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OHL Flint Firebirds

Spitfires Take Down Firebirds 9-3

February 8, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


The Firebirds dropped their second straight game, this time against first-place Spitfires. Three different Firebirds recorded multi-point nights, Tyler Deline recorded two assists while Braeden Kressler and Ethan Hay each tallied a goal and an assist. Alex Christopoulos netted a hat trick for the Spits, and Brett Harrison led all skaters with five points to his night (2 G, 3 A). Ryan Abraham and Matthew Maggio each recorded 3 helpers. Nathan Day got the nod for the Birds, stopping 35 of 44 shots. Joey Costanzo started for the Spitfires, stopping 38 of 41 shots and earning his 18th win on the season.

The Firebirds wasted no time getting on the board in this one. An attempted dump of the puck by Windsor deflected off the shin pads of Firebirds defenseman Tyler Deline. The over-ager started the quick transition, sending a cross-ice pass to Ethan Hay on the right side of the red line. Hay crossed into the Spitfire zone and hit a trailing Braeden Kressler. He toe dragged and let it rip from the top of the right-side face-off circle, beating Costanzo on the high glove side and getting Flint on the board. The first shot on net for the Birds ended up being the go-ahead and gave Flint a 1-0 lead just 54 seconds into the first.

A few minutes later Deline started the breakout again, this time from behind the Flint net. The puck deflected off Kressler's stick and past the Windsor defenseman into open ice. He gathered the puck with speed and in-stride, starting a 2-on-1 rush with Slavicek crashing the net to his left. Kressler let a shot rip from just inside the right-side face-off dot that was stopped by Costanzo, but the rebound found its way back out front and onto the stick of a trailing Hay. The second-year forward buried the second-chance goal and doubled the Firebird's lead not even four minutes into the game.

Windsor would get a chance on the powerplay 13:12 into the first due to a Firebirds tripping call. Following a Flint clear halfway into the kill, Boston Bruins prospect Brett Harrison started in his own end with the puck and a full head of steam. He entered the zone. Harrison sent a beautiful pass through the slot to Alex Christopoulos, who was crashing to the far post. Christopoulos tapped in the back-door feed and got Windsor on the board for the first time with 5:45 remaining in the first.

The momentum began sliding over to the Spitfire bench. With just over four minutes remaining in the opening frame, Matthew Maggio would direct a pass over to Jacob Maillet, who entered the offensive zone in the middle lane. Maillet quickly passed it over to Harrison, who was standing near the right faceoff circle. Harrison put the puck toward the net and back onto the stick of Maggio in the low slot. His shot bounced around in the crease, and Harrison was there to clean it up to knot the game back up at two apiece heading into the break.

Windsor picked up right where they left off after the intermission. The Spits took their first lead of the game just 3:19 into the middle frame. The Birds mishandled the puck in the left-side corner of their own end, resulting in Spitfire forward Colton Smith getting a feed from Liam Greentree in the left side of the slot. His shot found the back of the net and gave Windsor the lead, 3-2.

The Spitfires did not stop there. Just under a minute and a half later Windsor found themselves set up once again in the Flint end. Windsor defenseman Rodwin Dionicio made a cross-ice pass from the left side half wall to forward Oliver Peer. Peer let a wrister go at the net. The save was made but the rebound bounced around and found the stick of a driving Dionicio, making it four unanswered for the Spits.

The Birds had an answer just under seven minutes into the frame. The puck was dug out of the right-side offensive zone corner by Piercey and found its way onto the stick of Gavin Hayes in the high slot. Hayes sent a low puck toward the net, where Amadeus Lombardi picked it up near the top of the crease. Lombardi was patient with the puck in prime position, waiting and wrapping the puck with his backhand around the Spitfire netminder for his 32nd of the year.

Windsor would go back on the powerplay again just one minute later. From there, Dionicio again had the puck atop the blue for the Spits. Dionicio found a wide-open Harrison on the right side faceoff dot. The Bruins prospect released a rocket at the net, scoring his second of the game and 28th of the season making it 5-3 with 12:01 to play in the second.

With just over seven minutes left in the second period Windsor started a rush from their own end. The puck eventually ended up on the stick of Brett Harrison, entering the zone on the left side of the blue line. Harrison showed great patience and sent a saucer pass through the slot to a crashing Jacob Maillet. Maillet tapped the puck through the five-hole of Day. The goal capped off a four-goal period by Windsor and extended the Spitfire lead to three, 6-3 heading into the break.

The third period started fairly similar to the second for both teams. The Spitfires broke out of their own zone, hitting a cutting Maggio in the middle of the neutral zone. He found Harrison who sent a beauty of a touch pass across the blue line, perfectly hitting the blade of Maillet. Maillet walked into the zone and found the back of the net, making it 7-3 Windsor 1:18 into the third.

Windsor kept the pressure on the Birds. Abraham dumped the puck into the zone, and a forechecking Oliver Peer was able to get to it and leave it for a trailing Alex Christopoulos. Christopoulos grabbed the puck from the corner and netted a beautiful backhand goal. Christopoulous's second of the game stretched the Windsor lead to 8-3 with 15:22 remaining.

Windsor added another goal to the board nearly five minutes later. Abraham carried the puck through the neutral zone and delivered a backdoor strike to Christopoulos on the far post, getting the Spitfire forward his hattrick and 33rd goal on the year. Windsor now led 9-3 with just over 10 minutes remaining to play.

The final shots read 41 from Flint and 44 from Windsor. The Firebirds had the edge on the draw, winning 37 to Windsor's 28. Windsor went 2-for-2 with the man advantage while the Firebirds finished 0-for-3 on the night.

Up Next: The Firebirds hit the road again for three games, beginning in Guelph Friday and then Owen Sound Saturday. Next Thursday they'll battle the Spitfires again in Windsor. Flint's next home game is Saturday, February 18 when the Kitchener Rangers are in town for a 7:00 p.m. (ET) start time.

Check out the Flint Firebirds Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 8, 2023


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