Shorthanded Attack take 6-4 Win in Flint
The Owen Sound Attack entered the Dort Financial Centre in Flint shorthanded, dressing just 17 skaters and missing key players including Colby Barlow, Gavin Bryant, Kaleb Lawrence, Madden Steen and Tomislav Brennan and came away with a solid 6-4 victory thanks to goals from six different players. Attack goal scorers included James Petrovski, Thomas Chafe, Landen Hookey, Deni Goure, Servac Petrovsky, and Cedrick Guindon, while overage goaltender Nick Chenard made 32 of 36 saves.
The Owen Sound played a solid first period pressuring the Firebirds throughout the period. James Petrovski opened the scoring with his second goal in as many days a little over five minutes in with another elusive shot from the point to make it 1-0. The score stayed this way until the Firebird Pitre brothers tallied back-to-back goals, first off the stick of Coulson Pitre to tie it up, then Coulson set up Kaden to make it 2-1 for the Firebirds. They did not hold the lead for long as just 16 seconds later Thomas Chafe would capitalize on a breakaway opportunity to tie it back up at 2. A minute and a half later Landen Hookey converted on a Deni Goure pass from behind the net to restore the Attack’s 1 goal lead.
After a period that saw the Attack dictate the play, the Flint Firebirds came out with some push back, however, the Bears were able to handle the early pressure thanks to some timely saves by Nick Chenard and a solid play to break up what would have been a breakaway by rookie defensemen Braedyn Rogers. As the period progressed both teams had chances and the play flowed from end to end. It was the Attack tallying the periods only goal, a one-timer from the point by Servac Petrovsky on the power play to make it 4-2 after 40 minutes.
After a period with little scoring, both teams responded by finding the back of the net a combined four times in the third. Flint recorded the first of the periods goals when a Matthew Jenken point shot took a funny bounce past Attack goalkeeper Nick Chenard, cutting the Attack lead to one. A little over five minutes later, the Attack took advantage of a bounce into the front of the net off a long clearing attempt, that Deni Goure was able to redirect past Will Cranley. The shorthanded marker put the Attack back up by two, but this too was short lived, when just four minutes later Artem Guryev fired a cross ice pass past an outstretch Chenard to make it 5-4 with just under 10 minutes to play. The Attack would weather the storm the rest of the way thanks to some timely defence and saves by overage goaltender Nick Chenard. Cedrick Guindon would net the empty netter to seal the victory with 10 seconds remaining, making the final 6-4 for the Attack.
The Attack will now head to Saginaw to close out the 2022-23 OHL regular season with a 5:30pm Sunday night game. Reminder, this game will not be broadcast on Rogers Grey County Channel 53 but can be heard on 560CFOS Bear Radio or streamed on OHL Live.
Playoff Picture
Elsewhere in the league the Guelph Storm defeated the Saginaw Spirit 7-3 securing the 6th position in the Western Conference. The final two positions in the Western Conference will be decided on Sunday. The Attack can still finish either 7th or 8th. In order to finish 7th and face the London Knights, the Attack have to register a win, while the Kitchener Rangers need to lose in regulation. Any other result and the Attack will finish 8th and face the Windsor Spitfires. Playoff tickets are on sale at the MacVicar and McComb Sutton Realty Attack Box office online at tickets.attackhockey.com.
