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OHL Flint Firebirds

Firebirds Drop Sting in Sarnia, 6-4

October 13, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


SARNIA, Ont. - Zacharie Giroux, Nolan Dann and Gavin Hayes each had a goal and an assist and Jacob Brown made 22 saves on 26 shots as the Flint Firebirds beat the Sarnia Sting in a wild, back-and-forth game, 6-4, on Friday night at Progressive Auto Sales Arena. Flint snapped a four-game losing streak and earned its first win of the season.

Flint started fast in the first period and struck on its first shot of the game. Nathan Aspinall was crashing the net and took a pass at the top of the faceoff circles. He deked from his backhand to his forehand and back to his backhand, opening up Nick Surzycia's five hole. Aspinall slid the puck between the Sting netminder's legs and Flint took a 1-0 lead.

Later, Dann charged into the attacking zone and sent a backhanded saucer pass toward the back post where Kaden Pitre had space. He guided the puck past the lunging Surzycia and the Firebirds extended their lead to two.

With just under five minutes to go in the first and Sarnia in the waning seconds of an unsuccessful power play, Marko Stojkov cleared the puck into the neutral zone where Giroux grabbed it. He snapped a pass to Ethan Hay, who had just been freed from the penalty box. Hay sped in with a breakaway and sent a wrister between the legs of Surzycia, pushing the Flint lead to 3-0.

Sarnia responded however with four tallies in the second period. First, Cooper Way hit Ryan Brown on the back side for a shot that he guided past Jacob Brown, cutting the Flint lead to 3-1. Then Ryan Brown was sprung down the left wing side with a Flint defenseman trailing right behind. His shot was blocked but the rebound bounced off Flint skates and into the net, making the score 3-2.

The Sting then tied the game when Daylen Moses hit Tyson Doucette loose in the slot. Doucette slung a wrist shot low past Jacob Brown on the blocker side, squaring things at three. Just a minute later, Sarnia grabbed the lead for the first time after Zach Filak skated the puck across the attacking zone, turned and fired a wrist shot from the left circle. It snuck through on the short side to make the score 4-3.

Flint answered with five minutes to play in the middle frame as the Sting defense tried to play the puck behind its net and Dann darted in to intercept the pass. In one fluid motion, he wrapped the puck around the net and stuffed it past Surzycia on the far side, squaring things at four.

In the third, Hayes glided into the attacking zone and was swarmed by Sting defenseman in the high slot. He left a pass for Giroux at the top of the left circle, who sent a snap shot high on the glove side of Surzycia and in, giving the Firebirds the lead for good.

Sarnia would pull Surzycia for an extra attacker in the final minutes and Braeden Kressler tracked down a puck in the neutral zone. He sent it to Hayes, who skated to the blue line and flicked a shot into the empty net, pushing the score to its 6-4 final.

Pitre's goal was his team-leading fourth of the season, Brown earned his first OHL victory in his first OHL start and it was the first OHL head coaching victory for Paul Flache in his third game since taking the reins behind the bench. The Firebirds improved to 1-4-0-0 in the win while Sarnia dropped to 3-3-0-0.

Flint will return home on Saturday night for its first meeting of the season with the Guelph Storm. It's Hockey Fight's Cancer Night, sponsored by the McLaren Flint Foundation and the team will be wearing specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off postgame. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the McLaren Flint Foundation. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center.

Check out the Flint Firebirds Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from October 13, 2023


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