Firebirds Aim to Extend Win Streak to Five, Host Erie Tonight
March 8, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
Flint, Mich. - After sweeping the last two weekends and going 4-0-0-0 on home ice, the Firebirds are on the verge of clinching a playoff bid. Eight games remain in the regular season, and Flint sits within five points of three teams ranked ahead of them in the standings. Four of the final eight contests are scheduled on home ice. Puck drop versus the Erie Otters is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) at the Dort Financial Center tonight.
The game is another Buy One, Get One Free Ticket Wednesday. All fans can buy one ticket and get the second one of equal or lesser value for free. The BOGO promotion is available for purchase right now at Etix.com HERE or at the Dort Financial Center Box Office.
Wednesday's game marks the fifth and final game of a current five-game homestand. The Firebirds are currently 4-0 and are outscoring their opponents by a whopping 22-9 over the first four games. A win on Wednesday would put the Firebirds in the driver's seat to clinch a third-straight playoff berth, heading into this weekend's road trip, for the first time in franchise history.
The Firebirds enter tonight's tilt ranked seventh in the Western Conference standings, and have points in seven of their past eight tilts. They're tied in points with the Owen Sound Attack. The Guelph Storm are two points (one win) ahead in the standings, and the Saginaw Spirit are only five points ahead. With a record of 29-26-4-1, the Birds are fourth in the West Division and sit at 15-12-2-1 on home ice this season. The Otters come in fifth in the Midwest Division and tenth in the Western Conference with a 20-33-1-5 mark. They're 8-20-0-2 in away contests this season.
These clubs split a pair of home games earlier this season. Flint took the first victory at the Erie Insurance Arena by a lopsided 8-1 final before dropping a 5-2 decision at the Dort Financial Center on January 22. Since the club's inception in 2015, the Birds have gone 17-10-2-2 when facing the Otters, and sit at 8-6-2-0 when playing Erie on home ice. Tonight marks the third of four games between these teams and is the second of two scheduled in Flint. They'll meet for the final time in Erie this Saturday.
In their most recent game on Saturday, the Firebirds defeated the visiting Guelph Storm by a final score of 10-3, tying a franchise record for the most goals scored in a home game. Youngster Nathan Aspinall scored the first goal of his OHL career. Simon Slavicek scored twice and added an assist in his 100th OHL game. Zacharie Giroux reached 100 career points with a goal, and defender Dmitry Kuzmin reached 100 points and tied the record for the most assists (44) by a rearguard in a single season in franchise history. Gavin Hayes also extended the OHL's longest active points streak to 13 games (7 G, 13 A) and reached OHL career goal 50 with a three-point performance (2 G, 1 A). Nathan Day recorded his sixth consecutive victory between the pipes.
On special teams, the Firebirds have converted on 20.2% of their power-play chances this season. That ranks them 16th in the OHL. Erie sits in 18th position with an 18.1% success rate with the extra man. While shorthanded, the Birds are 14th-best with a 77.3% efficiency. The Otters are killing penalties 76.9% of the time, good for 15th.
Players to Watch
Flint Firebirds (29-26-4-1, 4th West Division):
Amadeus Lombardi has 41 goals and 45 assists for 86 total points. He's one of only three players on the roster who's played in all 60 games this season. He's logged 20 points (10 G, 10 A) in the last ten games, and he's recorded multiple points in 26 tilts in the campaign. He's tied for the fifth-most goals and has the third-most points in the OHL. Gavin Hayes rides the OHL's longest active point streak at 13 games, having picked up 21 points (7 G, 14 A) in that span. For the year he has 31 tallies and 35 helpers in 59 contests. Overage forward Riley Piercey is third with 63 points (19 G, 44 A) in 60 games played.
Defender Dmitry Kuzmin continues to provide solid two-way play and now has 12 goals with 44 assists through 60 tilts. He's fifth among all league defenders in point total and is tied for the fifth-most goals. Draft-eligible defenseman Tristan Bertucci has the second-most points among rearguards with 10 tallies and 34 helpers.
Rookie netminder Nathan Day has been rock-solid for the Firebirds of late, now with wins in six-consecutive starts. For the season, he has 14 wins in 27 appearances and carries a 4.01 goals-against average (GAA) with a .871 save percentage (SV%). Day has played in the second-most games and logged the second-most wins of any rookie goalie in the league. Veteran goaltender Will Cranley has appeared in 40 contests and posted a 4.00 goals-against average (GAA) with a .880 save percentage (SV%). Cranley is credited with 15 victories, including one shutout.
NHL: The Firebirds have six players with NHL ties consisting of Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues), Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings), Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks), Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs), Dmitri Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets), and Artem Guryev (San Jose Sharks). Additionally, Coulson Pitre, Tristan Bertucci, Ethan Hay, and goaltender Nathan Day were listed on the NHL Central Scouting's 2023 Midterm Rankings for the upcoming NHL Draft.
Through seven OHL seasons thus far, Alex Nedeljkovic (Detroit), Kole Sherwood (Columbus), Ty Dellandrea (Dallas), Tyler Tucker (St. Louis), and Will Bitten (St. Louis) are five former Firebirds to play in the NHL. Riley Piercey (Detroit) and Gavin Hayes (Chicago) played in NHL preseason contests this year, joining Firebirds' alumni Ethan Keppen (Vancouver), Vili Saarijarvi (Detroit), and Jalen Smereck (Arizona). The team has produced 25 signed or drafted players into the NHL.
Erie Otters (20-33-1-5, 5th Midwest Division):
Third-year center Pano Fimis tops the Otters in scoring with 15 goals and 30 assists through 51 games. Ranking second is fellow centerman in his third season of OHL play Carey Terrance, who has 43 points (27 G, 16 A) in 58 games. His 12 power-play markers are tied for eighth-most in the OHL. Defenseman Spencer Sova and center Brett Bressette are tied for third with 36 points each. Sova has 15 tallies and 21 helpers in 59 games and Bressette has 13 goals and 23 assists in only 32 tilts.
The Otters are backstopped by Nolan Lalonde, who has ten wins across 35 appearances, including one shutout. He carries a 4.17 goals-against average (GAA) and a .866 save percentage (SV%). Kyle Downey has played in 24 games this season, earning eight victories to date. His GAA stands at 3.76 and he has a .874 SV%.
NHL: The two players for the Otters with NHL ties are forward Liam Gilmartin (San Jose Sharks) and goaltender Nolan Lalonde (Columbus Blue Jackets). Additionally, Ondrej Molnar, Carey Terrance, Spencer Sova, and Alexis Daviault were listed on the NHL Central Scouting's 2023 Midseason Rankings.
Notable Otters' alumni to play in the NHL are Connor McDavid, Alex DeBrincat, Connor Brown, Nikita Alexeev, Brad Boyes, Tim Connoly, Mike Rupp, Steve Montador, Carlo Colaiacovo, Chris Campoli, Jason Ward, and Dylan Strome.
Broadcast Coverage:
This evening's contest against the Erie Otters can be heard live on the radio throughout Flint & Mid-Michigan on US 103.1 FM, online at www.us103.com, or by downloading the US 103 app here. Jack Sznewajs will call the play-by-play action on the Firebirds Hockey Network (FHN). Pregame coverage will begin before puck drop at 6:45 p.m. (ET) today.
The game will also be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on channel 466 (4466 HD) for both Rogers TV and Cogeco TV cable subscribers. OHL fans with cable television in Ontario can add the OHL Action Pak to their television plan to catch the Firebirds in action, home or away all season long.
Also, all Flint Firebirds' home and away games throughout the 2021-22 regular season can be watched anywhere in the world online at https://watch.chl.ca/ohl. CHL TV is the league's new and improved video streaming platform that delivers high-quality live and on-demand coverage of all regular season and playoff games annually. The cost is $6.99 for 24-hour access, $24.99 for monthly access, $109.99 for all access to the 2021-22 Firebirds and OHL season, or $159.99 for all access to the entire 2021-22 CHL season.
Next Up: Flint will hit the road for a trio of road games after tonight's match. First, they'll head to Erie, Penn. for a Saturday night tilt versus these same Otters. Then they'll hit Oshawa and Owen Sound before returning home for their next home game on Friday, March 17. Puck drop for the St. Patrick's Day game is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) at the Dort Financial Center, and tickets are available now from ETIX.COM.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 8, 2023
- Firebirds Complete Sweep of Five-Game Homestand, Down Otters 4-1 - Flint Firebirds
- Alfano Scores 14th of Season in Otters' Final Trip to Flint - Erie Otters
- Firebirds Aim to Extend Win Streak to Five, Host Erie Tonight - Flint Firebirds
- Spirit Weekly Preview Presented by Yeo & Yeo: March 9th and 11th - Saginaw Spirit
- March 8 Battalion Notes - North Bay Battalion
- Wolves Host Knights Friday - Sudbury Wolves
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