GAME DAY, Game 40, Firebirds vs Storm – 7 p.m.
GAME 40 – Firebirds vs Storm
Dort Financial Center
Flint, Michigan
7 p.m.
Watch | Listen | Game Center | Tickets
LAST TIME OUT: Hayden Reid and Alex Kostov both scored but the Firebirds allowed three goals in the first period and never led as they were beaten by the Brantford Bulldogs, 5-2, on Wednesday night at the Brantford Civic Centre.
AT THE TRADE DEADLINE: The Firebirds made a trade on Wednesday, in advance on Friday’s trade deadline, as they sent rookie forward Cole Zurawski and a 15th round pick to the Owen Sound Attack in exchange for forward Sam McCue, a second round pick, two third round picks and a conditional 15th round pick.
BUSY BUNCH: Friday’s game is the eighth in a stretch of nine games in 15 days. It began on December 28, after the Firebirds returned from the OHL’s holiday break. Flint is 2-4-1-0 during the nine in 15 stretch thus far, having gone 2-1-0-0 at home and 0-3-1-0 on the road.
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE: Flint returns home for a pair of games over the weekend after playing its last three games on the road. The Firebirds are 10-9-0-0 on home ice this season and 7-10-2-1 on the road. Flint has won five of its last six games at the Dort Financial Center and has lost each of its last four on the road.
SCORING ON THE STORM: Guelph has allowed a league-high 167 goals, an average of 4.39 goals against per game, and has a goal differential of -32. The Firebirds beat the Storm, 7-2, in their first meeting of the season on October 25 in Guelph. Seven goals is tied for the second-most the Firebirds have scored in a game and they hung a season-best five goals on the Storm in the second period of that match up. Nathan Aspinall led the way with two goals and two assists in that game and his four points are tied for the most by a Firebird in a game this season.
ODDS AND ENDS: Matthew Mania played in his 200th OHL game on Wednesday in Brantford…Nathan Day has played 1973 minutes in goal for the Firebirds, the most in the OHL. He has played 1189 more minutes than any other goaltender…Guelph has points in three straight games…the Storm are just 2-15-1-0 on the road this season. They are 9-7-3-1 at home.
UP NEXT: The Firebirds will stay at home on Saturday night and host the Windsor Spitfires. Puck drop at the Dort Financial Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.