Flint, Mich. – The Firebirds rallied from behind to tie Sunday’s game at three before forcing an overtime frame in Sarnia. Coulson Pitre netted two goals with the team down 3-1 to extend regulation, and the red-hot Zacharie Giroux scored Flint’s first marker to extend his point streak. Nolan Burke led the charge for Sarnia with a pair of goals before a late ejection for a hit from behind on Riley Piercey. Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues) started between the pipes for the Firebirds, making 33 saves on 37 shots in total. Benjamin Gaudreau (San Jose Sharks) backstopped the Bees and picked up his sixth win with a 33-save performance.
Sarnia netted the lone tally of the opening frame at the 9:50 mark. Zach Filak carried into the Flint zone on the left-wing side and fed Sandis Vilmanis streaking between the circles. Vilmanis completed the give-and-go with a return feed to Filak at the bottom of the left circle. The ensuing one-timer was stopped by Cranley, but the rebound was reachable and Filak tucked it behind the sprawling goaltender for his second of the season, assisted by Vilmanis and Wolverine Lake, Michigan native Max Namestnikov.
Shots after one favored the Sting 12-10, and Sarnia outdrew the Birds 12-9. Both teams went scoreless on one power-play opportunity.
The clubs would trade a pair of goals in the center stanza, starting with Sarnia claiming a 2-0 lead early. Nolan Burke received a pass from Marko Sikic at the mid-ice faceoff dot and burst between two defenders to create a breakaway opportunity. He faked forehand before sliding the puck between Cranley’s left pad and the right post for his team-leading 13th of the season at 0:51.
The Firebirds utilized their own give-and-go play nearly eight minutes later to decrease the deficit to one at 8:13. Zacharie Giroux sent a neutral-zone pass to Riley Piercey, who crossed into the offensive zone before returning the puck to Giroux on the left side of the ice. Giroux muscled his way into the slot before being taken down from behind. He pulled the puck back to his forehand, leaving Gaudreau out of position, burying his fourth of the season and third in two nights.
The Birds trailed the Sting 2-1 after 40 minutes. Again, Sarnia outshot Flint, this time 17-15. Faceoffs went the Sting’s way by a margin of 11-5. With the man advantage, both teams went 0-for-2 in the second period.
With Flint on a power play, Burke picked the pocket of a Firebirds’ defender at the left-wing half boards and circled back into the slot with possession. He snapped a low shot to the blocker side for his second of the night and Sarnia’s first shorthanded marker of the season at 7:44 of period three.
The Firebirds battled back, however, and pulled within a single tally again just 36 seconds later. Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings) passed from the high slot to Luca D’Amato at the bottom of the right circle. The rearguard then fed Coulson Pitre across the slot at the bottom of the left circle for the one-timer from the back door at 8:20. The goal was Pitre’s sixth of the campaign.
Pitre struck twine once more, deflecting a slapper from Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) in front of Gaudreau while on the power play. The tying marker was logged at 12:52, with assists to Kuzmin and Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs).
The score remained knotted at the conclusion of the 60-minute regulation. Shots on goal were also tied at 36 per side through three periods. Sarnia won the majority of the faceoffs in regulation by a margin of 30-25.
The five-minute overtime only lasted less than three minutes, as the Sting lit the lamp with the man advantage at 2:51. With the 4-on-3 manpower advantage, Sarnia utilized perimeter passing across the top of their diamond formation before overager Ethan Ritchie unleashed a hefty one-timer through traffic for the game-winning goal, shot low to the glove side. Ty Voit (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Valmanis combined for the assists.
In total, Flint killed off six of seven penalties while converting once on six chances with the extra man. Shots ended 37-36 for Sarnia and faceoffs finished at 31-26, also favoring the Sting.
Next Up: The Firebirds will return to home ice on Friday to host the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for a 7:00 p.m. opening faceoff. Tickets for Friday’s contest are available from ETIX HERE. Then on Saturday, it is Military Appreciation night sponsored by Dort Financial Credit Union. All active U.S. military and veterans are eligible to receive a FREE ticket to the game as a thank you for your service! Just show a valid military ID at the Dort Financial Center box office. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. against the Peterborough Petes.
Photography: Todd Boone / Flint Firebirds
Story: Brandon Mills / flintfirebirds.com
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