (2+9) heading into Sunday's game #6 in Windsor.
In other CHL playoff news, three Sabres prospects have received their marching orders for the week as OHL and WHL Eastern Conference Finals schedules have been set.
Steven Shipley and the Niagara IceDogs will open their OHL best-of-seven Tuesday at Mississauga. The 6'3 Shipley, who scored his first playoff goal and added two assists in the Dogs' Friday clincher, could be heating up at the right time as scoring depth will be needed to tackle the high-scoring Majors. Gregg Sutch has seen limited fourth-line minutes through the first two rounds for Mississauga, who will host this year's Memorial Cup once league titles are distributed.
In the WHL, Brayden McNabb and the Kootenay ICE will begin their series on the road Friday and Saturday with a set of games in Medicine Hat. McNabb currently leads all WHL defensemen with 15 points (3+12). Lewiston's Olivier Dame-Malka has netted 16 points (8+8) thus far in the QMJHL playoffs to lead the entire CHL.
