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OHL Flint Firebirds

Firebirds Head to Windsor for a Sunday Matinee

December 10, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


WINDSOR, Ont. - The Firebirds and Spitfires each played Saturday and both suffered defeat on home ice. On Sunday, less than 24 hours later, they both look to bounce back into the win column. Puck drop between these West Division foes is set for 4:05 p.m. at the WFCU Centre.

LAST TIME OUT: The Birds jumped out to the early lead Saturday off Tristan Bertucci's third of the season, but then the Spirit took over and never looked back. Bertucci's goal was on the power play as the Birds went 1-for-3 on the man advantage versus the league's best power play. The game was tied 1-1 after 20 minutes but Saginaw scored seven unanswered to cruise to a 7-1 road win. Nathan Day made 22 saves on 29 shots and Braeden Kressler picked up the only assist for Flint.

SERIES HISTORY: Flint's all-time record versus the Spits sits at 14-26-3-1 with 16 one-goal games in the series. At the WFCU Centre, the Firebirds are 5-13-3-1 including a 1-1-1-0 record a season ago. Sunday's contest is the first of six meetings between these West Division opponents this season and the first of three to be played in Windsor.

SCOUTING THE SPITFIRES: (8-19-1-0, 5th West Division)

Sophomore winger Liam Greentree paces the Spitfires on the scoresheet with 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points. Overager Oliver Peer is second with 33 points (15 G, 18 A). Valentin Zhugin and Jacob Maillet are tied in third with 21 total points each. Zhugin has 13 goals and Maillet has scored nine times.

Joey Costanzo has played in 16 games between the pipes for Windsor, earning four wins and posting a 5.20 goals-against average along with an .839 save percentage. Former Firebirds netminder Ian Michelone also has four wins across 13 appearances. His GAA stands at 4.49 and his SV% is .861.

SCOUTING THE FIREBIRDS: (13-12-2-1, 3rd West Division) -

Hayes, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect, maintains the top spot on the scoresheet for the Birds with 19 goals and 16 assists. He's tied for the fifth-most goals, the fifth-most power-play goals (7), and the fourth-most game-winning tallies (4) in the OHL. Zacharie Giroux ranks second on the team with 33 total points (14 G, 19 A). Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Kressler ranks third with 12 tallies and 20 helpers for 32 points.

Edmonton Oilers prospect Day has appeared in 23 games and is credited with 11 wins. He carries a 3.85 goals-against average with a .867 save percentage. Jacob Brown is credited with two wins in seven appearances, and his GAA sits at 4.26 with an .857 SV%.

The Birds rank 16th on the power play with a 16.1% success rate. The penalty kill is clicking at a 79% pace, which ranks 11th in the league.

BROADCAST COVERAGE: This afternoon's game against the Saginaw Spirit 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. Brian Gardner will call the play-by-play action on the Firebirds Hockey Network starting with the pre-game show at 3:45 p.m.

All of the Flint Firebirds home and away games throughout the 2023-24 season can be watched anywhere in the world online at https://watch.chl.ca/ohl.

COMING UP: Flint now heads to Saginaw for Game 6 of the I-75 Divide Cup on Thursday. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Dow Event Center. The next home game at the Dort Financial Center is Friday when they host the Sudbury Wolves with a 7:00 p.m. start time.

Check out the Flint Firebirds Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 10, 2023


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