The Owen Sound Attack will be fighting for their playoff lives on Tuesday night.
Amadeus Lombardi scored a pair of goals and added an assist, as the Flint Firebirds cruised past the Attack 5-1 in Game 5 of the Ontario Hockey League Western Conference quarterfinal Sunday afternoon at the Dort Financial Center.
The Firebirds now lead the series 3-2. Game 6 is scheduled to go Tuesday evening at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
After a scoreless first period, the Firebirds got goals from Coulson Pitre and Brennan Othmann in the first 1:08 of the second to go up 2-0.
Colby Barlow struck for the Attack at 3:20 short-handed, depositing a backhand past Luke Cavallin off a two-on-one rush on a pass from Servac Petrovsky to cut the lead to 2-1.
Ethan Keppen scored just 37 seconds later to restore Flint’s two-goal lead, deflecting one in front of Nick Chenard that bounced over the head of the goaltender and landed in the net.
Cavallin was sharp when the Firebirds were up 3-1, stopping Petrovsky on a short-handed breakaway midway through the second and denying Nick Porco early in the third on a clean break.
Lombardi scored twice, 59 seconds apart, for Flint at 5:12 and 6:11 of the third to end Chenard’s night.
Chenard made 23 saves taking the loss, while Cavallin stopped 36 in the win. Owen Sound outshot Flint 37-32 while going 0 for 4 on the power play; the Firebirds finished 1 for 7.
Corbin Votary stopped all four shots he faced in relief.
Gavin Bryant and Igor Chibrikov both exited the game early for the Attack with injuries. Their statuses for Game 6 is unknown at this point.
Game 6 in the series is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.