Firebirds Visit Spirit Wednesday Night for Game 3 of I-75 Divide Cup
November 8, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
FLINT, Mich. - The Firebirds head north on I-75 on Wednesday to take on their in-state rival the Saginaw Spirit, looking to extend their six-game point streak. Flint is also hunting its second-straight win over Saginaw and the edge in the Coors Light I-75 Divide Cup, which is currently even at one win apiece. Saginaw played an afternoon 'School Day Game' in Sarnia on Tuesday, escaping with a 3-2 victory. Tonight they host a Flint team that's been on a hot streak with points in eight of its last nine. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Dow Event Center.
LAST TIME OUT: The Firebirds dropped the first-place Mississauga Steelheads on home ice Sunday 5-1. Gavin Hayes and Coulson Pitre scored twice and Braeden Kressler had a goal and an assist in the tilt. Hayes and Giroux each extended their point streaks to 11 games as Kressler logged his sixth consecutive game with multiple points. Nathan Day recorded 30 saves on 31 shots for his sixth win of the year.
KRESSLER'S BIG WEEK: In Flint's three games last week, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Braeden Kressler scored two goals, assisted on five tallies, and finished with a +3 plus/minus rating. He also collected his 100th career OHL point amid his active six-game point streak (5 G, 8 A). He also leads the Birds with a 55.1% faceoff percentage. Kressler was named the Cogeco OHL Player of the Week for his performance.
SERIES HISTORY: The Firebirds hold an all-time mark of 27-33-1-3 versus their rivals. In road contests, the record sits at 14-18-0-0. Last year, Flint earned points in four of the eight meetings and ended 3-4-1-0 against Saginaw. Both teams have one win in the current best-of-eight I-75 Divide Cup series, presented by Coors Light.
SCOUTING THE SPIRIT: (6-7-0-1, 4th West Division) -
Forward Hunter Haight and defenseman Zayne Parekh are tied atop the scoresheet for the Spirit with 17 points apiece. Haight, a Minnesota Wild prospect, has five goals and 12 assists, whereas Parekh has three tallies with 14 helpers. Parekh is tied with the second-most power-play assists in the league with eight. Michael Misa (8 G, 8 A) and Calem Mangone (5 G, 11 A) are tied for third on Saginaw's roster with 16 points each.
Goaltender Nolan Lalonde has appeared in 12 contests this season, earning two victories and a 3.96 goals-against average with a .854 save percentage. Andrew Oke made his return to action on Tuesday in Sarnia and now has four wins in eight appearances. His GAA is 3.02 and his SV% stands at .889.
The Spirit rank first on the power play with a 34.9% conversion rate. They're second on the penalty kill, shutting down the opposition at an 88.7% clip.
SCOUTING THE FIREBIRDS: (7-6-1-1, 2nd West Division) -
Giroux continues to pace the Firebirds in scoring as he now has eight goals and ten assists through 15 games. Kressler has quickly climbed the ranks since joining the club in the second week of the season. He now has 17 points (7 G, 10 A) through 12 contests. Chicago Blackhawks signee Hayes leads the club with ten goals and has 15 points through 13 games. Hayes is tied for the second-most game-winning tallies in the league, now with three, and he's tied for fourth in plus/minus rating (+12) and eighth for total goals scored. Defenseman Tristan Bertucci leads the Firebirds in plus/minus rating and is tied for second in the league at a +14.
Between the pipes, Day has six wins through 13 contests. His goals-against average now stands at 3.93 and he carries a save percentage of .857. Rookie Jacob Brown has one win in three appearances and sports a 5.76 GAA and an .810 SV%.
The Firebirds' power play ranks 18th in the OHL with an 11.9% rate of conversion. The penalty kill is 15th at 78.0%. They've scored the third-most shorthanded makers with four.
BROADCAST COVERAGE: This evening'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 6:45 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 will play three more road games in Guelph, Erie, and London before returning to home ice on Saturday, November 18. That night the Owen Sound Attack come to town for the first time this season, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from November 8, 2023
- Jackson Parsons and Rangers Shut Out Owen Sound - Kitchener Rangers
- Firebirds Fall in Saginaw, 6-2 - Flint Firebirds
- Parekh Notches First Career Hat Trick in 6-2 Win Over Flint - Saginaw Spirit
- Niagara IceDogs Week Recap - Niagara IceDogs
- Firebirds Visit Spirit Wednesday Night for Game 3 of I-75 Divide Cup - Flint Firebirds
- OHL and Fat Bastard Burrito Announce Multi-Year Partnership - OHL
- Kitchener Heads to Owen Sound for Fourth Matchup of the Season - Kitchener Rangers
- Spirit Seek Season Series Lead against Flint Wednesday Night - Saginaw Spirit
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.
