GAME DAY, Round 2, Game 3, Firebirds vs Spitfires – 7 p.m.
ROUND 2, GAME 3 – Firebirds vs Spitfires
Dort Financial Center
Flint, Michigan
7:00 p.m.
Watch | Listen | Game Center | Tickets
LAST TIME OUT: The Firebirds scored three times in the second period to take a two-goal lead but Windsor responded with three goals in the third as they went on to beat the Birds, 6-5, in Game 2 on Sunday evening at the WFCU Centre. The Spitfires took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
SHIFTED TO HOME ICE: The series between the Firebirds and Spitfires has now shifted to Flint for Games 3 and 4 with the Birds trailing, 2-0. The Firebirds went 2-0 during their home games in the first round and were 22-8-3-1 at the Dort Financial Center during the regular season. Flint was 1-2-0-0 against Windsor at home in their six-game regular season series as opposed to 2-1-0-0 on the road.
ASPINALL SCORES: Nathan Aspinall scored twice during Game 2 in Windsor, his seventh and eighth goals of the postseason. He is now tied with Brantford’s Caleb Malhotra for the lead in the OHL Playoffs. Aspinall now has three two-goal games during the postseason and is tied with Jacob Battaglia for the team lead with 15 points.
CREAM OF THE CROP: The OHL announced on Monday that Firebirds goaltender Mason Vaccari has been named a finalist for the Jim Rutherford Trophy for OHL Goaltender of the Year. Vaccari is the third Firebird to be honored as a finalist for a league award this postseason. Paul Flache was named a finalist for the Matt Leyden Trophy for OHL Coach of the Year and Jimmy Lombardi was named a finalist for the William Hanley Trophy for the OHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player.
AROUND THE OHL: All four second round series are in action on Tuesday night. Every higher seed leads; in the East #1 Brantford is up 3-0 over #5 North Bay, #2 Barrie is up 2-0 over #3 Ottawa. In the West, #1 Kitchener is up 2-0 over #5 Soo and #2 Windsor is up 2-0 over #3 Flint.
ODDS AND ENDS: Jimmy Lombardi was 18-for-30 in the faceoff circle in Game 2. Including the regular season, it was the ninth time this year he has taken 30 or more faceoffs…Lombardi recorded his fourth multi-point game of the playoffs on Sunday. Only Nathan Aspinall (5) has more…Anthony Cristoforo had three assists on Sunday. He leads the series with five points, all assists.
UP NEXT: Flint and Windsor will clash for Game 4 on Thursday night. Puck drop at the Dort Financial Center is set for 7 p.m.
