Firebirds Force OT, Settle for one Point in Sarnia, 6-5
SARNIA, Ont. — Oliver Peer had two goals, added an assist and reached the 150-point mark for his OHL career, Jeremy Martin, Roberto Mancini, and Connor Clattenburg all scored but the Sarnia Sting clipped the Flint Firebirds in overtime, 6-5, on Friday night at Progressive Auto Sales Arena.
Flint opened the scoring on a wild first period shy of the seven-minute mark. Nathan Aspinall carried the puck behind Sarnia’s net and slipped a pass back to the slot for Peer. Peer quickly snapped a shot past Nick Surzycia low on the blocker side for a 1-0 Firebirds lead.
Nearly five minutes later, Marko Sikic won an offensive-zone faceoff back to Hughston Hurt at the left point. Hurt sent a pass across the zone to Tyson Doucette who stepped into a heavy one-timer that beat Jacob Brown low past his glove, evening the game at one.
Less than five minutes later, Sikic picked the pocket of a Flint defender at the blue line during a Birds power play. He was off to the races and gained the zone ahead of the defense. Sikic held off the trailing defenseman and slid a backhanded under Brown’s right pad to give the Sting their first lead of the night, 2-1.
One minute later and with Flint still on the man advantage, Peer sent a pass from the left wing boards to Mancini who was waiting with his stick raised inside the blue line. Mancini stepped into a one-timer through traffic, beating Surzycia to tie the game at two.
Both teams would score once more in the final minute of the first period. First, Mitch Young one-timed a pass from Nathan Omeri at the right point that went in low on the blocker side. Then, the waning seconds of the opening frame, Flint won a faceoff at the left dot and Aspinall carried the puck around the corner below the end line. Aspinall then fed a crashing Jeremy Martin for yet another one-timer that went between Surzycia’s legs and tied the game at three.
The Sting would hang two more goals on the Birds early in the second period. Daylen Moses made a cross-ice pass to Dennis Lominac in the left circle. With a defender draped all over him, Lominac was still able to drop to one knee and one-time the shot high on the near side, giving Sarnia a 4-3 edge.
Young then netted his second of the game in the eighth minute of the second period. He controlled the puck high in the zone and wristed a shot into traffic that surprised Brown and struck twine up high on the blocker side, extending Sarnia’s lead to 5-3.
Seconds beyond the midway point of the contest, Markas Samenas sprung Peer free with a neutral zone pass. Peer sprinted up the left-wing wall and gained a step on his defender. He cut toward the net with the puck on his forehand before tucking the puck five-hole with his backhand, pulling Flint within one 5-4.
More than halfway into the third period, Connor Clattenburg emerged from a scrum in the right offensive corner and headed for the net. He muscled his way above the goal line, reached out and slid the puck past Surzycia’s right pad as he tumbled to the ice, knotting things up at five.
With the game still tied at five at the end of 60 minutes, overtime was needed for the 14th time this season and the fourth time in Flint’s last five games. Just 30 seconds into OT it was the Sting who would strike. Sikic gained the zone on the right-wing side with Doucette on the left. All three Flint defenders collapsed around the slot, but Sikic left the puck for a trailing Young. Young rocketed a snap shot high past Brown’s blocker for the game-winning goal, to earn Sarnia the extra point, 6-5.
Young had a hat trick for Sarnia, Peer paced the Firebirds with two goals and an assist and Aspinall finished with a pair of assists. The Firebirds’ record moved to 29-30-4-1 with the overtime loss while Sarnia improved to 24-36-3-1.
Flint will return to home ice on Saturday night against the Windsor Spitfires. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center.
Story: Brandon Mills // flintfirebirds.com
Photo courtesy of Sarnia Sting
