
Preview: Firebirds Host Saginaw in Flint Friday
January 10, 2020 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
Flint, Mich. - After defeating their in-state rivals on the road Wednesday night, the Firebirds will host the Spirit in Flint Friday night. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center (cap. 4,400).
Friday night marks the sixth of eight regular-season meetings annually between these clubs, and the third of four in Flint. When these clubs met in Saginaw on September 21, the FirebirdsÃÂ scored fourÃÂ unanswered goals to spoil their in-state rivals' opening night. After that, the Spirit won three straight including two wins in Flint before the Firebirds won this past Wednesday in Saginaw. TwoÃÂ of the five games played in the series thus far have been decided by a single goal, including Flint's win Wednesday night.
SaginawÃÂ currently holds a 3 - 2 lead in the season series heading into game six Friday night. All-time, FlintÃÂ is 12-23-0-2 against the Spirit and 6-9-0-2 at the Dort Federal Event Center. For the fifth consecutive season, the team who wins the most regular-season meetings between the two clubs will take home the coveted I-75 Divide Cup,ÃÂ sponsored by Coors Light. In each of the first two seasons, the Cup remained in Flint. The Spirit claimed the Cup the last two seasons, thus tying the Cup series at two wins each heading into this year.
Saginaw carries a record of 23-12-2-2 and ranks second in the West Division. Flint's record stands at 21-15-1-0, ranking them third in the West Division. In the 10-team Western Conference, Saginaw is seeded third and the 'Birds are currently sixth. The Spirit are 9-5-2-0 in away games compared to Flint's 13-7-1-0 record on home ice. The Firebirds have gone 4-5-1-0 in their last ten games and Saginaw went 8-2-0-0. The 'Birds have won two straight games and picked up points in their last three.
On special teams, the Spirit rank 17thÃÂ with the man-advantage, converting on 18.7% of their opportunities. The Firebirds are scoring at a 16.3% clip on the power play. When shorthanded, Saginaw has the seventh-best penalty kill (PK) at 80.0%. The Firebirds are now killing penalties at a rate of 81.1%, which ranks fifthÃÂ in the league. On home ice, the 'Birds have the OHL's top PK with a success rate of 87.1%.
Players to Watch:
Flint Firebirds (21-15-1-0, 3rdÃÂ West Division):
Belarusian forward Evgeniy Oksentyuk tops the club with 19 goals and 25 assists for 44 points in 32 contests. He's currently on a 14-game point streak (11G, 14A), which ties him for the all-time Firebirds' record of 14 games with Kole Sherwood.
Defenseman Riley McCourt recently surpassed former Firebird Matt Henderson for most goals scored by a defenseman in a Firebirds' uniform with 21 pots in the orange and navy blue. McCourt's 85 total points with Flint are just five shy of tying the record for all-time points by a Firebirds' rearguard. For this season, McCourt is second in total offense with 11 goals and a team-high 29 assists for 40 total points in 37 games. His total points are fourth-most among OHL rearguards, his 11 tallies are tied for fifth, and his 29 helpers are fifth. McCourt also has also scored the first goal of the game three times this season, the most by any defenseman.
Behind McCourt is a trio of defenders with NHL ties. The newest addition to the blue-line troops is Tyler Tucker (St. Louis Blues). Tucker has eight goals and 21 assists through 29 games-played. His point total is eighth among all defensemen in the league. Vladislav Kolyachonok (Florida Panthers) has 20 total points (8G, 12A) and Dennis Busby (Arizona Coyotes) has 18 points (5G, 13A).
Ty Dellandrea (Dallas Stars) rejoins the club after winning a gold medal with Team Canada at the IIHF World U20 Championship (World Juniors) played in the Czech Republic. Prior to leaving Flint to join team Canada, Dellandrea scored an impressive six goals and five assists in his final three contests. For the season, he ranks third for Flint with 17 goals and 20 helpers in 27 games.
Brennan Othmann tops the Firebirds' rookie class and ranks inside the top-10 among all OHL rookies in several categories. His eight goals and his 11 assists are both tied for seventh-most and his 19 total points are tied for eighth among the OHL's freshman class. He also ranks sixth among first-year players with a points-per-game average of 0.66.
Between the pipes, Anthony Popovich has played in 27 games this season. He's earned 15 victories, which are tied for the fourth-most in OHL. His goals-against average (GAA) is 3.68 and he' tied for the eighth-best save-percentage (SAV%) in the league at .900. Luke Cavallin has six wins in 13 appearances, and he carries a 3.83 GAA with a .896 SAV%.
NHL:ÃÂ The Firebirds have five players with NHL ties consisting of Dennis Busby (Arizona Coyotes), Ty Dellandrea (Dallas Stars), Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks), Vladislav Kolyachonok (Florida Panthers) and Tyler Tucker (St. Louis Blues).
Despite Flint beingÃÂ inÃÂ the midst of just theirÃÂ fifthÃÂ OHL season, three former Firebirds have already played in NHL regular-season games:ÃÂ Nick CaamanoÃÂ (Dallas Stars), Alex Nedeljkovic (Carolina Hurricanes) and Kole Sherwood (Columbus Blue Jackets). Ty Dellandrea (Dallas Stars), Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks), Vili Saarijarvi (Arizona Coyotes) and Jalen Smereck (Arizona Coyotes) have played in NHL pre-season contests. In total, the team has produced an impressive 18 drafted or signed NHL players in that short time.
Saginaw Spirit (23-12-2-2, 2ndÃÂ West Division):
Cole Perfetti has played in 38 games this season and leads the Spirit in both assists (42) and total points (64). He ranks third in the OHL in both categories. Perfetti is considered a top-prospect and is projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, and he's currently on a nine-game point streak (7G, 12A). Cole Coskey (New York Islanders) ranks second on the club with 49 total points (20G, 29A). Damien GirouxÃÂ (Minnesota Wild) is third with 41 points, including a team-high 24 tallies which is tied for the tenth-most goals-scored in the OHL. Giroux is also tied for tenth with eight power-play markers.
Saginaw's top defender on the score sheet is Ilya Solovyov, who has three goals and 25 assists in 30 games. His assists are tied for ninth-most among OHL blue-liners, and his 28 total points rank 10th. First-year forward Ethan Cardwell tops the freshman class for Saginaw with 12 goals and nine assists through 37 games-played. His 21 points are tied for sixth-most among all rookies, and his 12 goals are tied for third.
In net, Marshall Frappier and Tristan Lennox have each appeared in 20 contests. Frappier has 13 wins, including two shutouts. His save-percentage (SAV%) is .886 and his goals-against average (GAA) of 3.25 is the league's seventh-best. Tristan Lennox ten wins and a .874 SAV% with a 3.70 GAA.
NHL:ÃÂ The Spirit have fiveÃÂ players with NHL ties on their roster, consisting of Jackson, Mich. native Blade Jenkins (New York Islanders), Cole Coskey (New York Islanders), Damien Giroux (Minnesota Wild), Mason Millman (Philadelphia Flyers), Reilly Webb (Detroit Red Wings) and Bode Wilde (New York Islanders). Additionally, Cole Perfetti and Ilya Solovyov were named to the 2020 NHL Central Scouting November 'Players to Watch' list.
12 notable Spirit alumni to play in the NHL are Cody Bass, Paul Bissonnette, T.J. Brodie, Matt Corrente, Filip Hronek, Jan Mursak, Jamie Oleksiak, Dalton Prout, Tom Pyatt, Brandon Saad, Chris Thorburn and Vincent Trocheck.
Broadcast Coverage:
FridayÃÂ evening's contest against Saginaw can be heardÃÂ live on the radio throughout Flint & Mid-Michigan on US 103.1 FM, online atÃÂ www.us103.comÃÂ or by downloading theÃÂ US 103 app here. Firebirds' broadcasterÃÂ Dominic HennigÃÂ will call the play-by-play action and Jack Sznewajs will provide color commentary on the Firebirds Hockey Network (FHN). Pregame coverage will begin 30 minutes prior to puck drop at 6:30 p.m.ÃÂ New this season, fans can watch the FHN TV Pregame Show live onÃÂ FacebookÃÂ andÃÂ Twitter, also beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The game will also be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on channel 463 forÃÂ Cogeco TV and Rogers TV cable subscribers. OHL fans with cable television in Ontario can add the OHL Action Pak to their television plan to catch the Firebirds in action, home or away all season long. Along withÃÂ Friday's game, 65 of the Firebirds' 68 games throughout the 2019-20 seasonÃÂ are also scheduled to be televised live across the province of OntarioÃÂ on the OHL Action Pak.
Through Saginaw's partnership, the game will also be televised on a tape-delayed basis throughout Mid-Michigan on Sunday,ÃÂ DecemberÃÂ 15th at 6 p.m. (ET) on WNEM-TV5 Plus. The channel can be found on 5.2 via antennae over the air, channel 199 for Charter Cable subscribers and channel 4 for Comcast/Xfinity cable subscribers.
All Flint Firebirds home and away games throughout the 2019-20 season can be watched anywhere in the world online onÃÂ www.ohllive.comÃÂ or on theÃÂ OHL Live app.ÃÂ OHL Live is a league video streaming platform that delivers high quality live and on-demand coverage of all regular season and playoff games annually. The cost is $6.99 per game, $69.99 for Flint Firebirds away games only, $149.99 for all 68 home and away Firebirds games and $179.99 for all 1,360 OHL games throughout the 2019-20 season.
Next Home Game:
Flint hosts the West-Division leading Windsor Spitfires Saturday night. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) at the Dort Federal Event Center.
Single game tickets for all Firebirds games are $12 Bronze, $16 Silver, $20 Gold and $26 VIP seating (Seating Chart). All seats are reserved / assigned seating. Fans can purchase tickets by callingÃÂ (810) 744-0580, in-person at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center Box Office or online atÃÂ ticketmaster.com here.
Saginaw Spirit at Flint Firebirds
Date | Time ÃÂ Friday, Jan. 10th | 7:00 p.m.
Location ÃÂ Flint, Mich.ÃÂ | Dort Federal Event Center (Directions)
Tickets ÃÂ Ticketmaster.comÃÂ | (810) 744-0580
TV - OHL Action Pak: Live Cogeco ch. 463 & Rogers ch. 463 (Ontario)
- WNEM-TV5 Plus: Delayed 8:00pm Sunday Jan. 12 (Michigan)
-ÃÂ Firebirds' Broadcast Coverage
Video Stream -ÃÂ TV Pregame ShowÃÂ (6:30pm)
-ÃÂ OHL Live
Radio ÃÂ WQUSÃÂ 103.1 FMÃÂ (Flint & Mid-Michigan) | Pregame Show: 6:30p
Radio (Mobile) ÃÂ US 103 App:ÃÂ AndroidÃÂ |ÃÂ iPhone/iPad
Next Home Game Saturday,ÃÂ January 11th:ÃÂ Windsor
Social Media ÃÂ @FlintFirebirdsÃÂ ÃÂ |ÃÂ FacebookÃÂ ÃÂ |ÃÂ InstagramÃÂ
Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 10, 2020
- Wolves Overrun Battalion - North Bay Battalion
- Fronts Take Shootout Victory over the Attack - Kingston Frontenacs
- Oksentyuk Sets Franchise-Record in Firebirds Defeat Friday - Flint Firebirds
- Owen Sound Earn Point, Fall 3-2 in Shootout to Kingston - Owen Sound Attack
- 15 Total Goals Scored in Crazy 67's Win over Guelph - Ottawa 67's
- Spirit Remain Dominant in Flint After 7-4 Victory - Saginaw Spirit
- Rangers Keep Rolling with 5-2 Win over the IceDogs - Kitchener Rangers
- Colts Fall Short on the Road against Knights - Barrie Colts
- IceDogs Put up Strong Effort Despite Loss to Rangers - Niagara IceDogs
- Steelheads Fall in Soo - Brampton Steelheads
- Minnesota Wild Propsect Lodnia Named 13th Captain in Niagara IceDogs History - Niagara IceDogs
- Game Preview: Guelph Storm vs. Ottawa 67's - Guelph Storm
- Game Day Preview: Spirit Take on Firebirds in Flint Friday - Saginaw Spirit
- Wolves Acquire Rights to Jacklin - Sudbury Wolves
- Greyhounds Receive Commitment from Malik - Soo Greyhounds
- Troops Busy at Deadline - North Bay Battalion
- Rangers and Greyhounds Complete Trade - Kitchener Rangers
- Petes Acquire Defenceman Jack York from the Barrie Colts - Peterborough Petes
- Hounds Send Rights to Jacklin to Sudbury - Soo Greyhounds
- Hounds, Rangers Complete Deal Involving Wale - Soo Greyhounds
- IceDogs Acquire Former 2nd Round Pick Cameron Peters from Battalion - Niagara IceDogs
- Spirit Acquire Carolina First Round Pick Suzuki in Trade with Barrie - Saginaw Spirit
- Preview: Firebirds Host Saginaw in Flint Friday - Flint Firebirds
- Deadline Deals on Defence - North Bay Battalion
- Storm Acquire Defenceman Martin Has from North Bay for Picks - Guelph Storm
- Knights Trade Avery Winslow to North Bay Battalion - London Knights
- Owen Sound Attacks as Petes Fall 5-2 - Peterborough Petes
- Spitfires Fall to Generals 6-3 - Windsor Spitfires
- Steelheads Blank Troops - North Bay Battalion
- Wolves Shut out the Colts at Home - Barrie Colts
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.
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