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OHL Flint Firebirds

Greyhounds Edge Firebirds in Front of Sellout Crowd, 7-3

October 7, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Flint, Mich. - The Flint Firebirds battled from behind three times before the Soo Greyhounds scored four unanswered goals en route to a 7-3 win on Saturday night at the Dort Financial Center. Jordan D'Intino led the offensive charge for the Hounds with a hat trick and a pair of helpers, followed by three-point performances by Justin Cloutier and Owen Allard. Matthew Wang struck paydirt for his first OHL goal in the contest for the Firebirds, who played in front of a sellout, standing room only crowd of 4,285.

The clubs traded a flurry of goals in a fast-paced first period. Soo started the scoring in the opening minute when a Flint defender lost an edge and fell, surrendering control of the puck to Jordan D'Intino in the right-wing corner. D'Intino rifled a pass across the slot to Bryce McConnell-Barker for a short-range one-timer that made the score 1-0.

Less than five minutes later, Jeremy Martin fired a low shot from the high slot. Miller made the pad save, but the rebound was gathered by Kaden Pitre and tucked home. His second goal of the season evened the score at one.

In the ninth minute, Jack Beck dumped the puck into the corner to Nathan Day's right from just outside the blue line along the right-wing wall. The puck bounced off the end boards and came back across the slot in front of Day. D'Intino was first on the scene, flipping the puck over the goaltender's outstretched right pad for his second of the game to put the Greyhounds back on top.

Flint again battled back though and tied the game when Daks Klinkhammer dug the puck out from below the net and fed Wang in the slot. He chipped a shot past Miller for his first career OHL goal, which squared things at 2-2.

That tie lasted only 34 seconds however as Arttu Karki was fed by Beck for a one-timer that he blasted past Day low on the blocker side, putting the Soo ahead, 3-2.

In the second period, a player from each team got tangled up on a Flint breakout attempt in the neutral zone. As the referee raised his arm in the air for a delayed penalty call against the Soo, Jeremy Martin grabbed the loose puck and skated into the Hounds' zone all alone. He faked a shot to the left before sniping an opening under Miller's glove for his second of the season which tied the game at three.

The Greyhounds then grabbed the lead for good when Owen Allard carried up the right side with an odd man rush He waited for Flint's lone defender to dive before saucering the puck across to Justin Cloutier on his left. Cloutier's one-timer was just out of the reach of Day's blocker as he slid across the goal mouth, putting Soo on top, 4-3.

D'Intino then netted his second of the night while on the power play with a on-timer on the back door, extending the lead to 5-3. They added two more in the third to extend the lead to four, first when D'Intino snuck a short side shot through Day to complete his hat trickwith an assist from McConnell-Barker. Then, Cloutier tallied a shorthanded goal for his second of the night, which pushed the score to its 7-3 final.

Flint outshot Soo, 30-27, Martin had a goal and an assist and Wang netted his first career OHL goal in the loss. Day made 20 saves on 27 shots in the loss.

COMING UP: The Firebirds will visit in-state rival Saginaw for the first time this season on Wednesday with puck drop set for 7:05 p.m. (ET) at the Dow Event Center. On Friday the team heads to Sarnia, Ont. for a battle with the Sting. Flint's next home game will be one week from tonight when they host the Guelph Storm on Hockey Fights Cancer Night, sponsored by the McLaren Flint Foundation. The team will be wearing specialty Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys during gameplay, with a live jersey auction following the contest. All proceeds will benefit the McLaren Flint Foundation.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from October 7, 2023


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