Saginaw, Mich. – The Saginaw Spirit honored their city’s former IHL team, the Saginaw Gears, on Wednesday night at the Dow Event Center and they came to play against a thin Firebirds lineup. Will Cranley got the start in net for Flint, surrendering four goals on 36 shots and it was Tristan Lennox for the Spirit allowing just one tally on 27 shots.
The first period started with Saginaw in control. 2:25 into the game a shot from the point beat a screened Cranley high to the glove hand. It was Calem Mangone picking up his ninth of the year from Sebastian Gervais and Pavel Mintyukov. 2:03 later, they added another. As Flint looked to break out of the zone, a bad hop found the stick of Hunter Haight who passed it to the far circle for Mintyukov. The Anaheim Ducks prospect quickly went cross-ice and Dean Loukus put it home into a wide-open net for his ninth of the year to make it 2-0.
Flint began to settle in a bit from there, including killing off the two power play opportunities Saginaw had. Shots read 16-6 Saginaw after 20 minutes of play but the faceoffs were 9-6 in favor of the Firebirds.
Saginaw upped the pressure again to start the 2nd period. After a stretch pass was intercepted by Mintyukov at their own blue line, he quickly sent it ahead to Loukus. Cranley left his cage to grab his stick in the corner and dove back to try and make a desperation save but it beat him just under the bar to make it 3-0 5:47 into the frame.
The Firebirds were unable to convert on their lone powerplay opportunity, and despite a lot more chances than in the first, were unable to solve Lennox. Shots read 12-11 Spirit in the 2nd and faceoffs went their way 13-4 as well.
Finally, Flint got on the board with their league-leading eighth short-handed goal of the year. Tristan Bertucci blocked a shot in the Firebirds’ end. With Saginaw changing, the second-year defenseman showed patience and waited til a lane opened up nearside for Giroux. He carried deep into Saginaw’s end, pulled up and found an oncoming Amadeus Lombardi all alone in the slot who ripped one home to extend his point streak to seven with his 19th goal of the year 2:23 into the 3rd.
The Firebirds poured it on from there, outshooting and chancing the Spirit the opening 10 minutes of the period, but were unsuccessful at beating Lennox for a second time.
Flint emptied the tank in the third, but it was Saginaw who came away with two more before the games end. On an odd-man rush, it was Zayne Parekh following the play and burying his ninth of the year assisted by Theo Hill and Nicholas Sima at the 13:49 mark. Then, Mintuykov carried in on a 2-on-0 with Joey Willis who put home the empty-netter for his seventh of the year at 16:37.
Final shots read 36-27 Saginaw. Faceoffs went the way of the Firebirds 33-23, including going 19-4 in the 3rd period. The Birds were 0-for-2 on the powerplay and the Spirit went 0-for-4.
Next Up: The Firebirds return to the Dort Financial Center on Friday for game seven of the yearly eight-game series between the Sarnia Sting. Puck drop between the Birds and Sting is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET). Tickets for Friday’s home contest are available from ETIX HERE.
Photography: Eric Young / Saginaw Spirit