Flint’s fast start leaves Guelph Storm stuck at gate
FLINT, Mich. – The Flint Firebirds struck for four goals in a span of four minutes and 18 seconds in the first period to leave the Guelph Storm behind early in their OHL game Saturday night at Flint’s Dort Financial Center.
The first-period outburst led Flint to a 9-5 victory.
Flint Firebirds 9 Guelph Storm 5
The Firebirds led 5-0 at the end of the first period and 6-2 after the second.
Niko Minkkinen’s first two goals for the Storm came 1:10 apart early in the third period. Valentin Zhugin, Cedricson Okitundu and Ben McFarlane each added single goals while Cooper Walker had two assists and Sasha Pastujov, Zhugin, Jake Murray, Danny Zhilkin, Hunter McKenzie, Jake Karabela and Zackary Sandhu had one apiece.
Braeden Kressler and Zacharie Giroux scored twice each for Flint while Dmitry Kuzmin, Riley Piercey, Brennan Othmann, Alex Bradshaw and Coulson Pitre contributed single goals. Simon Slavicek and Tristan Bertucci each gathered three assists while Giroux and Pitre each had two assists and Tyler Deline, Gavin Hayes, Nathan Aspinall, Marko Stojkov, Luca D’Amato and Piercey each had one.
Flint outshot the Storm 38-35 and each team scored a power-play goal. The Firebirds scored on their only power play while the Storm went 1-for-6.
Jacob Oster started in net for the Storm. He played the first period while Dixon Grimes played the final two periods and took the loss. Oster had 11 saves and Grimes had 18.
Nathan Day had 26 saves for Flint while Will Cranley stopped all four shots he faced in the final eight minutes of the game.
The Storm (4-10-2-0) are tied with the Kitchener Rangers (5r-7-0-0) for ninth in the Western Conference. Kitchener has four games in hand.
The Firebirds (8-7-0-0) are tied with the Sarnia Sting (7-5-1-1) for fifth in the conference. Sarnia has a game in hand.
The Storm are back on the road Thursday for a game against the North Bay Battalion (10-4-0-0) at the North Bay Memorial Gardens. Game time is 7 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal
Flint’s fast start leaves Guelph Storm stuck at gate
FLINT, Mich. – The Flint Firebirds struck for four goals in a span of four minutes and 18 seconds in the first period to leave the Guelph Storm behind early in their OHL game Saturday night at Flint’s Dort Financial Center.
The first-period outburst led Flint to a 9-5 victory.
Flint Firebirds 9
Guelph Storm 5
The Firebirds led 5-0 at the end of the first period and 6-2 after the second.
Niko Minkkinen’s first two goals for the Storm came 1:10 apart early in the third period. Valentin Zhugin, Cedricson Okitundu and Ben McFarlane each added single goals while Cooper Walker had two assists and Sasha Pastujov, Zhugin, Jake Murray, Danny Zhilkin, Hunter McKenzie, Jake Karabela and Zackary Sandhu had one apiece.
Braeden Kressler and Zacharie Giroux scored twice each for Flint while Dmitry Kuzmin, Riley Piercey, Brennan Othmann, Alex Bradshaw and Coulson Pitre contributed single goals. Simon Slavicek and Tristan Bertucci each gathered three assists while Giroux and Pitre each had two assists and Tyler Deline, Gavin Hayes, Nathan Aspinall, Marko Stojkov, Luca D’Amato and Piercey each had one.
Flint outshot the Storm 38-35 and each team scored a power-play goal. The Firebirds scored on their only power play while the Storm went 1-for-6.
Jacob Oster started in net for the Storm. He played the first period while Dixon Grimes played the final two periods and took the loss. Oster had 11 saves and Grimes had 18.
Nathan Day had 26 saves for Flint while Will Cranley stopped all four shots he faced in the final eight minutes of the game.
The Storm (4-10-2-0) are tied with the Kitchener Rangers (5r-7-0-0) for ninth in the Western Conference. Kitchener has four games in hand.
The Firebirds (8-7-0-0) are tied with the Sarnia Sting (7-5-1-1) for fifth in the conference. Sarnia has a game in hand.
The Storm are back on the road Thursday for a game against the North Bay Battalion (10-4-0-0) at the North Bay Memorial Gardens. Game time is 7 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal