Sarnia, Ont. – Amadeus Lombardi extended his OHL-leading point streak to 13 games tallying two goals on the afternoon in a 7-3 loss to the Sarnia Sting. Gavin Hayes also extended his streak to nine games (1 A). Coulson Pitre and Riley Pierecy added two assists each. Ryan Mast and Ethan Del Mastro recorded three points each (1 G, 2 A). Zach Filak and Luca DelBelBelluz also added a goal and a helper each. The Firebirds turned to Will Cranley to man the crease. Cranley stopped 18 of 24 of the shots he faced. Benjamin Gaudreau got the start for the Sting, stopping 28 of 31 shots, recording his 19th win of the year. 
The Sting wasted no time putting the pressure on the Firebirds. Sarnia defenseman Ryan Mast led the rush for the Sting, entering the zone on the right side and sending a pass across the blue line that ended up on the tape of a trailing Sandis Vilmanis in the middle lane. Vilmanis ripped a quick wrister at the net from the high slot. Cranley made the original save, but the rebound bounced perfectly onto the stick of a driving Mast. Mast buried the rebound into a wide-open net, giving the Sting the early 1-0 lead just 4:11 into the opening frame.
The Sting would go on the powerplay with 6:51 remaining in the period. The Sting made a great initial play to keep it in the zone. The puck bounced around in the high slot and found its way onto the stick of Sting forward Ty Voit. Voit quickly put the puck on a platter for an opened-up Luca DelBelBelluz across the way. DelBelBelluz fired a shot into the back of the net, netting his 31st of the year and doubling the Sting lead, making it a 2-0 game.
It would stay a two-goal game heading into the break with shots reading 10-6 in favor of the Bees
The Birds started to click in the middle frame. First, Alex Bradshaw found himself behind the defense and on a breakaway. Gaudreau made a big stop, as Bradshaw tried to pick the low glove-side corner of the veteran netminder. The puck then quickly found its way onto the stick of Dmitry Kuzmin on the left side of the high slot. Kuzmin fired a shot at the net, which resulted in a bouncing puck that looked like a grade-A opportunity for the Birds to cut the deficit in half but were unsuccessful.
The Firebirds found themselves on the powerplay just half a minute later, and it didn’t take long for the Birds to capitalize on the man advantage. Riley Piercey entered the zone and cycle around the net before finding Coulson Pitre wide-open in the slot. Pitre fired a shot on Gaudreau, which originally was saved but trickled off his right pad and onto the stick of Lombardi. Lombardi buried his team-leading 36th goal of the year, cutting the Sarnia lead in half and making it a 2-1 game.
All the momentum was in favor of the Firebirds, but it was the Sting who would get on the board next. Marko Sikic fired a shot through traffic and low on the right pad of Cranley. The save was made, but the rebound bounced perfectly onto the stick of a crashing Ethan Del Mastro on the left side of the low slot who put it home quickly making it a two-goal game once again, as the Sting led 3-1 with 2:40 remaining in the middle frame.
Flint was quick to answer right before the intermission, as defenseman Marko Stojkov found Coulson Pitre on up the wall in the neutral zone. Pitre delivered a beautiful backhand saucer pass over the stick of Christian Kyrou and perfectly on the tape of a full-speed Zacharie Giroux. Giroux found himself crossing into the zone with nothing but open ice and Gaudreau in his way. He made a quick move, faking to his backhand and sliding the puck past the outstretched skate of the goalie with his forehand. Giroux’s 18th goal of the year made it a one-goal game once again just 1:29 after the Stings tally.
Flint found themselves still trailing, 3-2, heading into the final frame despite outshooting the Sting 16-6 in the second period.
The Sting took back a two-goal lead with just under seven minutes into the third period. Nolan Burke entered the zone in the middle lane and dropped it off to a trailing Zach Filak on the left point. Filak took a few strides into the zone and sent a gorgeous backdoor pass to Christian Kyrou, who was standing behind the defense on the far side post. Kyrou tapped it in for the Stings’ fourth goal of the night.
Sarnia kept the pedal to the metal. Del Mastro started the charge for the Sting, delivering a pass to Voit on the left side near the point. Voit put the puck into the slot, attempting to get it to Filak. A bouncing puck led to Filak turning and firing blindly toward the net, using the traffic as a screen to get a bouncing puck through the legs of Cranley, adding a cushion to the Sting lead and making it 5-2 with just over eight minutes to go.
Flint didn’t go away without a fight. Around five minutes left in the third, Pierecy entered the zone on an odd-man rush and dropped it back to Gavin Hayes at the top of the near circle. Hayes quickly touched it over to a Lombardi in the middle of the slot. Lombardi immediately pulled the puck into his body, toe dragging around the defender and releasing a wrist shot, beating Gaudreau to the glove side. His second goal of the game gave Flint life with 4:53 remaining.
The Firebirds had a chance to make things interesting at the end, as they found themselves with the man advantage. The Firebirds pulled the goalie to make it a 6-on-4 powerplay. Del Mastro cleared the zone for Sarnia, missing the empty net with the clear but bouncing the puck off the back wall, onto the stick of Cooper Way, and into the back of the net for the nail in the coffin. Ty Voit added the seventh tally of the game from Ryan Mast which finished things off and gave Sarnia the 7-3 win.
The final shots read 31 from Flint and 25 from the Sting. The Sting had the edge on the draw, winning 35 to Flint’s 31. Both teams went 1-for-3 with the man-advantage.
Next Up: The Firebirds launch a critical five-game home stand as they make they launch the final dozen games in their playoff push. First up is the Central Division leaders from North Bay on Saturday night. Puck drop versus the Battalion is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) and great seats are available now from ETIX HERE.
Story: Sean Massa / flintfirebirds.com
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