Rangers Edge Birds in OT in Game 1, 4-3

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OHL Flint Firebirds

Rangers Edge Birds in OT in Game 1, 4-3

March 28, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Flint Firebirds' Jeremy Martin on game night
Flint Firebirds' Jeremy Martin on game night
(Flint Firebirds, Credit: Abby Kibler)

KITCHENER, Ont. - Matthew Wang, Matthew Mania and Nathan Aspinall each scored, and the Firebirds forced overtime but they were beaten by the Kitchener Rangers in OT, 4-3 on Friday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. The Firebirds fell behind in the best-of-seven series, 1-0.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Flint opened the scoring late in the first period after winning a neutral zone faceoff. Josh Colosimo took a hit as he found Wang who burst into the Kitchener zone. Wang snapped a shot that beat Jackson Parsons low on the blocker side and the Firebirds took a 1-0 lead.

Kitchener responded with a pair of second period goals to take the lead. First, with the Rangers on a power play, Adrian Misaljevic threw a shot toward the front of the net where Trent Swick was camped. He redirected the puck past Nathan Day to tie the game. Just over a minute later, Luca Romano and Andrew Vermeulen passed the puck back and forth as they worked into the attacking zone. Romano hit Vermeulen for a shot that beat Day high, and the Rangers took a 2-1 lead.

The Firebirds quickly responded though as Mania gathered the puck at center ice and carried it into the attacking zone. He deked around a Kitchener defenseman and put a backhand-forehand move on Parsons for a dazzling goal that evened the score at two.

Kitchener took the lead again in the third period on Swick's second goal of the game. A Flint pass was intercepted in the defensive zone and Christian Humphreys sent the puck to Swick in front of the net. Swick darted a shot high past Day and the Rangers were on top, 3-2.

Flint again answered though less than one minute later. Jimmy Lombardi carried the puck into the offensive zone, drew the defense and found the trailing Aspinall at the left faceoff dot. Aspinall one-timed a shot high past Parsons' glove, tying the game at three.

From there the game moved to overtime and it was the Rangers who struck for the game-winning goal. Misaljevic dug the puck off the wall and hit the trailing Romano at the left circle. Romano moved the puck to his backhand and flipped the puck past Day's blocker for the game-winning goal, giving the Rangers a 1-0 series lead.

POSTGAME NOTES:

Matthew Wang's goal was his second career playoff goal and his first since February 21...Nathan Day made 29 saves on 33 shots...Nathan Aspinall finished with a goal and an assist and was the only Firebird with multiple points in the game.

UP NEXT:

The Firebirds and Rangers will meet for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on Sunday afternoon in Kitchener. Puck drop at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Check out the Flint Firebirds Statistics




Images from this story

Flint Firebirds' Jeremy Martin on game night
Flint Firebirds' Jeremy Martin on game night
(Abby Kibler)		   

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 28, 2025


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