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OHL Flint Firebirds

Firebirds Sweep the Weekend, Take Down Rival Saginaw in Front of over 3,700 Fans in Flint

February 26, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Flint, Mich. - More than 3,700 fans were on hand for the final regular-season meeting between the Firebirds and their in-state rivals from Saginaw. Nathan Day made his second consecutive start between the pipes for the Birds, and picked up win number 12 on the year with 26 saves on 28 shots. Andrew Oke backstopped Saginaw, making 34 saves to keep his club within striking distance. Amadeus Lombardi, Ethan Hay and Tyler Deline lit the lamp for the home team. Saginaw native Mitchell Smith and Hunter Haight were the goal scorers for the visitors.

Amadeus Lombardi kicked off scoring in the contest at the 11:18 mark. As he sped past the lone defender on the left-wing side, he used his body to protect the puck and toe-dragged toward the crease. He faked a short-side shot but held and slipped in a backhander out of Oke's reach for his 38th of the season. The assists were from Riley Piercey and Gavin Hayes.

Seconds later, Ethan Hay won an offensive zone drawback to Tristan Bertucci at the left point. The sophomore defender leaned into a heavy slapper into traffic. Hay was positioned in the low slot and was able to tip it past Oke for his third goal in two games at 11:36. Simon Slavicek was credited with the second assist.

Flint held on for the 2-0 lead through the opening 20 minutes. Saginaw was outshot 10-4 in the frame.

The teams tested each other's patience early in the center stanza. Minor penalties began to pile up and overlap and the Firebirds found themselves on another powerplay. Zacharie Giroux won a faceoff in the Spirit zone and sent it back to Dmitry Kuzmin manning the left point. Kuzmin saucered a pass over a defender's stick to Tyler Deline at the right point. Deline leaned into a wrist shot that found the top corner, far-side for his seventh of the campaign at 12:33.

The Spirit found the back of the net on a power play late in the period. With Matyas Sapovaliv screening Day, Dean Loukus carried in from the right point and sent it across to Mitchell Smith sniped the top corner on the glove side from above the hash marks for his eighth of the year at 18:41. Sapovaliv got the second assist on the tally.

The Birds held a 3-1 edge entering the second intermission. Flint outshot the Spirit 13-10 in period two and outdrew Saginaw 25-18 through 40 minutes of play. The Firebirds went 2-for-2 with the man advantage in the first two periods while holding the visitors to just one of four.

The Spirit scored quickly to start the third period off an offensive zone faceoff. The draw went back to Mitchell Smith at the left point, and he quickly redirected with a pass to Loukus at the opposite point. Loukus wasted no time feeding Hunter Haight in the left circle, and Haight's one-timer snuck past the blocker for goal number 17 of the season at 2:31.

Still trailing by a goal, Saginaw called Oke to the bench for the extra attacker with 2:40 remaining in regulation. On the tail end of an icing call against Flint, the Spirit utilized their timeout to reevaluate with 47 on the game clock. They managed a few more shots on Day, but the defense was quick to clear the rebounds beyond the blue line to chew up the waning seconds.

The Firebirds had the edge in both shots, 37-28, and faceoffs, 35-27. Saginaw managed to go 2-for-5 with the man-advantage while Flint went 2-for-4.

Next Up: In another rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals, the Windsor Spitfires visit the Dort Financial Center for a Friday night tilt. It is Dort Financial Credit Union Member night and all Credit Union members are eligible to receive a FREE ticket to the game valid only at the Dort Financial Center Box Office while supplies last. Puck drop for the contest is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) and additional tickets are still available from ETIX.

Check out the Flint Firebirds Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 26, 2023


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