Firebirds Weekly Roundup, December 29 – January 4
FLINT — The Firebirds started last week with a record of 24-8-2-2, seeding them first in the West Division and the Western Conference. They made a trade to strengthen the offense, bringing in Winnipeg Jets prospect Kevin He from the Niagara IceDogs. He contributed immediately, picking up an assist in the first game of the week in Sault Ste. Marie on New Year’s Eve.
The Birds took a 1-0 lead off the stick of Chris Thibodeau in the opening frame. Flint went up 2-0 in the second period when Brady Smith scored against his former team, netting his fourth of the campaign. The Hounds struck paydirt early in the third period to pull within one before Thibodeau scored his second of the night and 12th of the season less than 30 seconds later. That was the end of the scoring, getting Flint back to their winning ways with a 3-1 triumph. Kevin He was credited with the primary assist on Thibodeau’s insurance marker, his first point as a Firebird. Mason Vaccari stopped 21 of 22 shots faced for his 21st victory of the season. The Birds have won all three meetings with the Hounds this year
On Friday, the team travelled to Canada Life Place in London to challenge the Knights in front of more than 9,000 fans. Vaccari blanked all 26 shots faced, giving him his third shutout of the season, setting a new franchise record for a Flint netminder. While London stayed off the scoreboard, the Birds struck five times in a commanding victory. Alex Kostov chipped in three helpers to lead the team with three points for the night, his fourth three-point game of the season. Jimmy Lombard, He, and Darian Anderson each recorded a goal and an assist. Nathan Aspinall and Brady Smith also lit the lamp for the Firebirds. With the win, Flint’s record versus London improved to 2-0-1-0 for the year.
The action returned home to a standing-room-only Dort Financial Center on Saturday. In a low-scoring affair, the goaltending was rightfully at the forefront of the action as the Firebirds hosted the Steelheads. Overage goaltender Zach Bowen from Brampton backstopped the Fish opposite Flint’s Mason Courville in his 11th OHL start. In a game full of highlight-reel saves on both ends of the ice, Bowen picked up his 45th career win with 35 saves on 36 shots from the Flint offense. Courville finished with saves on 21 of 23 shots-faced in the 2-1 defeat on home ice. Defenseman Urban Podrekar scored the lone tally for the Firebirds with some crafty moves through the defense. The Birds finished the season series with the Fish at 1-1-0-0.
In total, the Firebirds scored three power-play goals on nine chances (33.3%). They now rank sixth in the league with the man advantage. The OHL’s second-ranked penalty-kill went a perfect 4-for-4 across the trio of games. Flint outshot their opponents at a 77-71 clip throughout the week, but the Birds won just 68 of 175 draws.
LEADERBOARD
Aspinall leads the league with 52 points, combining 23 goals (T-2nd) and 29 helpers (6th). Kostov ranks second for the Birds with 19 tallies plus 27 assists for 46 total points. His eight power-play tallies are tied for third-most in the OHL this season. Lombardi sits third, just two points back, with a balanced 44 points from 22 goals and 22 assists. Newcomer Kevin He fills in at the fourth spot, having lit the lamp 15 times and assisted on 19 for 34 points. Podrekar continues to pace the blue liners with five goals and 21 assists, which has him tied for the sixth-most helpers of all OHL defenders. Of all goaltenders in the league, Vaccari’s 21 wins are the most, his three shutouts are tied for second, and he ranks fifth in both save percentage (.919) and goals-against average (2.47). Backup netminder Courville’s five wins are second-most among first-year goalies with fewer than 20 starts.
COMING UP
The Firebirds play all three games on home ice this week, starting Wednesday when they host the Sarnia Sting. Wednesday’s game is the second and final Firebirds Fight Hunger game, sponsored by Dort Financial Credit Union and Kroger. Fans can donate five non-perishable food items and receive a FREE ticket to the game. On Friday, the rivalry with the Saginaw Spirit reignites. Saturday’s game versus the Kingston Frontenacs is the annual United Way / UAW Night, sponsored by United Way of Genesee County. The United Way and UAW teams will face off at 4:30 p.m. and entry is free with a ticket for the Saturday Firebirds game. Puck drop for all three contests this week is set for 7:00 p.m.
