Firebirds Resilient Again, Win 4-3 and Come Home with Chance to Win the Series Tuesday Night
Published on May 29, 2022 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
Windsor, Ont. - The Firebirds will return to home ice Tuesday with a chance to clinch the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as the Western Conference Champions for the first time in franchise history. They defeated the Spitfires 4-3 at the WFCU Centre Sunday evening to take the 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Spits took an early two-goal lead before Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) scored his first goal of the Western Conference Finals to launch the comeback, and picked up two assists to lead the Birds on the scoresheet. Zacharie Giroux had himself a two-point night with one goal and a helper. Luke Cavallin made 42 saves on 45 shots for his 11th postseason victory. Mathias Onuska got his 16th start of these playoffs but was relieved by Xavier Medina in the second period after making five saves on eight shots. Medina stopped 10 of 11 shots faced in his relief effort. Will Cuylle (New York Rangers) and Wyatt Johnston (Dallas Stars) had a goal and an assist each to the charge for the Spitfires.
The Spitfires were first to find the back of the net beyond the midway point of the opening frame. A turnover in the neutral zone sprung two Windsor players all alone on Cavallin. Michael Renwick carried up the right side with Christopher O'Flaherty on his left. Renwick made a late pass and O'Flaherty one-timed it on the net, low to the blocker side. Cavallin made the save, but the rebound went out between the hash marks where Wyatt Johnston (Dallas Stars) lifted it over the diving netminder for his 11th of the postseason at 11:14.
With under four minutes remaining in the first period, Windsor extended their lead to a pair when Andrew Perrott let one fly from the left point. Cavallin made the save, but the rebound went to Alex Christopoulos at the right hash marks. His one-timer lit the lamp at 16:23, which was his seventh of the playoffs.
The Spitfires went on a late power play with 2:24 remaining in the opening frame. Windsor forced Cavallin to make a few key saves before they turned the puck over at center ice, resulting in a 2-on-0 breakaway with Brennan Othmann on the right and Simon Slavicek pacing to his left. Othmann passed as they approached the hash marks, and Slavicek returned a tape-to-tape feed that Flint's captain one-timed home near-side from the inner edge of the right faceoff circle. The goal was Othmann's ninth of the playoffs, scored shorthanded at 18:37.
With only 12 seconds remaining until the first intermission, Zacharie Giroux carried up the right-wing side with Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks) to his left on a two-on-two opportunity. Giroux hit the brakes at the right face-off dot and looked for an open passing lane. He didn't see one, so instead, he ripped a wrister that found an opening at the top corner, near-side, for his sixth of the playoffs with 2.7 seconds remaining on the first-period clock. James Mayotte and Othmann picked up the assists.
First-period shots ended 18-5 to Windsor's advantage. Faceoffs also favored the Spits 12-11. The Birds went without a power-play chance in the first period and killed both penalties taken successfully.
Near the three-minute mark of the second period, Luca D'Amato sent the puck down low to the right side of the Spits' goal, where Othmann and Amadeus Lombardi were both crashing the net. Othmann took an initial short-range shot that was kicked back to the side by Onuska. Lombardi grabbed the rebound and quickly wrapped it around behind the cage and tucked it inside the near post, beating Onuska for his seventh of the playoffs at 3:04.
Detroit, Mich. native Xavier Medina replaced Onuska in the Windsor goal immediately following Lombardi's marker, which would be Medina's first action in the 2022 OHL playoffs.
Four minutes later, the Firebirds would find paydirt yet again. Panwar started the play with a pass from the right-wing half boards. He hit Tag Bertuzzi between the top of the circles, and the overage forward made a crafty move around his defender to create a shooting lane on Medina. The first shot was kicked back out into the slot, where Giroux took a swing at it. Medina once again flashed the right pad, but this time Bertuzzi was in place to redirect it into the back of the net down low, blocker side, for his fifth at 7:43.
Windsor would pull within one with their first power-play goal of the contest at 16:19 of period two. Louka Henault quarterbacked the power play from his perch, centered high in the zone near the blue line. He fed Johnston in the left corner, who made a slap-pass across the goalmouth to Cuylle, who one-timed it home on the back-door play. The goal was Cuylle's 10th of the postseason.
Flint was outshot 12-11 in the middle stanza, and outdrew 14-13. The Spitfires scored on their lone man-advantage situation while the Firebirds went scoreless in three chances.
Windsor continued to pile up the shots on Cavallin. Flint's veteran goaltender continued to thwart their attempts from every direction. With tired legs on the ice and an icing call preventing a line change, Flint used their timeout with just over three minutes remaining in regulation. With 2:26 showing on the clock, Medina was summoned to the bench for the extra attacker for Windsor. The Spitfires used their lone timeout with 1:35 to play. The Birds kicked it into defensive mode and continued to ice the puck to keep the pressure away from Cavallin. It worked, as they held on for the 4-3 win in the game and the 3-2 series lead.
Final shots were 45-19 for the Spitfires. They also outdrew the Birds 48-35. On special teams, Flint finished 0-for-3 while Windsor went 1-for-3.
Next Up: Game 6 will be back on home ice in Flint Tuesday, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. (ET). Tickets for Game 6 are on sale through ETIX HERE, in person at the Dort Financial Center Box Office, or by calling 1-800-514-3849.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from May 29, 2022
- Flint Takes Game Five 4-3 and Lead Series 3-2 - Windsor Spitfires
- Firebirds Resilient Again, Win 4-3 and Come Home with Chance to Win the Series Tuesday Night - Flint Firebirds
- Firebirds Seek to Reclaim Series Lead in Pivotal Game 5 Sunday in Windsor - Flint Firebirds
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