Special Teams a Deciding Factor as Spits Win 6-5 in OT
Published on February 16, 2023 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
Windsor, Ont. - The Firebirds invaded the WFCU Centre Thursday evening and made a strong showing, taking the Western Conference's top team to overtime on Thursday. Amadeus Lombardi extended his points streak to 11 games (9 G, 13 A), and Gavin Hayes extended his to seven games (4 G, 6 A) with a point and an assist each. Will Cranley started between the pipes for Flint, posting 26 saves on 32 shots. Mathais Onuska recorded win number 15 for the season with a 37-save performance.
Windsor delivered the first punch, scoring back-to-back power-play tallies less than a minute apart just beyond the midway point of the first period. First, Brett Harrison was set up in the right circle and took a feed from Matthew Maggio at the left point. Harrison logged his 29th of the season off a far-side one-timer at 11:28. Alex Christopoulos was credited with the second helper. The Christopoulos potted his 36th of the campaign at 12:05 off an end-boards bounce. Rodwin Dionicio fired the initial shot that went wide to Cranley's left, and Maggio earned the second assist on the play.
The Birds scored the first even-strength marker of the night at 17:32 to cut the deficit to one. He carried up the right-wing side on an odd-man rush and elected to shoot. The puck rang off the far post and in for his sixth of his rookie season, assisted by Dmitry Kuzmin.
Neither team was satisfied with the scoreboard, so they traded a late pair of goals 12 seconds apart. Matthew Maggio netted his OHL-leading 42nd of the season off a give-and-go play with Jacob Maillet. Harrison was credited with the second assist, giving him his second point of the period.
Amadeus Lombardi charged up ice and clanged a shot off the far post from the right-wing circle seconds later. Gavin Hayes was at the bottom of the left circle to redirect the loose puck behind Onuska for his 28th at 18:44, assisted by Lombardi and Riley Piercey.
Flint entered the first intermission trailing by one, despite outshooting Windsor 10-6. They also outdrew the Spits 18-7. While the Birds went scoreless on one power-play chance, the Spitfires scored twice on three chances with the extra man.
It took 19 minutes and seven seconds for Flint to tie the game with the lone goal of the center stanza. Dmitry Kuzmin carried up the center of the zone and used a couple of head-fakes to shake his defender. He cut to the left-wing side and sniped the far corner for a bar-down goal, his 11th. Artem Guryev and Gavin Hayes combined for the assists. The goal by Kuzmin was his 29th career goal, a new franchise record for goals by a defenseman.
The Birds outshot the Spitfires 15-8 in the frame, and faceoffs went the other way 12-8. The lone second-period opportunity with the man advantage went to Flint, and they were unable to convert.
The Firebirds claimed their first lead of the evening at 1:06 of the third when Nolan Dann's shot from the left-wing half boards rebounded to Ethan Hay in the near circle. His shot lit the lamp for his 13th of the year, with Dann earning the solo helper.
Windsor knotted the score at four with a power-play marker at 7:20. Harrison showed a strong individual effort, deking around several defenders before lifting over the blocker for his 30th of the season off an assist from Dionicio.
Then, Ryan Abraham pulled the puck out of a scrum in the right corner and sent it between the circles above the hash marks. Christopoulos grabbed the rubber and turned to snap it past Onuska for goal number 37 at 12:22, giving the hometown Spitfires the 5-4 advantage.
Windsor used their lone timeout with 2:14 to play and their team on a power play. Cranley remained in the net and a highlight-reel caliber save sprung his penalty-kill squad the other way on an odd-man rush. Lombardi passed toward Tristan Bertucci on the far side from the right circle and the puck deflected off a rearguard and into the goal, tying the tilt at five with 90 seconds on the clock.
The teams went to the extra frame knotted at five. Then Maggio sprung Harrison free from the blue line in for the hat-trick goal off a breakaway at 2:59 of overtime. Final shots were 42-32 to Flint's advantage, while they also outdrew the Spifires 38-35. On special teams, Windsor scored three times on five opportunities while the Firebirds ended 0-for-3.
Up Next: The Firebirds return to the Dort Financial Center to host the Kitchener Rangers this Saturday. It will be Healthcare Heroes Night, sponsored by Sovita Credit Union. All healthcare workers and medical professionals are eligible to receive a FREE ticket to the game with proof of employment or a valid work ID. Ticket redemption is available only at the Dort Financial Center Box Office, which opens at noon today. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) Saturday and regular tickets are available now.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 16, 2023
- Spitfires Win A Wild Affair 6-5 In Overtime Against Flint - Windsor Spitfires
- Special Teams a Deciding Factor as Spits Win 6-5 in OT - Flint Firebirds
- Avon Scores, Adds Assist as Late Goal Lifts League Leading 67's to 3-2 Win Over Petes - Peterborough Petes
- Daviault Earns First Star With First Otter Goal, Coach Butler Wins First As Otters' Bench Boss In Upset At North Bay - Erie Otters
- Rangers Begin Three-Straight on the Road Friday in the Soo - Kitchener Rangers
- 2023-24 Firebirds Season Memberships Go on Sale Saturday - Flint Firebirds
- Firebirds Target Spitfires in Thursday Night Battle - Flint Firebirds
- February 16 Battalion Notes - North Bay Battalion
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