Game Day: Game 3, Firebirds at Rangers - 7 p.m.
October 4, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
GAME 3 - Firebirds at Rangers
Kitchener Memorial Auditorium
Kitchener, Ontario
7 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT: Connor Clattenburg scored in the first period but the London Knights grabbed control with a pair of second period goals and went on to beat the Firebirds, 5-2, on Saturday night at the Dort Financial Center. Chris Thibodeau dished out a pair of assists in the loss as the Firebirds split the home-and-home weekend with the Rangers.
SAVE THE PUCK: Rylan Fellinger scored in the third period of Saturday's loss to the London Knights, his first career OHL goal. Fellinger's tally came in the 60th game of his OHL career; he finished his rookie year in 2023-24 with four assists over 58 games played. He has one goal and is +1 in two games thus far this season.
HOT START: Through two games as a Firebird, offseason acquisitions Chris Thibodeau and Nolan Collins are tied for the team lead with five points each. Collins has two goals and three assists, including a four-point outing (2 G, 2 A) in his first game as a Firebird last Friday in London. Thibodeau handed out three assists in the opener in London and had two more on Saturday night. His five assists are tied for second in the OHL.
AT THE AUD: The Firebirds and Rangers are set to meet for the first time this season on Friday night. Two of Flint's next three games will come against Kitchener as the Rangers will be in Flint on Wednesday. The Firebirds went 1-3-0-0 against Kitchener in the 2023-24 season, including a 1-1-0-0 mark on the road. Flint is 14-16-3-0 all-time against the Rangers and holds a record of 8-6-2-0 in Kitchener.
REBUILDING RANGERS?: Kitchener is coming off a pair of losses, 5-2 to Erie and 12-2 to Windsor, during OHL Opening Week. The Rangers lost nine players in the offseason to graduation or trades and have 14 players on their current roster who were born in either 2007 or 2008.
ODDS AND ENDS: Firebirds defenseman Blake Smith was suspended for two games by the OHL on Tuesday. He will miss Friday and Saturday night's games...Kitchener's Max Dirracolo and Andrew Vermeulen were also suspended for two games by the OHL on Tuesday and will not play on Friday or in Kitchener's game at Owen Sound on Saturday... Flint went 1-for-10 on the power play on Saturday, the most power plays they have attempted since they had 10 on Nov 10, 2023 at Saginaw. Flint also went 1-for-10 in that game, which was a 6-2 loss.
UP NEXT: Flint will return home to take on the Sarnia Sting on home ice on Saturday. The Firebirds will debut their new alternate jersey and puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center.
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