Rangers Drop Firebirds in Game 4, 5-1

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OHL Flint Firebirds

Rangers Drop Firebirds in Game 4, 5-1

April 3, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


FLINT - Connor Clattenburg scored his first goal of the playoffs, but the Flint Firebirds were unable to defeat the Kitchener Rangers in Game 4 of the series at Dort Financial Center on Thursday night. The Rangers increased their lead to 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

After a scoreless first period, Kitchener turned up the heat in the second. Jack Pridham received the puck from Luca Romano in the neutral zone and skated it across the blue line. He took a shot from the left faceoff circle that snuck behind Nathan Day and clattered into the net, putting Kitchener up, 1-0.

Minutes later, the Rangers' offense struck again. Luke Ellinas skated the puck into the zone and snapped it from the goal line to Tanner Lam, who was waiting in front of the net. Lam tapped it behind Day's pads and across the line to increase Kitchener's lead to 2-0.

Clattenburg scored Flint's lone goal as five-on-three Rangers power play expired. He stole the puck at the blue line from a Kitchener defenseman and drove towards the net on a breakaway. At the last second he sent the puck to Alex Kostov, who shot it right back so Clattenburg could tap it in for the Birds' only goal of the night. The second period ended with Kitchener in front, 2-1.

Despite keeping it close for the first 40 minutes, Flint couldn't hold Kitchener back in the third. Three minutes in, Trent Swick grabbed the puck on center ice, skating it forward and sending a wrist shot pinging off of the goalpost and into the net, pushing the score to 3-1.

On a power play halfway through the period, Christian Humphries gathered a pass from Jakub Chromiak at the blue line and slammed a shot from behind the left faceoff circle into the corner of the net, making the Rangers' lead 4-1.

Kitchener scored the final tally of the night on a late-game power play when Matthew Hlacar put a rebound past Day, bringing the final score to 5-1.

POSTGAME NOTES:

Connor Clattenburg scored his first goal of the series... Trent Swick leads the series in points with four goals and five assists... Flint was outshot 36 to 24 and Nathan Day made 31 saves on 36 shots.

UP NEXT:

Flint is headed to Kitchener for Game 5 of the series on Friday night. Puck drop from the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium is set for 7 p.m.


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