Flint, Mich. – The Firebirds jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, then surrendered four straight to the Greyhounds on Friday night in Flint. A late comeback with the tying goal inside the final three minutes forced overtime, and Dmitry Kuzmin logged the game-winner 3:16 into the extra frame and was named ‘First Star’ of the tilt. Rookie Kaden Pitre was the ‘Second Star’ after scoring two goals in regulation. Nathan Day started between the pipes for the Firebirds and posted five saves in the first period before veteran Will Cranley assumed the goaltending duties. Cranley played the final 45 minutes, stopping all 21 shots faced to pick up his 13th win of the year in his 100th career OHL game. The Greyhounds went with veteran Samuel Ivanov in net, and he turned aside 25 of the 31 shots.
The fastest two goals ever scored by the Firebirds as a team were 17 seconds apart. Rookie forward Kaden Pitre rewrote the history books early in this one, scoring his third and fourth goal of the season just eight seconds apart. His first came at 1:54 of the first period when he picked a defender’s pocket in the neutral zone and skated into the left-wing circle before lifting a wrist shot far side to give the Birds the early lead. Eight seconds later, he took a pass from Zacharie Giroux between the circles and gathered his own rebound off the first shot, and deposited it five-hole for his second of the night and fourth of the season at 2:02.
Sault Ste. Marie punched back, first with two goals by Brenden Sirizzotti. At 8:10 he completed a tic-tac-goal off passes from Mark Duarte and Justin Cloutier to record his ninth of the campaign. Then it was a mishandled puck in the Flint end that left him all alone in front of Day, where he sniped the top right corner of the goal for his tenth at 11:22.
Nine seconds later Ethan Montroy received a cross-ice pass from Ryan Thompson and lifted it high blocker side from the left circle for his second of the year at 11:31. Caeden Carlisle earned the second assist on the go-ahead goal for the visitors. Then on the power play, Bryce McConnell-Barker tipped in his team-leading 20th at 15:52 from the right side of the crease after Jordan D’Intino lifted a pass in front of the goal crease from the opposite side. Kalvyn Watson also assisted on the tally.
The Birds closed the gap to a single marker at 17:40 when Dmitry Kuzmin attempted a pass between the circles that was deflected to Zacharie Giroux atop the right-wing circle. Giroux spun and shot through traffic, finding the top right corner of the cage for his 13th of the season in his 100th career OHL contest.
With 1:42 to play in period one, the Hounds struck again. An attempted pass across the slot hit the skate of a Flint defender and came to rest in the crease. As Day was dropping on the loose puck, Watson poked it underneath for his 16th. The assist was credited to Landen Hookey.
First-period shots ended even at ten per side. The Greyhounds had a slight edge in faceoffs 10-9. Flint didn’t get a power-play opportunity, but the Soo scored on their only chance.
The second period was played at a faster tempo, with a decrease in scoring chances and an increase in blocked shots and big saves. Both teams tightened up on defense and completed every check available. That kept the middle frame scoreless until 16:09 when the Firebirds once again pulled within a single tally. Blake Smith slapped a shot from the left point that Ivanov kicked aside to his right. Riley Piercey was in place to grab the rebound and slide it in front of Sault Ste. Marie’s goaltender to a wide-open Braeden Kressler who completed the back-door play with his 15th of the campaign.
The Birds outshot the Hounds 11-10 through the center stanza and outdrew them 15-4. Neither team took a penalty in period two.
The third period was also played scoreless until late when Giroux fed Kressler across the circles on a late power play. Kressler was centered in the left circle and one-timed the pass behind Ivanov for his second of the night and 16th of the year at 17:31.
The game was knotted at five after 60 minutes of play. Shots were also even at 28 per side. Flint outdrew the Soo 32-19 in regulation and scored on their only power-play chance of the night. The Hounds were 1-for-2 with the man advantage through three periods.
The overtime frame lasted just 3:16 before Flint claimed the victory. Gavin Hayes intercepted a pass in his defensive end and all three Firebirds skaters sprinted up ice. Hayes crossed the blue, and dumped the trailer Riley Piercey in the middle. Piercey returned the feed to Hayes who one-timed the pass across the slot to Dmitry Kuzmin, who one-timed it home to conclude the contest with his seventh of the season. Overtime shots were 3-2, advantage Soo.
Next Up: The Firebirds are back on home ice tomorrow to host the Kitchener Rangers for the second of two ‘Firebirds Fight Hunger’ nights, with puck drop again set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) at the Dort Financial Center. Fans can once again bring five or more non-perishable food items for FREE admission, valid at the Dort Financial Center Box Office. Saturday’s game will also benefit the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. Tickets for Saturday’s home contest are available for purchase from ETIX HERE.
Photography: Todd Boone / Flint Firebirds
Story: Brandon Mills / flintfirebirds.com
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