Flint, Mich. – The Firebirds came up short in a chippy affair with the Sarnia Sting Saturday night. For the first time in six meetings, the Sting won in regulation by the final score of 6-3. Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings), Ethan Hay, and Zacharie Giroux scored for the Firebirds. The same two netminders who got the start that played last night in Sarnia were Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues) for Flint and Nicholas Surzycia for the visiting Sting. Cranley made seven saves on 11 shots before Nathan Day came in on a relief effort. Surzycia picked up his fifth win of the season, posting 30 saves on 33 shots.
The Firebirds generated several scoring chances right from the opening faceoff, but it was a transition play by Sarnia that resulted in the first two quick goals. The first came just 48 seconds into the game when Marko Sikic fed Sandis Vilmanis (Florida Panthers) in the neutral zone. The latter carried across the blue line and fed Easton Wainwright atop the left circle, and his wrister found twine inside the near post for his fifth of the season. Then, Sikic led Nolan Burke (Nashville Predators) with a tight pass across the top of the crease, and his one-timer went behind Cranley and in for his ninth of the season at 3:59.
The Sting scored two more back-to-back goals in the sixth and eighth minutes of play. First was a rebound goal by Zach Filak, his fifth of the season assisted by Vilmanis and Wainwright at 6:02. Then at 8:22, Burke potted his second of the night and 18th of the season after a quick couple of passes from Sikic and Ty Voit (Toronto Maple Leafs) left him open to the left of the Flint net.
After the game saw a drastic uptick in physicality, the Firebirds finally solved Surzycia. Tyler Deline ripped one from the left point into traffic, where Zacharie Giroux was able to deflect it past the goaltender for his tenth of the campaign at 6:28. Blake Smith picked up his first point with the Firebirds with the second assist.
Flint outshot the visitors 12-9 and outdrew them 9-7 through the first 20 minutes. Both teams were unsuccessful on one power-play chance.
The intensity continued to pick up in the second, with fast-paced action at both ends of the ice. While the Birds were on a power play, the Sting cleared the puck and sent several players deep to freeze the puck in the corner. Burke finally freed the puck and fed Cooper Way behind the Flint net. Way set up Nolan Dillingham all alone at the inner edge of the right-wing circle for a one-timer that resulted in his first goal of the season at 11:44 of the second frame. Nathan Day replaced Cranley between the pipes after the goal.
Flint answered quickly when Ethan Hay left the puck behind Sarnia’s net for Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks). Hayes returned the feed to Hay now out front, and the one-timer resulted in his eighth of the season at 13:24.
That was the end of the scoring for the middle frame. Tight checking and huge saves highlighted the balance of the period. Shots ended at 7-4 to Flint’s advantage, and they outdrew the Sting 11-3. Flint went scoreless on two power-play opportunities, and the Sting skated without a man advantage in period two.
Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings) picked the pocket of a defender deep in the Sarnia corner and carried directly to the crease from Surzycia’s left. He waited for a commitment before tucking the puck just inside the far post for his team-leading 18th of the season at 7:28, pulling Flint within two.
The Firebirds called Day to the bench with around 2:30 remaining in regulation, but the Sting were able to clear and Cooper Way was able to find the empty net for his third of the year at 17:54. Flint outshot the Sting 33-22 and outdrew them 30-18. Neither team converted on a power play, with the Birds getting four tries and Sarnia only one.
Next Up: The Firebirds will travel north on I-75 to battle the Spirit in Saginaw on Wednesday before returning to the Dort Financial Center on Friday. The Sarnia Sting will be back in town for game seven of the yearly eight-game series between the clubs. 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: Todd Boone / Flint Firebirds
Story: Brandon Mills / flintfirebirds.com
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