Firebirds Fall 2-1 in Shootout to Soo

Ste. Marie, Ont. – The Firebirds and Greyhounds needed extra time to settle the score for the second time in as many meetings. Wednesday evening’s contest went two rounds into the shootout before Cole McKay went five-hole to seal the victory for the Soo. Rory Kerins (Calgary Flames) scored the lone regulation goal for Sault Ste. Marie, and scored in the first round of the shootout to lead his club. For Flint, Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) scored his 32nd of the season, extending his current point streak to six games (3 G, 6 A). Luke Cavallin played 55 minutes of shutout hockey and ultimately made 43 saves on 44 shots through 65 minutes of play. Across the ice, Tucker Tynan made 35 stops on 36 shots faced and blanked both shootout attempts faced to earn his 13th victory of the campaign.

There were plenty of scoring chances on both ends of the ice in the opening 20 minutes. The Hounds outshot the Birds 17-10 and maintained the lion’s share of possession time, but both Cavallin was sharp and helped preserve the scoreless tie going into the first intermission. Faceoffs also favored the Soo 10-6. Neither team saw the penalty box in the first period.

Othmann finally broke the scoreless tie just past the five-minute mark of the middle stanza. A loose puck escaped the Hounds’ offensive zone and made its way deep into their defensive zone. Othmann was the first man there by a long shot, and he lifted a wide-angle shot with the puck on the goal line to Tucker’s left. Somehow, the puck slipped between Tucker’s left shoulder and the post, just under the crossbar at 5:14. It was Othmann’s team-leading 32nd, scored at even strength unassisted.

The balance of the second period was more back-and-forth action, highlighted by excellent saves on both ends of the rink. Sault Ste. Marie outshot the ‘Birds, but this time by a much smaller margin of 12-11. The Birds won one fewer faceoff in the second than the Greyhounds, ending 13-12. The Soo was scoreless with one power-play chance while holding the Firebirds scoreless twice.

With the two netminders blanking every scoring chance through 15 minutes of third-period action, it appeared that the 1-0 lead held by Flint would become the final score. That was until Rory Kerins knotted the game at one at 15:09. From a turnover at the Flint blue line, Tyler Savard found MacKay open just inside the offensive zone. As MacKay carried the puck up high, then fed Kerins as traversed the right circle toward the net. Kerins carried across the goalmouth and held until Cavallin committed, then he slid the puck far-side just inside the post with a backhander that lit the lamp for his 27th of the campaign.

Shots in the third ended 14-12, advantage Soo. Faceoffs were 35-30 in the Hounds’ favor after 60 minutes. Neither team had a power-play chance in the final frame of regulation.

Flint received a prime opportunity with a man-advantage during the five-minute three-on-three overtime period and used their lone timeout to strategize. Despite outshooting Sault Ste. Marie 3-1 in the extra frame, the game remained knotted at one. In the shootout, Simon Slavicek was unable to convert with the first chance, followed by Rory Kerins slipping one five-hole on Cavallin. Amadeus Lombardi had an opportunity to tie in the second round, but Tucker again thwarted the attempt. That’s when McKay carried to the right side of the ice sheet, then faked a far-side shot before slipping the puck through the five-hole to seal the Greyhounds’ triumph and tie the two clubs atop the Western Conference standings.

Story: Brandon Mills / flintfirebirds.com

Photography: Todd Boone / Flint Firebirds