Birds Top Spitfires, 7-4, in Front of Standing Room Only Crowd
Published on March 16, 2024 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
FLINT, Mich. - Jimmy Lombardi recorded his first career three-point game, seven Firebirds logged multi-point games and Flint downed the visiting Windsor Spitfires, 7-4, in front of a standing room only crowd on Saturday night at the Dort Financial Center.
The Birds started fast as Lombardi struck just over two minutes into the opening period. Gavin Ewles hit Lombardi as he cut through the neutral zone and sped in on net. He took a wrist shot that was blocked and popped into the air. As Max Donoso reached for it with his glove, Lombardi reached out and batted the puck out of midair and into the net to give Flint a 1-0 lead.
Flint struck again just 27 seconds later when Matthew Wang fed Lombardi in the left-wing corner. He shook off a defender and sent a no-look backhanded pass to the cutting Alex Kostov in the slot. Kostov one-timed the pass top-shelf, far corner and pushed Flint's advantage to 2-0.
The Spits battled back and found their way onto the scoreboard nearly nine minutes later. Valentin Zhugin passed from the bottom of the left-wing circle across the slot to Noah Morneau at the bottom of the right circle. Mourneau slung a shot through Jacob Brown on the short side to cut the lead to one.
Windsor tied things up with six minutes to go in the first period while on a power play. Carson Woodall passed from above the left faceoff dot to Ryan Abraham at the right circle. Abraham settled the puck and wristed it over Brown's left shoulder to tie things at two.
Nolan Dann would then light the lamp to give Flint the lead back with just over four minutes to go in the high-scoring opening frame. Lombardi made a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone that sent Dann flying up the left-wing wall. He shook off a check from a defender in the corner and continued his path behind the Spitfires net and out into the right circle. From there he spun and lifted a quick snapper over Donoso's left shoulder to regain the lead, 3-2.
The Firebirds potted another nearly eight minutes into the middle frame. Simon Slavicek unleashed a howitzer from the right point that Aspinall was able to deflect down through the five-hole, putting Flint on top 4-2.
Inside the final two minutes of the second period, Dann fed Slavicek who was crashing the net on the back side. Slavicek waited out Donoso, who slid out of his crease, dragged the puck around the goaltender and tucked it inside the left post, pushing the lead to three.
The Spits cut into the deficit early in the third period while on a power play. Just as a 5-on-3 opportunity expired and the fourth skater stepped onto the ice, Colton Smith set up Josef Eichler above the left circle. Eichler stepped into a one-timer that sailed through traffic and beat Brown low past his blocker, cutting Flint's lead to 5-3.
A little over three minutes later, Flint turned the puck over deep in the defensive zone and Zhugin grabbed the puck at the top of the crease. He put a move on and slid the puck under Brown's left pad to cut the Flint lead to one.
Flint then got some breathing room as Daks Klinkhammer intercepted a pass in the defensive end and sent it ahead to spring Oliver Peer up the left-wing side. Peer turned on the jets and sped in on net. He moved the puck to his backhand and slid it between Donoso's legs as a trailing Spitfire knocked him down, extending the lead back to two at 6-4.
Still down a pair with under two minutes to go, the Spitfires pulled Donoso and generated several shots on Brown, but to no avail. Aspinall set up a final empty-net goal with a crafty pass to Peer at the offensive blue line with no defender between him and the empty cage. Peer slammed the puck into the waiting net and pushed the score to its 7-4 final.
Brown finished with 24 saves on 28 shots, Lombardi had a goal and two assists and Peer registered his fifth two-goal game as a Firebird. The Firebirds improved to 30-30-4-1 with the victory while the Spitfires dropped to 18-38-5-3.
The Birds are back on home ice on Wednesday night against the Erie Otters. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center.
Story: Brandon Mills // flintfirebirds.com
Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 16, 2024
- Birds Top Spitfires, 7-4, in Front of Standing Room Only Crowd - Flint Firebirds
- Spirit Fall Despite Late Push in Erie - Saginaw Spirit
- Sherk Honoured For 250 Games; Posts 3 Assists In 5-2 Win - Brantford Bulldogs
- In Stan Butler's 800th CHL Victory, Otters Upset #2 Spirit 5-4 - Erie Otters
- Purdeller Scores Two, Adds Assist as Petes Fall to Battalion at Home - Peterborough Petes
- Spitfires Fall in Flint 7-4 - Windsor Spitfires
- Firebirds Tangle with Spitfires on Saturday - Flint Firebirds
- Spirit Close Season Series in Erie Saturday Night - Saginaw Spirit
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