Birds Thump Spitfires, 7-3
Published on March 1, 2024 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
FLINT, Mich. - Seven different players scored, Nolan Dann set a new career-high with four points and the Flint Firebirds hammered the Windsor Spitfires, 7-3, on Friday night at the Dort Financial Center. Flint beat Windsor for the second consecutive evening and won for the seventh time in its past ten games.
The Spitfires scored the game's first goal less than five minutes into the contest. Carson Woodall fired a shot from the point that sailed wide of the net. Noah Morneau grabbed the loose puck below the net and wrapped around the post, beating Nathan Day's outstretched pad, to put his team on top, 1-0.
Flint then tied it late in the opening period when Nathan Aspinall carried the puck across the blue line on the right-wing side and hit the brakes at the top of the circle. He fed the trailing Markas Samenas as he gained the zone. Samenas snapped the puck on net from above the right hash marks and beat Joey Costanzo low on the blocker side, tying the game at one.
The Firebirds took their first lead of the game just 29 seconds into the second period. Dann fired a shot that missed the net wide to Costanzo's right and ricocheted off a stanchion above the end boards. The puck popped out to Simon Slavicek who gathered and sent it toward the net. It deflected off a Spitfire and fluttered past Costanzo to make the score 2-1.
Less than four minutes later, former Spitfire Oliver Peer poked the puck loose at the blue line and emerged on a shorthanded breakaway. He carried the puck in and sniped a wrist shot below the blocker of Costanzo to put the Birds on top 3-1.
During 4-on-4 play in the seventh minute of the middle frame, Peer attempted a wraparound to Costanzo's left side. The puck went behind the goaltender but hit the post and remained in the blue paint. As a scrum ensued around the net, Tristan Bertucci reached from below the end line and knocked the loose puck under the sprawling netminder's glove and in to extend the lead to 4-1.
The Spitfires cut into their deficit with a pair of late tallies before the second intermission. First, Ryan Abraham charged to the net and flipped a backhander that was initially stopped but eventually rolled under Day, off his left pad and in. Then, inside the final minute of an already-wild middle frame, Alec Stewart sent a wrister toward the net from along the right-wing half-boards. Nathan Gaymes was positioned on the far side of the goal crease where he deflected the shot around Day's right skate for his first OHL goal in his first OHL game.
Flint quickly answered and struck with under 30 seconds to play in the second. Slavicek fed Dann sprinting through center with an edge on a pair of Spitfires. He carried the puck in, faked to his forehand, pulled the puck back to his backhand and tucked it inside the right post with 28.5 seconds showing on the clock to extend the Flint lead to 5-3.
The Birds came out flying in the third period and struck less than 30 seconds in. Slavicek took a stretch pass in the attacking zone and centered the puck for Coulson Pitre who sprinting up the center of the offensive zone. Pitre fired a wrist shot high past the glove of Max Donoso and pushed the score to 6-3.
Later, with the Birds on a power play, Connor Clattenburg grabbed the puck behind the Spits net and tucked a wraparound toward the far post. It bounced off a Windsor defender and into the net, giving Flint a 7-3 lead.
Slavicek and Peer recorded a goal and two assists each, Bertucci finished with a goal and an assist, and Day made 29 saves on 32 shots faced. The Firebirds matched their single-game high with seven goals and also equaled their most goals in a single period with four in the second.
Flint improved to 26-28-3-1 with its win while Windsor fell to 18-33-4-3. The Firebirds will conclude their weekend on Saturday night at home against the London Knights. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center.
Story: Brandon Mills // flintfirebirds.com
Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 1, 2024
- Carson Rehkopf Says Good Knight - Kitchener Rangers
- Flint Too Hot to Handle as Windsor Falls 7-3 - Windsor Spitfires
- Parekh Hits 30 in OT, Downs Brantford Again - Saginaw Spirit
- Birds Thump Spitfires, 7-3 - Flint Firebirds
- Erie Special Teams Perfect, Gibbons Wins Third-Straight Start in 5-3 Win at Kingston - Erie Otters
- OHL Announces Top Performers of the Month for February - OHL
- Firebirds Host Spitfires on Friday in Flint - Flint Firebirds
- Spitfires Celebrate J.R Grant. 1000 Games in the OHL - Windsor Spitfires
- Spirit Start Road Swing in Brantford Friday Night - Saginaw Spirit
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