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OHL Flint Firebirds

Firebirds Drop Saturday's Contest in Saginaw, Head into Christmas Break with Franchise-Best Record

December 15, 2019 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Saginaw, Mich. -  Similar to Friday night's game in Flint, the score was tied late in the third period. However, Saginaw scored twice, including an empty net goal, in the final four minutes for a 5 - 3 victory and a 3 - 1 advantage in this season's I-75 Divide Cup, presented by Coors Light. The hockey rivalry between Flint & Saginaw is alive and well as a near capacity crowd of 3,800 fans attended Friday's game in Flint and 4,070 fans were in attendance for Saturday's game in Saginaw.

Flint heads into the Christmas break with a franchise-best record of 18-13-0-0, including an 11-6-0-0 record on home-ice and is in second-place in the West Division. The Firebirds will have a two-week holiday break as players and staff return home to their families. Flint will resume play on Saturday, Dec. 28 when they host the Sarnia Sting at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center for a West Division battle starting at 7 p.m. (ET).

The Spirit were led by Cole Perfetti's two goals, and a 24-save game by Marshall Frappier between the pipes. For Flint, Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks), Cody Morgan and Brennan Othmann lit the lamp and Anthony Popovich made 34 saves on 38 shots and kept his team in the game.

Flint scored the game's first goal at 8:31. Jack Wismer made a backhand centering pass from behind the Saginaw net to Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks) charging between the circles.  Keppen dropped to one knee to blast a one-timer past Frappier, top-shelf on his blocker side. The goal was Keppen's 11th of the season, assisted by Wismer and defenseman Riley McCourt.

Cole Perfetti evened the score with his 17th of the campaign less than two minutes later. Reilly Webb (Detroit Red Wings) took the initial shot from the left point, which was saved by Popovich. The rebound went to his right, however, and Perfetti one-timed it just inside the left post at 10:13. Damien Giroux was credited with the second assist.

Perfetti scored his second of the night in similar fashion at 15:55. This time Mitchell Smith took the long-range shot from the left point and Popovich directed the rebound to his left. Perfetti backhanded the rebound near-side for goal number 18 of the season, assisted by Smith and Webb. First-period shots were 10 - 9 to the Spirit's advantage and neither team was given a chance with a power play in the opening frame.

Cody Morgan evened the scored at 13:28 of the middle stanza with his ninth of the season on the power play. Jake Durham stole the puck from the opposition and passed back to Riley McCourt on the right point. McCourt found Morgan open at the top of the left circle, and sent a perfect pass that Morgan was able to wrist far-side, top-shelf.

The Spirit earned their second lead of the night less than a minute later. Ethan Cardwell fed Dexter, Mich. native DJ Busdecker at the right point. Busdecker skated to the right-wing half-boards before cutting left across the faceoff dot. He sniped a rising wrister that snuck just inside the near-side top corner for his sixth of the season at 14:26. Cardwell and Danny Katic combined for the helpers on the play.

Flint trailed in shots by a total of 15 - 10 in the second period for a forty-minute deficit of 25 - 19. The 'Birds scored on their only opportunity with the man-advantage in the frame and killed off their only penalty with success.

Flint tied the contest again early in the third period. Connor Roberts carried up the left wall into the offensive zone with a defender all over him. He made the cross-ice pass to Riley McCourt creating a two-on-one with Brennan Othmann. McCourt fed Othmann to the left of the crease for the back-door one-timer. The goal was Othmann's seventh of the season and fourth point in two night, logged at 4:28

The Spirit reclaimed the lead late in the contest. Danil Antropov made the breakout pass from behind his own net to Saginaw, Mich. native Mitchell Smith in the neutral zone. Smith carried up the right wall and broke free on net ahead of his defender. Once again Popovich made a huge save on the initial shot but Cole Coskey (New York Islanders) was first on the rebound to knock it in from the bottom of the left circle for his 17th at 16:23.

With 68 seconds remaining in the contest and Popovich on the bench for the extra attacker, the puck crossed Flint's goal line after a miscommunication between teammates. The game's final goal was credited to Damien Giroux (Minnesota Wild), his 20th. Final shots were 39 for Saginaw and 27 for Flint. There were only two penalties called in the game and the Firebirds scored the lone power-play goal. The 'Birds had a slight edge in the faceoff circle, winning 35 draws to the Spirit's 32. With the defeat, Flint completed the first half of the season with a record of 18-13-0-0.

Check out the Flint Firebirds Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 15, 2019


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