Firebirds Drop Series Opener 7-1 Thursday Night in Saginaw
March 30, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
Saginaw, Mich. - The 2023 Playoffs feature the Flint Firebirds and Saginaw Spirit meeting for the first time in postseason play. After a hot start in the opening minutes for the Birds, the Spirit took control and never looked back. With two power-play tallies followed by a shorthanded marker early in the contest, the Spirit pulled ahead and ran away with it from there. Zayne Parekh did what he's done all season in games against Flint by lighting the lamp twice, joined by Joey Willis who also scored two. Riley Piercey netted the lone tally for the visitors. Rookie goaltender Nathan Day was awarded the Game 1 start in net for Flint, posting six saves in the early stages of the game. The veteran Will Cranley replaced him shy of halfway point of the contest and logged seven saves on ten shots. The Spirit gave the nod to overager Tristan Lennox, making his eighth career appearance in the OHL Playoffs and earning his third postseason victory with 34 saves on 35 shots faced.
As one would expect, the first-ever meeting between two in-state rivals separated by only 40 miles started off with a level of physicality not seen in the 68-game regular season.
Gavin Hayes laid an open-ice hit on a Saginaw defender attempting to break out from their own end, resulting in a loose puck picked up by Amadeus Lombardi and quickly transitioned the other way. Lombardi was joined by Riley Piercey on a two-on-one chance. Lombardi carried up the left side and appeared to be carrying behind the Saginaw goal for a wraparound attempt. Instead, he sent a late pass back to the far side of the slot for Riley Piercey who one-timed it into a wide-open cage at 1:01 to give Flint the early lead.
The Spirit went on the game's first powerplay two minutes later and quickly converted to tie the contest. Dean Loukus held the puck at the top of the right circle before feeding Saginaw native Mitchell Smith in the high slot. Smith wristed the puck high into traffic and ended up entering the goal low to the blocker side on Day at 3:30.
After things appeared to calm down for more than five minutes, some more rough stuff resulted in another man-advantage opportunity for Saginaw. This time Hunter Haight skated into the right circle and saucered a pass into the slot where one combatant from each side was tangled up. Joey Willis managed to get a stick on the ice, deflecting the puck into the bottom corner on the blocker side at 9:32. Loukus was credited with the second assist.
Later in the period, Lombardi won a late offensive zone faceoff in the left circle and immediately sent it near-post on goal. Lennox had it in his equipment as the Flint players began to celebrate what they thought was a goal. The call on the ice was "no goal," and there was insufficient video evidence to overturn the call. The score remained 2-1 in favor of the Spirit.
Saginaw took a four-minute double minor with 1:08 remaining in the opening frame. Flint put some heavy pressure on, setting up and generating multiple shots from close range in the waning seconds. Lennox kept the puck out and his Spirit carried the 2-1 advantage into the first intermission.
First-period shots ended at 11 for Flint and seven for Saginaw. Faceoffs were even at 11 per side. The big difference in the first stanza was the home team converting on both chances with the power play while the visiting Firebirds went 0-for-1.
The Birds were once again unable to convert on the remaining power-play time that carried over into the middle frame. As the penalty clock hit zero, Zayne Parekh shot out of the box behind the play and was hit with a long saucer pass to spring him free all alone on Day. He wristed the puck mid-height to the glove side from between the hash marks and struck paydirt at 2:59, assisted by Matyas Sapovaliv and Loukus.
Parekh would strike again to extend the lead to three less than three minutes later. A give-and-go play along the right-wing half boards ended with Michael Misa shooting far pad from the bottom of the circle. As day tried to kick it aside, Parekh tapped it under his right pad for his second of the night at 5:58. St. Louis Blues' prospect Will Cranley assumed goaltending duties for Flint following the fourth goal from the Spirit.
Shy of the halfway point of the frame, Haight and Theo Hill emerged on a two-on-one from the center line in on Cranley. Haight faked a pass between the circles and held until the diving defender slid out of the way before lifting a short-range wrist shot high to the glove side at 9:29, extending the lead to four goals.
The ice continued to tilt in favor of Saginaw, as a fortuitous bounce gave them a 6-1 lead at the 12:56 mark of period two. James Guo shot from the inner edge of the left circle and Cranley kicked it back toward him. With four players all collapsing on the loose puck, PJ Forgione batted it back toward the goal. Michael Misa got the blade of his stick in the path, deflecting it high into the air where it fluttered end-over-end and over Cranley's left shoulder into the goal.
The Firebirds headed to the locker room trailing 6-1 despite outshooting the Spirit 22-16. Through 40 minutes, Flint was 0-for-4 on the power play while surrendering two goals on three chances with the extra man for Saginaw. Faceoffs also favored the home team 12-5 in the center stanza.
The Firebirds came out in the third and outshot Saginaw 9-1 through the first ten minutes. Lennox kept the door closed, however, preserving the lead. Then, with 6:31 remaining on the clock, Joey Willis received a long-range pass from Smith and was off to the races without a defender in sight. He faked a forehand shot before lifting a backhander over Cranley's left pad from the right side of the low slot for his second of the night at 13:29
Final shots were 35-20 and faceoffs ended at 34-24, both in favor of the Spirit. Special teams resulted in two power-play goals and one shorthanded marker for Saginaw, who had five chances with the man advantage. The Birds were held scoreless on five attempts.
Next Up: Game 2 of the series will be Friday evening at the Dow Event Center. Puck drop is again set for 7:05 p.m. (ET). Games 3 and 4 will be played in the Dort Financial Center on Monday and Wednesday evenings with 7:00 p.m. (ET) start times for both.
The playoffs will begin next week. Game one of the First Round will be played between the Firebirds and Spirit at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw. Games 3 and 4 will take place at the Dort Financial Center in Flint on Monday and Wednesday evenings, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) for both. Postseason tickets are ON SALE NOW at ETIX.COM.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 30, 2023
- Kitchener Earns Series Lead with Victory Over First-Seed Windsor Thursday - Kitchener Rangers
- Spirit Rookies Combine for Five Goals in 7-1 Victory Over Flint - Saginaw Spirit
- Clarke's 6 Point Night Gives Colts Game 1 Over Dogs - Brantford Bulldogs
- Eighth-Seed Kitchener Earns Game One Victory Over First-Seed Windsor Thursday - Kitchener Rangers
- Hayes Scores Twice, Adds Assist as Petes Take Game One Over Wolves - Peterborough Petes
- Firebirds Drop Series Opener 7-1 Thursday Night in Saginaw - Flint Firebirds
- Firebirds Set to Battle Spirit in Playoffs for the First Time Ever, Game 1 Tonight in Saginaw - Flint Firebirds
- Spirit Host Firebirds for First-Ever Game 1 Thursday - Saginaw Spirit
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