Six Unanswered Goals Propel Firebirds to 2-1 Series Lead Over Spitfires
Flint, Mich. – A three-goal first period by the Spitfires dug a deep hole for the Firebirds to climb out of. After a spirited tilt between two worthy combatants at center ice, it was the Birds who went on to score six straight and take the lead in the Western Conference Finals two games to one. Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs) netted two, including the game-winning goal, and earned ‘First Star’ honors. Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks) scored Flint’s first power-play goal of the series and added an empty-netter in the final seconds. Ethan Hay potted his first of the postseason and was named the ‘Second Star.’ Sahil Panwar also lit the lamp with his fourth. For the Spits, Daniel D’Amico, Oliver Peer, and Michael Renwick each scored their third of the postseason for the visitors. Luke Cavallin earned his 10th playoff victory, making 37 saves on 40 shots. Across the ice, Mathias Onuska stopped 39 of the 43 shots faced.
Both teams started the contest at a faster pace than in the first two games of the series. Ethan Keppen (Vancouver Canucks) had the first quality scoring chance of the game, jumping on a loose puck between the circles and firing on Onuska from close range. The save was made, and Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs) was gifted a second attempt which was also saved. Play resumed with both goaltenders making several key saves over the next four minutes. From there, the Spits would score three consecutive even-strength markers.
In the seventh minute of play, Matthew Maggio emerged on a two-on-one break with Daniel D’Amico pacing to his left. Maggio held until the hash marks before feeding D’Amico on the left side of the crease. He faked a short-side shot before carrying across the goalmouth and slipping the puck past Cavallin just inside the right post. D’Amico’s third of the playoffs was logged at 6:30 of the opening frame, assisted by Maggio and Michael Renwick.
Less than three minutes later, Oliver Peer showed a burst of speed in the neutral zone that carried him past three Firebirds and into his offensive end. He had one defender to beat as he sniped the top corner near-side from the inner edge of the left-wing circle. It was Peer’s third of the postseason, assisted by Daniil Sobolev (Montreal Canadians) and Nathan Ribau at 9:06.
Then, with under five minutes to play in the first, Michael Renwick sent a wrist shot from his perch centered above the circles. The puck entered just under the crossbar for his third of the year at 15:45, assisted by Livonia, Mich. native Ryan Abraham and Maggio.
The teams reached their boiling points, and two heavyweights dropped the gloves and brought the energy back into the Dort Financial Center. The momentum shifted, and the Firebirds lit the lamp while shorthanded at 17:51. Ethan Hay pulled the puck from a scrum at the left-wing half boards and fed Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) between the circles. Kuzmin’s one-timer was kicked aside to his left, where both Kuzmin and Hay gathered to swing for the rebound. Kuzmin’s second attempt came up short but Hay slipped it behind Onuska for his first of the playoffs. Braeden Kressler picked up the second helper on the tally.
Through the first 20 minutes of play, Flint was outshot 15-13. Windsor also outdrew the Firebirds 16-8. Both teams ended 0-for-1 on the power play.
The Birds pulled within one just beyond the five-minute mark of the middle frame. Kressler fed Keppen who was screening Onuska in the slot. The overage forward attempted a between-the-legs shot from point-blank range, but the rebound was sent to the right corner. Keppen gave chase and fed Luca D’Amato positioned at the right point. D’Amato wound and fired, and a deflection off Kressler resulted in a redirection over Onuska’s extended left pad to the light the lamp at 5:27.
The momentum continued to build in Flint’s favor, and on their second power-play opportunity of the center stanza, they tied the contest at three. Amadeus Lombardi skated behind the Windsor cage and fed Tyler Deline in the left-wing circle. Deline’s slapper was saved and the puck shot straight up into the air in front of the Spits’ goal. Before it returned to the playing surface, Ethan Keppen knocked it out of midair with the blade of his stick. It found its way over Onuska’s right pad for Keppen’s sixth of the playoffs at 13:21.
The Firebirds claimed their first lead of the night with under three minutes remaining in period two. Kressler slapped a shot from the right hash marks that was saved while Ethan Hay slid into the goal crease after colliding with a defender. Meanwhile, Kressler skated behind the net and out into the left circle, where the puck ended up back on his stick. He quickly launched a snapshot near-side that slipped through the five-hole for his second of the night and fifth of the postseason at 17:20.
Second-period shots were 22-9 to the Firebirds’ advantage. In the faceoff circles, Windsor held the slight edge of 11-10. Flint finished one-for-two with the man-advantage while the Spitfires carried their lone power-play situation over into the final frame.
The third period was nonstop end-to-end action with plenty of scoring chances and colossal saves from both goalies. Still trailing by one with under three minutes to play, Onuska was summoned to the bench for an extra skater. The Spitfires maintained pressure in the Flint zone for a solid two minutes before Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) chased down a cleared puck along the left-wing boards and fed Sahil Panwar for the empty-netter at 19:19, his fourth of the playoffs.
Onuska returned to the net for the following faceoff, but then skated back to the bench as soon as Windsor had control of the puck. The Birds forced a turnover, and Deline scored a second empty-net goal with five seconds remaining on the clock and a melee ensued on the ice. After tempers settled and play resumed, the puck dropped and the final five seconds ticked away without incident. Flint skated away with the decisive 6-3 victory. The Firebirds ended ahead in shots 45-40 despite being outdrawn 39-26. The Birds killed off all four penalties taken successfully while scoring once on their three power-play chances.
Next Up: Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals is scheduled for Friday at the Dort Financial Center in Flint. Puck drop for Game 4 is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) and tickets are on sale now through ETIX HERE, in person at the Dort Financial Center Box Office, or by calling 1-800-514-3849.
Story: Brandon Mills / flintfirebirds.com
Photography: Todd Boone / Flint Firebirds
For more information, contact:
Jack Sznewajs
Director of Broadcasting & Communications
Flint Firebirds Hockey Club
[email protected]