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OHL Flint Firebirds

Firebirds Launch Final Weekend of Regular Season Tonight in Kitchener

March 24, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Kitchener, Ont. - Flint is one of only two teams in the league (Sarnia, 9-0-0-1) to win nine of their past ten games during this final playoff push. The Rangers have points in eight (7-2-1-0) of their last ten. Only two points separate these clubs. A chase for playoff position still ensues among four teams in the Western Conference, including both of tonight's combatants. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. (ET) tonight at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

Tonight marks the fourth and final meeting between these organizations this season and is the second of two scheduled in Kitchener. The first meeting of the campaign was at 'The Aud' back in October and ended in a lopsided 6-2 victory for the Blue Shirts. Since then, both games have been played in Flint, with the Birds recording a tough 5-4 win on January 7 and then a 6-1 triumph on February 18. Flint's all-time record versus the Rangers stands at 14-12-2-0, with seven of those tilts being settled by a single goal. In road games, they've gone 8-4-1-0.

For the year, the Firebirds rank fourth in the West Division and fifth in the Western Conference with a record of 34-27-4-1. On the road, they're 16-15-2-0. Kitchener sits second in the Midwest Division and sixth in the Western Conference with a 33-28-5-0 mark. Their home record is 19-11-3-0 this season. The Birds are 12-6-0-0 when facing opponents from the Midwest Division this year.

The Firebirds have converted on 20.4% of their power-play chances this season, ranking them 15th in the OHL. They're tied for the franchise record in total power-play goals scored in a season (53) and have already netted the most on the road (24). Kitchener has the 11th-best power play overall at 21.2%. While shorthanded, the Birds are ninth-best with a 78.4% success rate. Flint's set new benchmarks in shorthanded goals on the road (10) and is just one shy of the club record for total shorties, now with 15. The Rangers are killing penalties 77.2% of the time, good for 11th.

Players to Watch

Firebirds (34-27-4-1, 4th West Division):

Amadeus Lombardi has 43 goals and 54 assists for 97 total points. He owns the record for the most assists by any player in Firebirds' history. Lombardi's also tied for the sixth-most goals in the league, eighth-most assists, and owns the third-highest point total. Gavin Hayes ranks second on the team with 40 tallies and 38 helpers. He's scored nine goals plus picked up three assists for 12 points in the last five games and is now inside the top ten in goals in the league. Overage forward Riley Piercey is third with 67 points (20 G, 47 A).

Defender Dmitry Kuzmin continues to top scoring from the blue line with 14 goals and 45 assists. He's tied for fifth among all league defenders in point total, eighth in assists, and tenth in goals.

Veteran goaltender Will Cranley has appeared in 43 contests and now has 18 victories. He's posted a 3.84 GAA with a .884 save percentage SV%. Rookie netminder Nathan Day has 16 victories in 31 appearances and carries a 3.86 goals-against average (GAA) with a .874 save percentage (SV%).

NHL: The Firebirds have six players with NHL ties consisting of Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues), Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings), Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks), Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs), Dmitri Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets), and Artem Guryev (San Jose Sharks). Additionally, Coulson Pitre, Tristan Bertucci, Ethan Hay, and goaltender Nathan Day were listed on the NHL Central Scouting's 2023 Midterm Rankings for the upcoming NHL Draft.

Through seven OHL seasons thus far, Alex Nedeljkovic (Detroit), Kole Sherwood (Columbus), Ty Dellandrea (Dallas), Tyler Tucker (St. Louis), and Will Bitten (St. Louis) are five former Firebirds to play in the NHL. Riley Piercey (Detroit) and Gavin Hayes (Chicago) played in NHL preseason contests this year, joining Firebirds' alumni Ethan Keppen (Vancouver), Vili Saarijarvi (Detroit), and Jalen Smereck (Arizona). The team has produced 25 signed or drafted players into the NHL.

Kitchener Rangers (33-28-5-0, 2nd Midwest Division):

Francesco Pinelli sits atop the points for the Rangers with 90 (41 G, 49 A) through 59 games played. He's tied for seventh in points and ninth in goals. Francesco Arcuri ranks a close second in points (89) for the Rangers and leads them with 47 goals in 69 contests. That's the third-most goals and he's tied for ninth in points in the OHL to date. Sophomore forward Carson Rehkopf sits third with 29 tallies and 29 helpers in 66 games.

The defensive unit for the Rangers is topped by Washington, Mich. native Hunter Brzustewicz, who has six goals and a team-high 50 assists in 66 games this season. He's tied for fifth in helpers and ranks eighth in total points among league rearguards.

Between the pipes, Marco Constantini has appeared in 46 games in the campaign and has 23 victories to his name including four shutouts, which are tied for the second-most. He carries a 3.22 goals-against average (GAA) and a .899 save percentage (SV%). Marcus Vandenberg has nine victories in 22 games with a GAA of 3.22 and a .900 SV%. Jackson Parsons has five games under his belt this year, earning one win with a 4.67 GAA and a SV% of .849.

NHL: The Rangers have six players with NHL ties, including Francesco Arcuri (Dallas Stars), Danny Zhilkin (Winnipeg Jets), Filip Mesar (Montreal Canadians), Francesco Pinelli (LA Kings), Tomas Hamara (Ottawa Senators), and Midland, Mich. native Roman Schmidt (Tampa Bay Lightning). Additionally, Hunter Brzustewicz, Carson Rehkopf, and Matthew Andonovski were listed on NHL Central Scouting's 2023 Midseason Rankings.

21 notable Kitchener Rangers' alumni to play in the NHL are Brian Bellows, Andre Benoit, Shawn Burr, David Clarkson, Paul Coffey, Boyd Devereaux, Steve Downie, John Gibson, Dale Hunter, Nazem Kadri, Jakub Kindl, Gabriel Landeskog, Matt Lashoff, Al MacInnis, Don Maloney, Wayne Presley, Mike Richards, Larry Robinson, Derek Roy, Jeff Skinner, and Scott Stevens.

Broadcast Coverage:

This evening's contest against the Kitchener Rangers 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 here. Jack Sznewajs will call the play-by-play action on the Firebirds Hockey Network (FHN). Pregame coverage will begin before puck drop at 7:10 p.m. (ET) this evening.

The game will also be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on channel 471 (4471 HD) for both Rogers TV and Cogeco TV cable subscribers. OHL fans with cable television in Ontario can add the OHL Action Pak to their television plan to catch the Firebirds in action, home, or away all season long.

Also, all Flint Firebirds' home and away games throughout the 2022-23 regular season can be watched anywhere in the world online at https://watch.chl.ca/ohl. CHL TV is the league's new and improved video streaming platform that delivers high-quality live and on-demand coverage of all regular season and playoff games annually. The cost is $6.99 for 24-hour access, $24.99 for monthly access, $109.99 for all-access to the 2022-23 Firebirds and OHL season, or $159.99 for all-access to the entire 2021-22 CHL season.

Next Up: The season finale is in Flint on Saturday as they welcome the Owen Sound Attack on "Fan Appreciation Night!" as the Firebirds organization pays tribute to the best fans in the OHL with tons of giveaways, prizes, promotions and much MORE! Additionally, one lucky fan will be walking away with a 65-inch TV and a free playoff subscription for OHL Live on CHL TV.

Tickets are going fast and fans are encouraged to get their tickets ahead of time at Etix.com HERE or at the Dort Financial Center Box Office, which opens at Noon on Saturday.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 24, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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