OHL Flint Firebirds

Phibbs Scores Lone Goal in Wednesday Defeat to Greyhounds

Published on March 12, 2020 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. - The Firebirds dropped a tough 4 - 1 decision to the Greyhounds in front of nearly 4,000 fans at GLF Memorial Gardens Wednesday evening. Flint held the advantage in shots through all three periods, but first-year goaltender Nick Malik was unsolvable between the pipes. Jack Phibbs scored the lone goal for the Birds in a game where communication and bad bounces got the best of his team. Anthony Popovich made 13 saves on 16 shots, with the fourth goal being scored on an empty net. The defeat halted Flint's all-time longest road-game winning-streak at 12 games.

Joe Carroll scored the first goal game at 10:52 of the opening frame. Rory Kerins carried into the offensive zone in front of the benches on the left wall on a three-on-two rush. He sent a cross-ice pass to Carroll on the far-right side. Carroll dropped to one knee to get all the power out of the one-timer from the middle of the right-wing circle. Kerins and Cole MacKay picked up the assists on the Carroll's 25th of the season.

First-period shots favored the Firebirds 9 - 5, and they held the advantage in the faceoff circles 12 - 9. Flint was unable to score on the lone power-play chance of the frame.

The Hounds went up 2 - 0 on a miscommunication between Flint's netminder and a defenseman. Sault Ste. Marie dumped the puck from their own end in an apparent icing attempt. Popovich left his crease to control the puck, and he left it for his oncoming rearguard to pick up just left of the goal crease. The defender skated past Popovich and around behind the cage without the puck. Tye Kartye was behind the Firebirds' blue-liner and he picked up the loose puck instead. As the Flint netminder scrambled to get into position, Kartye wrapped the puck around the right pad and in for his 25th of the season at 13:19, unassisted.

Despite leading 22 - 9 on the shot-clock after 40 minutes, the Firebirds found themselves trailing 2 - 0 on the scoreboard. Faceoffs favored the Greyhounds 24 - 18, and Flint was scoreless in two chances with the man-advantage.

The Soo scored their third marker on the power play at 16:02 of the third period. Robert Calisti blasted a heavy slapper that went over the Flint net and rebounded back toward the slot. Jaromir Pytlik was there to battle briefly with a defender before knocking the puck home for his 22nd of the campaign, assisted by Calisti and Billy Constantinou.

The Firebirds lit the lamp late in the third period with Popovich on the bench for an extra attacker. Cody Morgan won an offensive-zone faceoff back to Tyler Tucker (St. Louis Blues) at the right point. Tucker wound up and unleashed a slapper on net through traffic. Soo netminder Nick Malik made the initial save but Jack Phibbs was in position to deflect the rebound back into the net for his 16th of the season, logged at 17:27.

Calisti potted Sault Ste. Marie's fourth of the night at 19:27 after Popovich was pulled a second time. Ryan O'Rourke and Carroll combined for the assists on the power-play tally, Calisti's 18th.

Final shots were 32 for Flint to 17 for the Hounds. The Soo scored twice on four power-play opportunities in the contest and held the Birds scoreless on five chances. The advantage in faceoffs ended at 38 - 24 for the Greyhounds.

Next for Flint, the Firebirds will travel to London, Ont. Thursday for a Friday night tilt versus the Knights. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (ET) at an expected sold-out Budweiser Gardens (cap. 9,046).

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