Firebirds Force OT But Fall in Sudbury, 5-4
December 7, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
Flint Firebirds' Hayden Reid in action
(Flint Firebirds, Credit: Sudbury Wolves)
SUDBURY, Ont. - The Flint Firebirds erased a two-goal third period deficit and forced overtime, but Donovan McCoy scored in OT and the Sudbury Wolves beat the Firebirds, 5-4, on Saturday night at Sudbury Community Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
With Flint trailing, 4-2, in the third period, Nathan Aspinall cycled the puck to Blake Smith at the bottom of the right circle. Smith snapped a shot that got through Nate Krawchuk on the short side and brought the Birds within one.
Later, after the Wolves cleared their defensive zone, Nolan Collins threaded the needle with a pass and sprung Kaden Pitre into the attacking zone. As defenders converged on him, Pitre blistered a shot high past Krawchuk and the game was tied at four.
Flint dominated the third period and outshot the Wolves, 16-1 in the final frame but could not strike again so the game progressed to overtime. Just over two minutes into OT, McCoy got wide on the left wing and skated toward the net. He sent a shot that Nathan Day got a piece of but it trickled through for the game-winning goal.
The Firebirds struck first in the first period with a power play goal. Aspinall found Matthew Mania at the point and he fired a wrist shot through traffic. It sailed past the glove of Krawchuk and in and the former Wolf gave Flint a 1-0 lead.
Sudbury then evened the scored when Nathan Villeneuve skated in with a breakaway. His shot was turned aside by Day and bounced to the right wing corner. Sudbury dug the puck loose and eventually Ondrej Molnar snuck a shot through Day's short side to tie the game. The Wolves then took the lead just 23 seconds later as Chase Coughlan sent a snap shot low past Day's glove from the bottom of the left circle and the score was 2-1.
The Wolves got a power play goal from Alex Pharand in the second period to extend the lead to 3-1. Flint answered later in the period when Connor Clattenburg got around the defense and sped toward the net. He dragged the puck from his forehand to his backhand and tucked it home to make it 3-2.
Sudbury extended its lead back to 4-2 in the third with another power play strike from Pharand. The goal came on its only shot of the period.
Flint earned a point and moved to 11-14-1-1 with the OT loss while Sudbury improved to 15-8-4-0.
POSTGAME NOTES:
The Firebirds put 45 shots on goal, the most they have had in a single game this season...Blake Smith had three points on a goal and two assists. It was a career-high for points in a single game...Kaden Pitre's goal was his 10th of the season. He leads the team in scoring and is the first Firebird to double digits this season.
UP NEXT:
The Firebirds head to North Bay for a Sunday matinee with the Battalion. Puck drop at North Bay Memorial Gardens is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Images from this story
 Flint Firebirds' Hayden Reid in action (Sudbury Wolves) |
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Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 7, 2024
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- Firebirds Force OT But Fall in Sudbury, 5-4 - Flint Firebirds
- Rangers Earn Shootout Victory in Spirited Effort in Windsor - Kitchener Rangers
- Generals' Efforts Fall Short Against Saginaw Spirit - Oshawa Generals
- Rangers Visit Spitfires on Second Half of Back-To-Back to Close Weekend - Kitchener Rangers
- Spirit Welcome Generals for Superhero Night Presented by CAN Council - Saginaw Spirit
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