Birds Charge Back But Come Up Short Against Guelph, 6-4

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 Flint Firebirds

Birds Charge Back But Come Up Short Against Guelph, 6-4

January 10, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Flint Firebirds' Sam McCue
Flint Firebirds' Sam McCue
(Flint Firebirds, Credit: Todd Boone)

FLINT- Sam McCue had a goal and an assist in his Firebirds debut but Flint allowed a late go-ahead goal to the Guelph Storm and was beaten by Guelph, 6-4, on Friday night at the Dort Financial Center.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Birds kicked off the game with a goal from Jeremy Martin early in the first period. Karlis Flugins and Kaden Pitre volleyed the puck back and forth before Flugins gave the puck to Martin, which he then slid past the Storm's goalie Zachary Jovanovski's left skate and home in the net to make the score 1-0.

The game was delayed during the first period following an injury to Storm defenseman, Noah Jenken, who was taken off the ice on a stretcher. When the game resumed Max Namestnikov tied the score, 1-1 with a goal on a five-on-three power play.

Guelph's Carter Stevens kicked off the second period seven minutes in with a goal on a power play making the Storm take the lead 2-1. The Storm then got another off a won faceoff when Day made a great save on the initial chance from Parker Snelgrove. Snelgrove was not done though, he gathered the rebound and scored making the game 3-1. Ryan McGuire then got in on the action and added another just under a minute and a half later, making the score 4-1.

McCue then struck for his first goal as a Firebird. Pitre poked the puck forward to Evan Konyen, who left it for the trailing McCue. He snapped a wrister and sank the puck into the back of the net. Pitre then made the Storm sweat when he snagged a loose puck and banked it off Jovanovski's mask and in, making the score 4-3. Later, Konyen secured the pass from McCue and slapped it into the top corner of Jovanovski's goal with three minutes left in the period making it a tied game, 4-4.

The third period was a fight for the puck and both teams mounted chances but it was Guelph who eventually struck. McGuire scored the game winning goal with three minutes to go, making it 5-4. Quinn Beauchesne then buried an empty netter, pushing the score to the 6-4 final.

The Firebirds dropped down 17-20-2-1 in the loss and the Storm moved to 12-22-4-1.

POSTGAME NOTES:

Sam McCue had a goal and an assist in his Firebirds debut. He now leads the Firebirds with 19 goals on the season...Kaden Pitre was involved in every Birds goal, scoring one and assisting in the three others. His four points equaled the most by a Firebird in a single game this season.

UP NEXT:

The Firebirds will return home on Saturday night, to take on the Windsor Spitfires. There will be a UAW vs United Way game that will begin at 4:30 p.m. prior to the Firebirds game. Puck drop will be at 7 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center.





Images from this story

Flint Firebirds' Sam McCue
Flint Firebirds' Sam McCue

(Todd Boone)
  

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 10, 2025


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