GAME DAY, Game 34, Firebirds at IceDogs – 7 p.m.
GAME 34 – Firebirds at IceDogs
Meridian Centre
St. Catharines, Ontario
7 p.m.
Watch (FloHockey) | Listen (US 103.1 FM) | Game Center
LAST TIME OUT: The Sarnia Sting topped Flint in overtime, 3-2, on Saturday night at the Dort Financial Center. Alex Kostov extended his point streak to 16 games with an assist as the Firebirds’ eight-game home win streak came to an end.
HITTING THE HOLIDAY ROAD: The Firebirds finish off the first half of the regular season with two road contests going into the holiday break. Flint currently sits at the top of the Western Conference with 48 points and is 6-2-0-2 in its last 10 road games.
DASHING THROUGH DECEMBER: Darels Uljanskis leads all OHL defensemen in points in December with two goals and eight assists. The Anaheim prospect tallied four points against Guelph last week and has recorded four multi-point performances in six games this month. Uljanskis missed 18 games due to injury, and has 11 points in the nine games since his return on Nov. 26. He is now away from the team preparing for the World Junior Championships with Team Latvia.
ON THE NICE LIST: Mason Vaccari was named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Week on Monday. Vaccari went 2-0-0-0 last week with 27 saves in a 9-1 win over Guelph and 32 saves in the 4-1 victory over Kitchener. This is the second time this season that Vaccari has earned this honor. The overage goaltender leads the OHL in wins with 18 so far this season and is top-five in save percentage sporting a .918 SV%.
NO SILENT NIGHTS: The trio of Nathan Aspinall, Jimmy Lombardi, and Alex Kostov have carried the offensive load for Flint this season. The three forwards have dressed together in 25 games this year, and only once have all of them been held pointless, Nov. 1 vs Brantford. Aspinall currently leads the league in points with 48, Lombardi leads Flint in multi-point games with 13, and Kostov enters play on a 16-game point streak.
ODDS AND ENDS: The Firebirds have won their last two trips to St. Catharines…Niagara has allowed eight short-handed goals this season, which is tied for the most in the OHL. Meanwhile, Flint is the only team remaining to not allow a short-handed goal…Ryan Roobroeck is tied for third in the OHL in power play goals with eight…
UP NEXT: The Firebirds will take the ice on Saturday night in Erie against the Otters. It’s Flint’s final game before Christmas. Puck drop at Erie Insurance Arena is set for 7 p.m.
