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OHL Flint Firebirds

Firebirds Keep Rolling, Down IceDogs, 5-2

January 12, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


St. Catharines, Ont. - Kaden Pitre scored twice and Oliver Peer logged three assists as the Flint Firebirds struck three times in the third period and toppled the Niagara IceDogs, 5-2, on Friday night at the Meridian Centre.

With the game tied at 2-2 and under seven minutes remaining in regulation, the Firebirds got the puck to Matthew Jenken at the right point. Jenken saucered a pass around a defender to Peer skating up the right-wing wall. Peer wristed a wide-angle shot that met Owen Flores' left pad in the crease, but the rebound was gathered by Connor Clattenburg in front of the net. Clattenburg muscled it home for his first goal as a Firebird and Flint grabbed a 3-2 lead.

The Firebirds added to that lead in the final minutes of the game when Peer reached out for a loose puck and poked it to Pitre at the left circle. Pitre loaded up a snap shot and sent the puck between the legs of Flores to extend the lead to 4-2.

He struck again just 18 seconds later after Jenken fed Nolan Dann, who snapped a pass to Pitre alone in the slot. He reached back and slung a wrist shot high past Flores, stretching Flint's lead to 5-2.

Pitre's goals were his ninth and 10th of the season and Dann extended his point streak to 10 games with the assist on the final goal of the night.

Niagara opened the scoring early in the second period while the teams were skating four-on-four. Kevin He forced a turnover in the attacking zone and sent a snapper high on the short side past Nathan Day to make it 1-0.

Then, Tristan Bertucci took a pass from Peer at the right circle, spun and shot. Flores kicked the low shot between the circles. Simon Slavicek grabbed the rebound and stuffed another shot that Flores blocked. His second effort snuck through though and the game was tied at one.

Flint then took the lead for the first time late in the second after Blake Smith grabbed the puck off the left-wing wall and sent it toward the Dogs' net. Nathan Aspinall was centered between the circles and with the blade of his stick on the ice was able to redirect Smith's shot between Flores' pads, giving the Firebirds a 2-1 lead.

Niagara tied the game again just shy of five minutes into the third period when Ethan Czata flicked a shot over Day's blocker and under the crossbar, evening things at three.

The Birds finished with a 37-32 edge in shots and a commanding 40-23 advantage at the faceoff dots. Day recorded with 30 saves on 32 shots in the win, Slavicek scored his second goal of the week, Clattenburg had two points in his second game as a Firebird, and Aspinall lit the lamp for the fourth time in his past five games.

Flint improved to 17-20-2-1 in the win while Niagara dropped to 11-22-5-1. The Firebirds are back in action on Saturday night on the road in Erie against the Otters. Puck drop at the Erie Insurance Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Story: Brandon Mills // flintfirebirds.com

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