OHL Flint Firebirds

Firebirds Continue to Chase History, Host Storm Saturday

Published on April 2, 2022 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Flint, Mich. - The Firebirds have already clinched their playoff berth for only the second time in club history. Now, the battle for their first Division and possible Conference Title is underway as they enter their final six-game homestand. On Saturday evening, they'll host the Guelph Storm for the final time. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. (ET) at the state-of-the-art Dort Financial Center. Purchase your tickets NOW at Etix.com.

This season has been one for the record books, quite literally. Franchise and individual records have broken practically every game for the past several weeks. Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) has scored the most goals in a single season (42) and tied the record for shorthanded goals (4) with teammate Ethan Hay. Coulson Pitre became the first rookie to score 20 goals in a season and now has 21. Gavin Hayes became the rookie to score the most points in a single game (6) on his way to earning the most all-time assists (26) and points (45) by a first-year player. Luke Cavallin already owned the all-time records for career minutes played, saves, and wins before breaking the single-season record for victories, now with a league-leading 32 wins.

As a team, this club has raised the bar for the most road wins (24), goals scored on the road (143), most shorthanded goals in a season (15), and the fastest goal to start a game (10 seconds). They've scored the most power-play goals on home ice (28), and need just one more goal on the man-advantage to tie the overall season record of 49. With six regular-season games remaining, all on home ice, points (-1), goals scored on home ice (-3) and total goals in a single season (-10) are all within reach, as well.

The Firebirds enter Saturday's contest in second place in the West Division and are riding a three-game winning streak. They have the second-most points in the 10-team Western Conference with a record of 38-19-1-4. The Storm rank third in the Midwest Division and sixth in the Western Conference with a 30-23-5-2 record. On the home ice this year, Flint has posted a record of 14-12-0-2. Guelph's road record is 13-13-2-1. In their past 10 tilts, the Storm's gone 5-5-0-0 and the Birds' last 10 have gone 6-3-0-1.

Saturday marks the fifth and final meeting between these clubs this season, and the second of two games to be played in Flint. All time, the Firebirds carry a record of 13-9-2-0 against Guelph, with a home record of 4-6-1-0 in the series. So far this year, the Birds have won all four meetings with the Storm, although two contests required overtime.

The most recent tilt between the Firebirds and Storm was March 12 in Flint. While the Birds took the 5-2 victory, the game ended with bad blood between the squads. In total, five misconducts and 27 penalty minutes were called in the third period alone. Tag Bertuzzi scored twice and both Gavin Hayes and Zacharie Giroux logged two assists each. Luke Cavallin made 49 saves on 51 shots before dropping the gloves in the final minutes. Brayden Guy led the Storm with a two-point night (1 G, 1 A).

On special teams, the Firebirds are converting with the man-advantage at a 19.3% rate, which ranks them 13th in the 20-team OHL. Guelph has scored at a success rate of 23.3%, which ranks them ninth. Flint's penalty-kill remains atop the league at an 84.4% rate of success. The Storm are killing penalties at an 82.5% clip, the league's third-best.

Promotions: Saturday is UAW/United Way Night. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to watch the United Way game at 4:30 p.m. Get into the game by using your ticket to Saturday night's contest against the Storm. Select UAW and United Way jerseys will be auctioned off on the concourse during the Firebirds game.

Players to Watch:

Flint Firebirds (38-19-1-4, 2nd West Division):

Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) ranks first on the team and second in the league with 42 goals. Othmann also leads the club with 46 assists and ranks seventh in the league with 88 total points. He also netted his fourth shorthanded goal last week, which ties him for the most in a season in franchise history and for the fifth-most in the OHL this year. Othmann holds the league's ninth-best points-per-game average at 1.47. Riley Piercey is second in scoring with 27 goals and 31 helpers through 57 games. He's also tied for first in franchise history with six game-winning tallies. Amadeus Lombardi ranks third on the squad with 17 tallies and 39 helpers through 61 contests.

Gavin Hayes hails from Westland, Mich. and tops the rookie class in total points with 45 (19 G, 26 A) through 59 games. He sits tied for eighth-most points among all first-year players in the league. Coulson Pitre has 21 goals, which are the most by any rookie in Firebirds' history, as well. Pitre also has 19 assists for 40 total points through 46 games. He's tied for second among rookies in the OHL at a .87 points-per-game average and is tied for the seventh-most goals by any rookie in the league this season.

On defense, Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) has the most points for the club with 38. He also tops the blue-liners with 16 goals and has 22 helpers in 51 games played. Tyler Deline has six goals and 29 helpers through 56 games. Kuzmin's 16 markers are tied for third-most among the OHL's defenders, and Deline's 17 power-play helpers are eighth-most. Rookie defenseman Tristan Bertucci has a +/- rating of +26, which is second-best among all rookies in the league and tied for sixth-best among all blue-liners.

Luke Cavallin has now appeared in 50 games, which is the second-most in the OHL. His 32 wins are the most in the league and the most in Flint's franchise history. He also carries the OHL's third-best save percentage (SV%) at .911 and seventh-best goals-against average (GAA) of 3.17. Behind Cavallin are a pair of rookie netminders showing promise for the future. Ian Michelone has now appeared in ten games and picked up four victories. He carries a GAA of 4.37 and a SV% of .884. Nathaniel Day has two victories in eight appearances, with a 3.63 GAA and a .883 SV%.

NHL: The Firebirds have four players on their roster with NHL ties consisting of Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks), Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs), Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets), and Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers). Also, Gavin Hayes and Simon Slavicek were named to the 2022 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Draft Rankings.

Despite Flint playing in just five OHL seasons thus far, Alex Nedeljkovic (Carolina Hurricanes / Detroit Red Wings), Kole Sherwood (Columbus Blue Jackets), Ty Dellandrea (Dallas Stars), and Vladislav Kolyachonok (Arizona Coyotes) are four former Firebirds to play regular-season games in the NHL. Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) and Firebirds' alumni Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks), Vili Saarijarvi (Detroit Red Wings) and Jalen Smereck (Arizona Coyotes) have all played in NHL pre-season contests. In total, the team has produced 21 signed or drafted players into the NHL.

Guelph Storm (30-23-5-2, 3rd Midwest Division):

Sasha Pastujov (Anaheim Ducks) tops the Storm in scoring, now with 32 goals and 36 assists through 57 games. Guelph's first-round draft pick from the 2019 OHL Priority Selection Danny Zhilkin sits second with 20 tallies and 28 helpers in 58 games played. Rookie center Jake Karabela has 12 tallies and 32 helpers to top the freshman class with 44 points. He ranks fifth among OHL rookies in assists, is tied for the tenth-most points, has the tenth-best +/- rating at 14, and is tied for the sixth-most power-play helpers with 10.

First-year rearguard Michael Buchinger has 41 points through 55 games. His 37 assists are second-most among OHL defensemen, with 16 of those coming on the power play, which is also second-best in the league among blue-liners.

Between the pipes, Owen Bennett has appeared in 35 games, earning 16 victories while posting a 3.50 goals-against average (GAA) and a .868 save percentage (SV%). Bennett's three shutouts are tied for third-most in the OHL. Rookie Jacob Oster has played in 31 games, earning 14 wins and posting a 3.02 GAA with a .887 SV%.

NHL: Guelph's roster features two players with NHL ties, including Sasha Pastujov (Anaheim Ducks) and Daniil Chayka (Vegas Golden Knights). Additionally, the Storm have six players named to the 2022 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings. Those players are Matthew Poitras, Danny Zhilkin, Michael Buchinger, Jake Karabela, Braeden Bowman, and goaltender Jacob Oster.

Among the notable Guelph Storm skaters to play in the NHL are Craig Anderson, Todd Bertuzzi, Tyler Bertuzzi, Dustin Brown, Ryan Callahan, Dan Cloutier, Drew Doughty, Aaron Downey, Robby Fabbri, Daniel Girardi, Manny Malhotra and Richard Panik.

Broadcast Coverage:

Saturday's contest against the Guelph Storm 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 prior to puck drop at 6:40 p.m. (ET) Saturday evening.

The game will also be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on channel 467 (4467 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 on 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: The Firebirds will get a week off before hosting the Erie Otters for the final time Saturday, April 9. Next Saturday's tilt is Overager Night, presented by the Flint Walk to End Alzheimer's. Flint's three overage players Tag Bertuzzi, Luke Cavallin, and Ethan Keppen will be recognized prior to the game. The organization will be thanking these players and congratulating them for their accomplishments during their OHL careers. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) at the Dort Financial Center, and tickets are available from ETIX.

Check out the Flint Firebirds Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 2, 2022


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