Firebirds Start Hot But Fall to Sting in Shootout, 4-3
SARNIA, Ont. – Connor Clattenburg scored on his first shift of the preseason and Chris Thibodeau potted two goals in the first period but the Sarnia Sting scored twice in the third period and eventually beat the Flint Firebirds in a shootout, 4-3.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Firebirds led, 3-1, entering the third period but Sting cut into the lead early in the final frame. Alessandro Dilorio carried the puck through center ice, strode into the attacking zone and fired a wrist shot high past Nathan Day to make the score 3-2.
Sarnia was granted a power play late in the third period and with less than two minutes remaining, JJ Franceschetti put a shot on net that Nathan Day stopped. The rebound popped to Ryan Brown, who chipped it past the sprawling Flint goaltender, evening the score at three.
The game moved directly to a shootout following the conclusion of regulation and neither team struck in its first four attempts. After the Firebirds failed to convert in the fifth round, Tyson Doucette scored for Sarnia, giving the Sting the shootout victory.
Flint opened the scoring just 79 seconds into the first period. Clattenburg steamed down the right wing and snapped a wrist shot past the blocker Evan Maillet, making the score 1-0.
A Sarnia cross-checking penalty sent the Firebirds to the power play later in the first period and Flint struck just 16 seconds into the man advantage. Matthew Mania sent a shot on net that glanced to the back door where Thibodeau tapped it home, extending the lead to 2-0.
Sarnia answered with a power play goal of its own late in the second period. Beckham Edwards slung a shot from the high slot that snuck through traffic and beat Day on the blocker side to make it 2-1.
Thibodeau potted his second in the final minute of the first period. He fed Matthew Wang on the left wing and crashed the net. Wang found him on the back post and Thibodeau flipped a shot over Maillet’s outstretched glove, stretching the lead to 3-1.
Flint dropped to 0-0-0-1 during the preseason with the shootout loss while Sarnia improved to 1-1-0-0.
POSTGAME NOTES:
Chris Thibodeau recorded a multi-goal game in his first game as a Firebird. He registered four during the 2023-24 regular season with the Kingston Frontenacs and has seven in his OHL career…Matthew Mania had two assists in his first game as a Firebird…Brendan Cooke, who signed an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Firebirds on Wednesday, recorded an assist on Flint’s first goal…Nathan Day made 30 saves on 33 shots in the Flint net and stopped four of five shootout attempts.
UP NEXT:
The Firebirds will return to home ice on Sunday afternoon for their lone home game of the 2024 preseason. Flint is set to host the Windsor Spitfires at Flint Iceland Arena at 4 p.m. General admission tickets will be available at the door for $10 and all Firebirds season membership holders are able to attend for free.
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Photo courtesy of Sarnia Sting
