Firebirds Drop Wild One With Kingston, 7-4
FLINT – The Kingston Frontenacs grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first period and never trailed as they went on to beat the Flint Firebirds, 7-4 on Saturday night at the Dort Financial Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Kingston opened the scoring with a power play goal in the first. Gage Heyes hit Tyler Hopkins cutting to the net on the back side. He redirected the shot past Noah Bender and the Frontenacs took the lead.
They added to that lead later when Ethan Hay fired home a snap shot from inside the left circle. Kingston extended that lead to three with another power play goal as Hopkins hit Ethan Miedema for a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle.
Flint answered with a power play goal in the final minute of the first period. Jimmy Lombardi sent a backhanded, no-look pass to Evan Konyen at the left circle. Konyen stepped into a one-timer and beat Charlie Schenkel high to get the Firebirds on the board.
Kingston grabbed two more goals in the second period though. First, Cal Uens loaded up a snap shot from the high slot that got past Bender low on the glove side. Later, Hopkins charged the net and sent a cross-ice pass that deflected off a Flint skate and through Bender to make it 5-1.
The Firebirds responded though with a goal late in the second. Off a won faceoff in the attacking zone, Matthew Wang grabbed the puck and fired a wrist shot high over Schenkel’s blocker. Flint struck again early in the third when Nathan Aspinall dug the puck out of the end boards and backhanded a pass to Alex Kostov. Kostov slipped a backhander through Schenkel’s legs and Flint was within two.
But Kingston answered again as Cedrick Guindon grabbed a loose puck in the high slot and slung it past Bender. Miedema then added a second power play goal to make the score 7-3. The Firebirds got one more goal late in the second on a power play when Lombardi flipped a backhander through Schenkel, cutting the lead to 7-4.
Flint dropped to 20-23-2-3 with the loss while Kingston improved to 27-12-5-2.
POSTGAME NOTES:
Sam McCue assisted on Jimmy Lombardi’s goal in the third period and extended his point streak to seven games in the process…Flint went 2-for-6 on the power play, matching the most power play goals they have scored in a single game. It was fifth time this season the Firebirds have netted two power play goals…James Paul made his OHL debut on Saturday night. The rookie defenseman was even and did not record a point in the game.
UP NEXT:
The Firebirds will head out on the road to eastern Ontario for three games next week. It begins on Thursday in Peterborough against the Petes. Puck drop at the Peterborough Memorial Centre is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Photo: Todd Boone
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