Firebirds Drop Tight Game to London, 4-3
FLINT, Mich. — Connor Clattenburg scored his third goal in three nights and added a pair of assists for his first career three-point game but the London Knights rode three power play goals to a 4-3 win over the Flint Firebirds on Saturday night at the Dort Financial Center.
London opened the scoring in the second minute of the game while working on a power play. Easton Cowan carried the puck from the right-wing circle to the high slot and slid a pass to the left circle where Kasper Halttunen was waiting with a raised stick. Halttunen stepped into a one-timer that he blasted past Jacob Brown high on the far side, giving the Knights a 1-0 lead.
London extended that lead with two more power play goals in the second. First Denver Barkey operated from below the net and fed Max McCue at the right circle. McCue sent a dart through traffic and past Brown to make it 2-0. Then, two minutes later, Cowan fired a shot from the left circle that Sam O’Reilly deflected in front of the net. The puck then bounced off a Firebirds defenseman’s skate and in, extending the London lead to 3-0.
The Firebirds answered and got on the board a minute and a half later. Gavin Ewles wristed a shot from the high slot that was kicked aside by Michael Simpson. Still charging, Ewles grabbed his own rebound at the left hash marks and backhanded it over the outstretched right pad of Simpson to cut the deficit to two.
Late in the second, Clattenburg forced a turnover in his own zone and sped down the left wing with an odd-man break. Clattenburg carried the puck to the left faceoff dot and snapped a shot to the far side past Simpson’s glove to bring the Firebirds within one.
Flint was then granted a power play with less than three minutes to play in the second but it was London who lit the lamp. Easton Cowan stripped the Birds of the puck and dangled his way toward the slot. Cowan was knocked down to his knees but was able to slide the puck to McCue at the bottom of the left circle. From a sharp angle, McCue one-timed a shot that deflected off Brown’s shoulder and into the near top corner to once again extend the London lead to a pair, 4-2.
Still down two late in the game, the Firebirds used their timeout and kept Brown on the bench for an extra attacker. Coulson Pitre won an offensive zone draw to Clattenburg who got a shot on goal. Simpson kicked it aside, but Simon Slavicek was in position to lift it over his right pad and in to pull within one with 53 seconds to go.
That would be all the Firebirds could manage, however, as the London defense held strong and maintained the one-goal lead through the final horn.
Brown finished with 33 saves on 37 shots and Clattenburg recorded his second multi-point game in his past three outings. The Firebirds fell to 26-29-3-1 with the loss while London improved to the OHL’s best record of 43-13-1-3.
Flint will return to action on home ice on Wednesday night against the Saginaw Spirit for the final game of the Coors Light I-75 Divide Cup. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center.
Story: Brandon Mills // flintfirebirds.com
Photo: Todd Boone
