McCue's Hat Trick Powers Birds Past Spitfires, 5-1

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OHL Flint Firebirds

McCue's Hat Trick Powers Birds Past Spitfires, 5-1

January 30, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Flint Firebirds celebrate against the Windsor Spitfires
Flint Firebirds celebrate against the Windsor Spitfires
(Flint Firebirds, Credit: Windsor Spitfires)

WINDSOR, Ont. - Sam McCue scored a hat trick, Nathan Day made 30 saves on 31 shots and the Flint Firebirds hammered the Windsor Spitfires, 5-1, on Thursday night at the WFCU Centre. Day earned his 62nd career win, matching the Firebirds franchise record for wins by a goaltender.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Windsor opened the scoring in the first period with a power play tally. Anthony Cristoforo took a pass at the blue line, waited a beat, then fired a slap shot. It snuck through traffic in front of the net and beat Day to make the score 1-0.

Flint answered in the final minute of the opening period when Matthew Mania sent a stretch pass to Chris Thibodeau, who gained the zone with an odd-man rush. Thibodeau fed the trailing McCue for a quick wrister from the right circle. It darted high past Carter Froggett and the Birds evened things at one.

The Firebirds then took the lead in the second period on a pair of power play goals. First, Jimmy Lombardi won a faceoff to Mania who skated to the point. He fed Nathan Aspinall for a one-timer from the top of the right circle. Aspinall's shot beat Froggett on the short side to put the Firebirds on top. Later, again with the Firebirds on the power play, Urban Podrekar tracked down the puck high in the attacking zone. He slid a pass to McCue at the bottom of the right circle. McCue blasted a one-timer from a sharp angle that got through Froggett and the Flint lead grew to 3-1.

That lead held until late in the third and the Spitfires pulled Froggett for an extra attacker with less than three minutes to go. Rylan Fellinger quickly grabbed a loose puck though and slung it for the empty net from his own blue line. The puck bounced into the open cage and the lead was three. Then, in the final minute, McCue churned into the attacking zone and put a shot on net. Froggett stopped it but the rebound bounced back to McCue who lifted a backhander high over Froggett's shoulder for the hat trick, which pushed the score to its 5-1 final.

The Firebirds improved to 20-22-2-2 in the win while Windsor dropped to 33-11-2-1 with its loss.

POSTGAME NOTES:

Sam McCue's hat trick was the first of his OHL career. It was also the first by a Firebird this season...Matthew Mania had three assists, his fourth three-point game of the season and his third in the past six games...the Firebirds went 2-for-4 on the power play, the fourth time this season they have scored multiple power play goals in a game...Windsor's loss was only its fourth of the season on home ice. The Spitfires are 18-3-0-1 at the WFCU Centre.

UP NEXT:

Flint will head home on Friday night to take on the Kitchener Rangers. Puck drop at the Dort Financial Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Check out the Flint Firebirds Statistics




Images from this story

Flint Firebirds celebrate against the Windsor Spitfires
Flint Firebirds celebrate against the Windsor Spitfires
(Windsor Spitfires)		   

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 30, 2025


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