Flint, Mich. – The Firebirds continued their red-hot play, defeating the visiting Guelph Storm 5-2 at the Dort Financial Center Saturday evening. Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) scored and is now tied for the single-season record of most goals scored in Firebirds’ franchise history with 39. For the second time in as many nights, Tag Bertuzzi scored twice, now with four goals in two days. Luca D’Amato and Zack Terry also lit the lamp for the home team. Netminder Luke Cavallin made 49 saves on 51 shots to earn his 29th victory between the pipes and is now tied for the franchise record in goaltender wins in a season. For the Storm, Owen Bennett started in the net but was replaced by rookie netminder Jacob Oster after Flint’s fourth goal at 3:51 of the second period. Brayden Guy and Danny Zhilkin were Guelph’s goal-scorers.
The first 10 minutes of the game were played scoreless, but with plenty of physicalities. While the rugged play continued through the final ten minutes of the opening frame, the scoring opened up as well. First, Riley Piercey carried to the top of the right circle and left the puck behind for Luca D’Amato trailing on the play. D’Amato took a couple of strides before lifting a wrister mid-height to the blocker side for his seventh of the season at 10:01. Tristan Bertucci picked up the second assist on the goal.
Tag Bertuzzi then scored back-to-back goals to extend Flint’s lead to three. First, he gathered a loose puck atop the right circle and, despite a defender directly in front of him, was able to send a very similar shot on net a minute later. His shot also slipped inside the far post for his 16th of the campaign, logged at 11:03, unassisted. Next, Zacharie Giroux tried a shot from point-blank range that was saved but deflected straight up into the air. Bertuzzi was below the goal to Bennett’s left, yet somehow managed to use the blade of his stick to knock the puck out of midair into the back of the net for his second of the period and 17th of the season at 14:51. Giroux and Gavin Hayes were credited with the helpers.
The Storm cut into the deficit before the end of the frame with a power-play marker at 17:26. Luka Profaca sent a pass across the blue line to his defensive partner Cameron Supryka centered high between the circles. Supryka wound and fired into traffic, but his shot hit someone’s equipment in the slot. It redirected to Cavallin’s right where Brayden Guy pounced and slipped it past the goaltender for his 17th of the season at 17:26.
Guelph doubled Flint in shots in the first 20 minutes by a margin of 20-10. The Storm also won one more faceoff, finishing with an 11-10 edge over the Birds. Guelph scored once on two power-play chances and the Firebirds skated without a man-advantage through the first period.
Flint received their first power-play chance early in the middle stanza. Gavin Hayes slipped between two Guelph defenders, resulting in an all-out breakaway up the middle. Bennett kicked Hayes’ shot into the left corner, where Zacharie Giroux gave chase. Giroux won the battle along the boards and sent a pass back to Hayes, now centered high above the circles. Hayes wound a fired a heavy shot, that was again turned aside by Bennett. This time, however, Brennan Othmann was first on the scene, directing the puck into the back of the net for his 39th goal of the season and 10th on the power play at 3:51. Jacob Oster relieved Owen Bennett between the pipes immediately following Othmann’s tally.
The Firebirds held a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes of play, despite being outshot 36-19. The Birds outdrew the Storm 17-8 through the middle frame and finished one-for-two with the man-advantage. Guelph was scoreless on their lone man-up opportunity in the middle stanza.
The Storm cut the deficit to two with another power-play marker at 9:04 of the third period. Sasha Pastujov (Anaheim Ducks) won a battle along the left-wing half boards and made a cross-ice feed to Danny Zhilkin all alone in the right-wing circle. Zhilkin’s wrister beat Cavallin up high, far-side for his 18th of the season. Assists on the play were credited to Pastujov and Brayden Guy.
Still down by a pair, Guelph used their timeout with 2:08 remaining in regulation. Oster remained on the bench, with the faceoff directed to Cavallin’s right. The Storm won the draw and were able to set up, making plenty of perimeter passes before the Firebirds emerged from behind their own net with possession. Defenseman Zack Terry lifted the puck high over several players’ heads from his own end, and despite a Storm defender getting a glove on it as it passed over his head, the result was Terry’s eighth of the season at 18:25 making it 5-2 Flint.
Shortly after the game’s last goal, things got heated between the squads. Following a whistle everyone got together in front of the Flint net, some gloves hit the ice, and Luke Cavallin got involved in a spirited tilt with a skater from the opposition. Several players from both sides received misconduct penalties. Ian Michelone took over between the pipes for the Firebirds in the final 1:27 and made the only save necessary.
Final shots were 52-23 to Guelph’s advantage. The Birds outdrew the Storm 40-29. On special teams, Guelph scored two goals on five power-play opportunities and the Firebirds finished 1-for-3.
Story: Brandon Mills / flintfirebirds.com
Photography: Todd Boone / Flint Firebirds
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