Flint Buries the Knights, 7-2 in London
LONDON, Ontario – The Flint Firebirds scored a season-high seven goals on Sunday afternoon in London, en route to a 7-2 victory over the London Knights at the Canada Life Place. Jimmy Lombardi recorded a career-high five points as five Firebirds posted multi-point performances.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Jimmy Lombardi opened the scoring, 30 seconds into the contest for Flint. Darian Anderson fired a shot from the high slot, and Lombardi grabbed the rebound and wrapped it around the goal to put the Firebirds up 1-0. Lucas Nutting added another goal for Flint in the first. Josh Bonnyman ripped a puck wide of the net, and it ricocheted onto the stick of Nutting. He fired it from the right circle through traffic, past Aleksei Medvedev to increase the Firebirds’ lead.
Anderson opened the scoring in the second with a power play marker for the Birds. Lombardi attempted to stuff the puck home along the goal line, and Anderson was ready on the backdoor for the loose puck, slamming it home. London responded with its first goal of the night 22 seconds later from Thomas Zocco, to make the score 3-1 going into the third.
While killing a penalty early in the third, Jimmy Lombardi was able to separate for a breakaway. As he approached the Knights’ net, he was brought down, but still got a shot on goal. Charlie Murata followed up on the chance and banged the puck home for the shorthanded goal. A few minutes later, Cole Guizzetti streaked up the ice down the left wing, and snuck the puck past Medvedev to extend Flint’s lead to 5-1.
Juho Piiparinen answered seconds later for London for the Knights’ final goal of the afternoon. In the final 10 minutes, Flint capped off the win with two more power play goals. Anderson fired a shot towards the net, and Charlie Murata deflected it home for his second of the game. Luka Graziano finished off the performance with a wrister over the shoulder of Brian Cooke for Flint’s seventh and final goal of the evening.
The Firebirds ended their two-game skid and moved to 3-2-0-0 on the year with the win, and London fell to 4-1-0-0.
POSTGAME NOTES:
Firebirds’ captain Jimmy Lombardi tallied a goal and four assists for a career-high five-point performance. He now has two goals and six assists in four games this year…Darian Anderson extended his goal streak to five games to open the season. He finished the game with a goal and two assists… Cole Guizzetti scored his first Ontario Hockey League goal…Lucas Nutting, Luka Graziano, and Charlie Murata all had multi-point performances in addition to Lombardi and Anderson…Liam Edgcumbe made 22 saves in his OHL debut and earned his first career OHL win.
UP NEXT:
The Firebirds are back at home on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Dort Financial Center as they welcome the Kitchener Rangers. Puck Drop in Flint is set for 7 p.m.
Photo: London Knights
###
