Birds Continue Dominance Over Spirit With 4-2 Win
FLINT – The Flint Firebirds continued their dominance over their in-state rival on Wednesday night, defeating the Saginaw Spirit 4-2 at the Dort Financial Center. The win marked Flint’s fourth victory in its last five games and its sixth straight against Saginaw this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
A tight-checking opening period saw neither team find the back of the net until late, but Flint controlled the pace early. With just over two minutes remaining in the frame, Luka Graziano broke the scoreless tie, ripping a wrist shot from the top of the point off a pretty feed from Charlie Murata. The Firebirds outshot the Spirit 17-3 in the opening period and carried a one score lead into the intermission.
Saginaw answered early in the second period on the power play. Carson Harmer tipped a shot past Mason Vaccari just under six and a half minutes into the frame to even the score at one. Harmer tipped a shot pass from Nikita Kelpov just past the outstretched pad of Mason Vaccari.
Flint responded eight minutes later with a power play goal of its own. Urban Podrejkar snapped a shot through traffic from above the right circle, beating Kaleb Papineau and restoring the Firebirds’ lead, 2-1.
The Firebirds added breathing room midway through the final period. Xavier Tessier capitalized on a second-chance opportunity, jamming home a rebound during a net-front scramble to make it a two goal lead.
Moments later, Kevin He extended the lead to three, lifting a shot from the left side of the goal line off the side of Papineau’s mask and into the net. His 17th goal of the season and third as a Firebird made the score 4-1.
Saginaw pulled one back late as Jacob Cloutier scored in the final minutes on a shorthanded breakaway, but that would be as close as the Spirit would get. Flint closed out the game to secure the 4-2 victory. The Firebirds improved to 28-9-2-2 while Saginaw fell to 14-19-3-4.
POSTGAME NOTES:
Flint is now 20-0-1-1 when leading after two periods this season … The Firebirds have won six straight games against Saginaw … Mason Vaccari stopped 15 of 17 shots to earn his OHL-leading 23rd win of the season.
UP NEXT:
The Firebirds will look to sweep their three-game homestand tomorrow night against the Kingston Frontenacs. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center.
Photo: Todd Boone
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