PREVIEW: Firebirds Kick Off Three-in-Three Week on Thursday in Windsor
FLINT, Mich. — The Firebirds rattled off a five-game winning streak early in February but hit a rough patch last week and find themselves on a three-game skid. That skid includes back-to-back, heartbreaking, one-goal losses over the weekend on home ice. With the playoffs right around the corner, the Birds remain in the eighth and final postseason position in the Western Conference. Next up is a home-and-home series with the Windsor Spitfires who sit tenth in the Western Conference and the first of three games in three nights for Flint. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. on Thursday at the WFCU Centre.
SO CLOSE. TWICE: The Firebirds faced two of the top teams from the Eastern Conference on home ice over the weekend. First, on Friday, Flint erased a two-goal deficit in the third period to tie the Brantford Bulldogs at two until Florian Xhekaj crashed the net and potted the game-winner with 1:41 remaining. Tristan Bertucci scored, marking his 100th OHL point, Jimmy Lombardi scored to record a point in his third-straight game, and Nathan Day recorded 18 saves on 21 shots in the defeat.
Then, on Saturday, it was the North Bay Battalion in town. The Firebirds jumped out to a 2-0 lead before surrendering three unanswered goals in another 3-2 setback. Coulson Pitre scored to hit the 150-point milestone in his OHL career, Matthew Wang netted his third goal of the season, and Gavin Ewles finished with a pair of assists. Rookie goaltender Jacob Brown stopped 23 of 26 shots faced.
SERIES HISTORY: Thursday’s game is the fourth of six annual regular-season meetings between the Firebirds and Spitfires and is the third and final contest at the WFCU Centre. So far the home team has won all three previous contests. The Spits won 6-3 in early December and 5-3 in early January over Flint at home before the series shifted to the Dort Financial Center on February 17. That night it was the Birds emerging victorious in overtime by a 3-2 final. Liam Greentree leads Windsor on the scoresheet across the three tilts versus Flint with two goals and four assists while Nolan Dann has four goals to top the Birds in scoring. The Firebirds’ all-time record versus the Spits stands at 15-28-3-1 with a 5-15-3-1 road mark.
SCOUTING THE SPITFIRES: (18-31-4-3, 5th West Division) –
Liam Greentree continues to contribute at an impressive pace and now has 78 points (30 G, 48 A), which are tenth-most in the OHL, through 52 contests. He’s ninth in points-per-game average at 1.50. Livonia, Mich. native Ryan Abraham is second with an even 26 points and 26 assists. Former Saginaw Spirit forward Valentin Zhugin is third with 18 tallies and 21 helpers for 39 points.
Between the pipes, Max Donoso has 13 wins including one shutout in 37 appearances. His goals-against average is 3.84 and his save percentage sits at .882. Joey Costanzo has ten wins across 33 contests and he carries a 4.97 GAA with an .855 SV%.
The Spitfires rank 11th on the power play, scoring at a pace of 20.5%. Their penalty kill is 17th-best, shutting down opponents at a 75.0% rate.
SCOUTING THE FIREBIRDS: (24-28-3-1, 3rd West Division):
Oliver Peer remains at the helm for Flint’s offense, now with 31 goals and 34 assists for 65 total points. Nolan Dann is next with 53 points from 23 goals and 30 helpers. Coulson Pitre is third with 46 points from 23 tallies and 23 assists.
Edmonton Oilers prospect Nathan Day has appeared in the fourth-most games of any OHL goaltender with 46 appearances this season. He’s credited with 20 victories and he carries a 3.78 goals-against average with an .865 save percentage. Jacob Brown has been solid in his rookie campaign, winning four games in 13 appearances and sporting a 4.09 GAA with an .858 SV%.
The Firebirds are 18th on the power play with a 17.3% conversion rate. The penalty kill sits 13th in the OHL, shutting down the opposition 78.1% of the time.
BACK IN WINDSOR: Thursday night represents the first game former Spitfires Oliver Peer and Roberto Mancini will play in Windsor since being traded to the Firebirds at the trade deadline. Peer spent parts of three seasons with Windsor and recorded 50 goals and 73 assists in 150 games as a Spitfire. Mancini played 19 games for Windsor earlier this season after being traded from the Saginaw Spirit.
ODDS & ENDS: Flint’s remaining regular season schedule features eight home games and four road games… The Birds hold a mark of 7-12-1-0 versus West Division opponents this year… Still holding onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, the Firebirds are three points back of Erie in seventh and six points behind Guelph in sixth… Flint holds a road mark of 17-12-1-0 this season compared to Windsor’s home record of 11-15-2-1.
BROADCAST COVERAGE: This evening’s game against the Windsor Spitfires can be heard live on the radio throughout Flint & Mid Michigan on US 103.1 FM, online at www.us103.com, or by downloading the US 103 app. Brian Gardner will call the play-by-play action on the Firebirds Hockey Network starting with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m.
All of the Flint Firebirds home and away games throughout the 2023-24 season can be watched anywhere in the world online at https://watch.chl.ca/ohl.
COMING UP: These clubs return to Flint on Friday for game two at the Dort Financial Center. The game is themed Autism Awareness Night, sponsored by Genesee Health Systems, and will feature lowered volume and slightly dimmed lighting. Puck drop for Friday’s contest is set for 7:00 p.m. and all other tickets are available now from ETIX.com HERE.
Story: Brandon Mills // flintfirebirds.com
